What’s up with the Trail Blazers?
Damian Lillard has long been the unequivocal go-to guy of Portland. He is the one who continues to grind it out despite the various changes in rosters, coaching shifts, and numerous playoff heartbreaks. But now, something is brewing in Portland as a pair of rising stars are moving front and center.
The Blazers are fresh off an overtime road win over the Knicks as newly acquired Jerami Grant fired a career-high 44 points, while up-and-coming gunner Anfernee Simons was right behind with 38 points. Grant, who was traded to Portland during the offseason, showed his all-around game. He was 10-for-20 from the field and 21-for-28 from the line. The Blazers attempted 51 free throws as a team – the most in the league since the Grizzlies had 50 shots in July 2020.
The knock on the Blazers has been the lack of help surrounding their superstar Lillard. Last season, they mixed things up by letting go of Lillard’s backcourt buddy CJ McCollum. There was a perception heading into this year that Portland was eyeing a lottery finish or at most a Play-In ticket. However, the latest iteration of the Blazers has been doing wonders as they currently hold an 11-8 record. Grant has been a stud while scoring explosions from Simons are never out of the question.
Lillard is currently nursing a right calf strain that forced him to miss the last three games. He has missed eight games this season, and the team is 4-4 without him.
What’s up with the Nets?
The Nets are set to embark on a seven-game homestand starting with the Blazers. And it couldn’t have come at a better time after a very turbulent start to the season. They need stability and continuity and sometimes all you need is a little bit of home cooking and your own bed to sleep on.
The Nets are currently 10th in the East with a 9-11 record. They are 5-5 in their last 10 games, following a 128-117 loss against the Pacers over the weekend.
A bright spot for Brooklyn is Ben Simmons who’s slowly finding his rhythm as a Net. There has been a ton of criticism thrown around Simmons for his lack of offense but the three-time All-Star has been more aggressive as of late. He is averaging 15.5 points in his last six games, which is a welcome sight for the Nets who are trying to navigate the season with a new head coach and a star who’s had to deal with a handful of off-court issues.
What happened last time they met?
The Blazers and Nets met earlier this month as a Royce O’Neal putback paved the way for a 109-107 Brooklyn win.
It was a special night for O’Neal. His tip-in with 0.7 seconds left was the icing on the cake for his triple-double performance (11 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists). Kevin Durant dropped 35 points as the Nets climbed back from an 11-point deficit with less than three minutes left.
