Golden State Warriors vs Portland Trail Blazers prediction and combined starting 5 featuring Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard - March 3rd, 2021
The Golden State Warriors will visit the Portland Trail Blazers on March 3rd for a battle between two of the greatest point guards in today's NBA. Damian Lillard will lock horns with Stephen Curry two months after the two-time MVP's 62-point outing on January 3rd against the Blazers.
This will be the third game between the Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2020-21 NBA season. It will decide which team wins the regular-season series, as both squads have beaten each other once already.
Portland defeated Golden State on January 1st at Chase Center by a 123-98 scoreline. Then, Curry's career-high in points helped the Dubs grab a 137-122 win at home.
Golden State Warriors vs Portland Trail Blazers prediction - March 3rd, 2021
The Golden State Warriors are coming off an ugly loss against the LA Lakers on the road, as they fell 117-91 in a game that was not close at any point.
Draymond Green playing just 12 minutes in the game due to an ankle injury did not help. He is day-to-day for the matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Portland fell to the LA Lakers at Staples on February 26th, but the team returned to winning ways with a 123-111 win over the Charlotte Hornets at home to snap a four-game losing streak.
Carmelo Anthony's 29 points off the bench and Robert Covington's shooting helped the Portland Trail Blazers overcome a poor game from Damian Lillard (8-21 from the field) and LaMelo Ball's 30 points for Charlotte.
Portland's defense has been a major problem for the team, as they rank 28th in Defensive Rating in the entire league. Despite having the seventh-best offense in the league, Portland is only 18th in Net Rating at -0.6.
On the Golden State Warriors' side, Curry might have another huge night against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Dubs' offense will certainly need something of the kind, as it ranks only 20th in the NBA.
The Golden State Warriors' defense, on the other hand, ranks fourth in the entire NBA, but Draymond Green's presence will be much-needed for Steve Kerr's team.
We could see a high-scoring game and a shootout between Curry and Lillard. It might come down to the two scoring point guards, and Golden State might reach a scrappy win if Green is fit to play in Portland.
Golden State Warriors vs Portland Trail Blazers combined starting 5 - March 3rd, 2021
As mentioned before, Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard are the biggest superstars in these two teams. They should create most of the highlights from the upcoming game between the Golden State Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers.
While both names are a little underrated in the NBA MVP conversation due to their teams' inconsistency, Curry and Lillard are performing at an extraordinary level.
Curry is putting up 29.5 points, six assists and five rebounds per game so far on 48/41/94 shooting splits. Lillard is averaging 29.6 points and eight assists per game on 45/38/93 shooting splits.
The seasons of both point guards have been quite similar. Both have missed their backcourt teammates - Klay Thompson (out for the whole season with an Achilles tear) and CJ McCollum (has not played since January 16th due to a left foot injury).
Still, Curry has guided the Golden State Warriors to a 19-16 record in the harsh Western Conference, while Lillard's Portland Trail Blazers are at 19-14 and sit fifth in the West.
Andrew Wiggins has been the Golden State Warriors' second-best option on offense and he has taken advantage of his chances. He is averaging 17 points, five rebounds and a block per game on 46/35/66 shooting splits. Wiggins needs to shoot better from the free-throw line, as he is having the second-worst year of his career in that department.
As explained before, Draymond Green is an essential piece for the Golden State Warriors, both as a facilitator on offense and as an anchor on defense. He is averaging a team-high 8.5 assists per game. Green also has the best Defensive Rating among the Golden State Warriors' starters, at 107 points allowed per 100 possessions.
Enes Kanter has been solid in the Portland Trail Blazers' frontcourt while replacing the injured Jusuf Nurkic. Kanter is putting up 11 points and 11 rebounds per game with a 58% shooting efficiency.
Kanter has played in each of his team's 33 games and has 18 double-doubles. Moreover, he has tallied 13 points and 13 rebounds per game in his 21 starts for the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2020-21 NBA season.
Also read: NBA MVP of the Year 2021: March Power Ranking