Blazers vs. Warriors 2016: Time, TV schedule and how to live stream NBA playoffs

The Trail Blazers weren't supposed to be in the second round. The Clippers looked, on paper, like the superior team. They even got conformable wins in Games 1 and 2 before the series moved to Portland and everything changed.

The Clippers dropped Game 3 and in Game 4 they lost Chris Paul and Blake Griffin for the rest of the playoffs. The Blazers pounced on their wounded opponent and closed the series in six games. Their reward? A date with the defending champions and the best regular season team in league history. Beating Los Angeles was hard. Getting past the Warriors could prove to be impossible for a talented but inexperienced Portland squad.

The only reason why they have a chance to shock the world is because Stephen Curry is out with a knee injury and no one knows when he will return. Without the league's MVP, the Warriors are still a fantastic team, but they are not as potent on offense. Role players are asked to step outside of their comfort zone while Draymond Green's and Klay Thompson's offensive roles increase significantly. Golden State is still the favorite but doesn't look unbeatable without Curry.

The Warriors will have to rely on their defense to carry them for the games their biggest start misses. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum proved against the Clippers that if they are given a sliver of space, they can take over on offense. Mason Plumlee showed off his growth as a passer and while Al-Farouq Aminu and Maurice Harkless are inconsistent shooters, they can have big nights on occasion. The Warriors better be ready to play great defense for 48 minutes or they could drop the first game of the series.

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