Star point guards Russell Westbrook and Damian Lillard will wage a heavy battle as the Oklahoma City Thunder visit the host Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday in Game 1 of the Western Conference first-round series. Lillard's Trail Blazers made a late surge to grab the No. 3 seed in the West while Westbrook and the Thunder are the No. 6 seed after winning their final five regular-season contests.

Westbrook averaged 29.5 points, 10 rebounds and 8.8 assists in four games against Portland this season while Lillard averaged 34.8 points and 7.8 assists during their tense showdowns. "When I see him in public, we speak - 'How's the family? How's your kids?' - but then there's just something about it when you get on the court," Lillard told reporters of Westbrook. "That's what it is. He's one of the top point guards in the league and so am I. When you get out there and you know that your team is going to go as you go, he has to outplay me and I have to outplay him if I want my team to win." Thunder All-Star forward Paul George is struggling with right shoulder soreness but insists that he will play in the opener. Portland will rely on center Enes Kanter to combat Oklahoma City's Steven Adams - his former Thunder teammate - as it attempts to minimize not having bulky big man Jusuf Nurkic (broken leg).

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George was superb against Portland in the regular season with averages of 38 points and 10.5 rebounds and said the postseason is no time to sit with an injury. "It's playoff time, so it's more than this, it's about being out there with my guys," George told reporters. "As much as I can get it a hundred (percent) as possible, or close to it, you can expect me out there Sunday." George fell one point shy of his career high on Feb. 11 when he had 47 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for his lone triple-double of the season in a 120-111 home win over the Trail Blazers.

The health of Portland shooting guard CJ McCollum will be observed closely after he missed 10 games late in the season with a knee injury and didn't fare well upon his return. McCollum averaged 10 points and made just 8-of-26 field-goal attempts -- 2-of-11 from 3-point range -- in two games before being rested in the season finale. "I feel good, I feel like I'm ready to play, looking forward to the playoffs," McCollum told reporters. "I'm glad I was able to get back and get a couple of games in, get a few game minutes in before the playoffs start. ... My wind is fine, no minutes restrictions."


1. The Thunder went 4-0 against the Trail Blazers this season with an average winning margin of seven points.

2. Kanter has registered five double-doubles in his last six appearances.

3. Westbrook recorded two of his 34 triple-doubles against the Trail Blazers.

PREDICTION: Trail Blazers 115, Thunder 113