The last four NBA regular season games were finished on Friday: Denver Nuggets 109-117 Toronto Raptors; Miami Heat 92-109 Indiana Pacers; Oklahoma City Thunder 103-107 Los Angeles Clippers; Philadelphia 76ers 134-96 Houston Rockets.

None of the above results mattered much since most of the playoff fixtures were already confirmed except one pair: Which team will meet the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round in the Western Conference? The Portland Trail Blazers or the Memphis Grizzlies?

The two teams will play against each other to decide the last playoff spot in a (possibly) two-game play-in contest on Saturday and Sunday. Portland, as the No. 8, only need one win to secure qualification while Memphis must claim two straight wins for that goal.

Generally speaking, Portland are the stronger team. They have a more complete lineup and much better offense. The return of Jusuf Nurkic enabled Portland to have more options in screen plays. Carmelo Anthony offered the team a reliable isolation choice in the wing. C.J. McCollum is Portland's second offensive engine (but his back injury may be a hidden danger).

And there is Damian Lillard. The 30-year-old averaged 37.6 points and 9.2 assists per game during season restart, including scoring 112 points in two games in a row, to lead the Trail Blazers to a 6-2 record. By the way, he also stepped onto the free throw line 8.9 times on average.

In fact, two years ago, Lillard was already considered a top 10 player of the league as he was voted into the All-NBA First Team. However, he was broken and torn apart by the trapping defense of the New Orleans Pelicans which swept the Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs.

Since then, Lillard began to extend his shooting range further to the half-court line. In the 2017-18 season, he was 9-36 beyond 30 feet (about 9.1 meters). In 2018-19, he was 16-50 and 12-29 in the playoffs. When he sent the Thunder home in Game 5 on April 23, 2019, Lillard sank a 37-foot (about 11.3 meters) triple in front of Paul George. This season before the suspension in March, Lillard already buried 49 30+foot shots.

Meanwhile, Lillard kept optimizing his mapping shots by increasing the proportions from 3-point line and in the paint. This season, he 50 percent of his offense happened from downtown and 30 percent under the rim.

One of the reasons Lillard managed to do that was his improved strength. With a stronger body, he was able to earn more free throws, make more head-on shots and drive towards the rim carrying defense.

In less than 12 hours, the Grizzlies are about to meet this guy and the team he leads. What can they do to stop Lillard from dropping 50+points and walking over them?

For starters, they must double team Lillard, just like any team will double team Stephen Curry or James Harden. Use a big man if possible because a bigger defender may do better challenging 1.88-meter-tall Lillard's passing vision.

Second, make smart choices of who to leave open. When the Trail Blazers put two big guys – Nurkic/Hassan Whiteside, Nurkic/Zach Collins, Whiteside/Collins – they don't have perfect spacing. Moreover, neither Whiteside nor Collins share Nurkic's ability to find an open teammate via second passing.

Third, Morant must do better. As a first-year rookie point guard, Ja Morant already impressed the league with his combination of athleticism, attack of the basket and orchestration. He loves to pass and always looks for teammates first. Nonetheless, when Morant wants to accelerate, few big men want to meet him in the paint.

However, that's not good enough for today's Grizzlies' offense. The team already lost Jaren Jackson Jr., who was able to bury 2.5 triples at a 3-point rate of 39. 4 percent. The Grizzlies' offense already lagged behind in the league before Jackson had been ruled out of season. Without a well-shooting big guy, they will rely more on Morant and Jonas Valanciunas. It's hard to imagine that Valanciunas can achieve much in front of Nurkic or Whiteside, especially when the spacing grew worse. Therefore, Morant will have to shoulder even more.

Morant averaged 17.8 points, 7.3 assists with a True Shooting Percentage of 55.6 percent. His slashing, passing and general playstyle reminded viewers of Derrick Rose in his first season. In that season, the Chicago Bulls met the Boston Celtics in the first round of playoffs. In Game 1, Rose broke through the defense of Rajon Rondo who was in his best condition to score 36 points, 11 assists, leading his team to defeat the 62-20 Boston Celtics. The good news was, neither Lillard nor Portland shared the great defense of Boston that time. This is Morant's time to prove that he can be more than good.