Charlotte Hornets vs Portland Trail Blazers Prediction & Match Preview - March 1, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21
The Charlotte Hornets head to Oregon for a regular-season matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on Monday. The Hornets will be playing on back-to-back nights, coming off Sunday’s thrilling 127-126 come-from-behind win versus the Sacramento Kings. P.J. Washington scored a career-high 42 points to offset the absence of Gordon Hayward, who sat out the game with a hand injury.
The Portland Trail Blazers will try to end a four-game losing streak when they face the Charlotte Hornets. Their last loss came at the hands of the LA Lakers, who snapped their own four-game skid with a 102-93 win at the Portland Trail Blazers’ expense last Friday. Damian Lillard scored 35 points and added seven assists but his effort fell short.
Match Details
Fixture - Charlotte Hornets vs Portland Trail Blazers | 2020-21 NBA Season
Date & Time - Monday, March 1st, 10:30 PM ET (Tuesday, March 2nd, 9:00 AM IST)
Venue - Moda Center, Portland, OR
Charlotte Hornets Preview
The Charlotte Hornets showed resilience and determination when they rallied in the fourth quarter against the Kings. The fact that they did this without the Hornets' leading scorer Gordon Hayward, makes it even more impressive. P.J. Washington’s performance was one for the books, but he wasn’t the only one who had a special night.
Rookie LaMelo Ball scored 24 points and dished out a career-high 12 assists in the win.
What’s interesting is the fact that the Charlotte Hornets have been alternating wins and losses the past nine games. The Portland Trail Blazers game is the one where they hope to break that streak to get their first back-to-back wins since February 8 this year.
Key Player - LaMelo Ball
LaMelo Ball has energized this franchise with his selfless play and hustle. His averages of 15.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 6.1 assists indicate the amazing potential the 19-year-old has.
In his last 15 games for the Charlotte Hornets, 13 of which he started, Ball averaged 20.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. He’s making plays that are reminiscent of some of the all-time great point guards.
Ball will have to play smart, solid defense against the great Damian Lillard, should the two be matched up against each other. That task, however, may be assigned to Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier to prevent Ball from exerting too much effort at the other end.
Charlotte Hornets Predicted Lineup
G LaMelo Ball G Terry Rozier F Jalen McDaniels F P.J. Washington C Bismack Biyombo
Portland Trail Blazers Preview
The Portland Trail Blazers will attempt to stop their slide and keep their sixth-place position in the Western Conference standings when they face the Charlotte Hornets. The past week and a half has been a struggle for the Blazers.
They may have overachieved when they ran off six straight wins, prior to the losing streak. Their recent winless run exposed their dependency on C.J. McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic.
But the Portland Trail Blazers have not lost to the Charlotte Hornets at home 12 games in a row, meaning one streak will definitely end on Monday. The Blazers are hoping it’s their losing streak that breaks first.
Key Player - Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard is the one who gets this Portland Trail Blazers team rolling. There are times, however, when the team relies on him too much to make a play. As good as he is, Lillard needs McCollum and Nurkic back for the Portland Trail Blazers to find any sort of rhythm.
The Portland Trail Blazers' recent string of losses is a reflection of what happens when Lillard is the team’s sole star with everyone just chipping in. That’s not enough even though Lillard is playing like an MVP with averages of 29.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game.
Lillard can still carry the Portland Trail Blazers at times, but they shouldn’t overexert him, or else he’ll be the next one to go down.
Portland Trail Blazers Predicted Lineup
G Damian Lillard G Gary Trent Jr. F Derrick Jones Jr. F Robert Covington C Enes Kanter
Hornets vs Blazers Match Prediction
The Charlotte Hornets are a much better team than in years past and that was made clear by their recent win against the Kings. But the Hornets are still young, which is why they haven’t been consistent with their efforts on a nightly basis.
When they face the Portland Trail Blazers, they will have to break several years’ worth of failures at Moda Center. Though well-rested, the Portland Trail Blazers are vulnerable of late, and if the young and talented Hornets are going to snap their skid in Portland, this is the year.
Hayward may or may not return tonight for the Charlotte Hornets, who will likely win for the first time in Portland in more than a decade.
Where to watch Hornets vs Blazers?
The game between the Charlotte Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers will be televised nationally by NBA TV, and locally by FOX Sports Southeast Charlotte and NBC Sports Northwest. For international audiences, the match will be broadcast live on NBA League Pass.
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