Miami Heat vs Portland Trail Blazers Prediction & Match Preview - April 11th, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21
The Miami Heat begin their Western Conference road trip in the 2020-21 NBA by visiting the Moda Center on Sunday to take on the Portland Trail Blazers.
After snapping their losing streak against the New York Knicks, the Miami Heat have won five of their last six games, which includes a victory over the reigning champions, LA Lakers, in their last outing.
Meanwhile, the Portland Trail Blazers face the third-toughest remaining schedule and are predicted to drop down the Western Conference standings.
Match Details
Fixture: Miami Heat vs Portland Trail Blazers | NBA Season 2020-21.
Date & Time: Sunday, April 11th, 2021; 10:00 PM ET (Monday, April 12th; 7:30 AM IST).
Venue: Moda Center, Portland, OR.
Portland Trail Blazers Preview
The Portland Trail Blazers have lost against superior opponents like the Utah Jazz, the LA Clippers and the Milwaukee Bucks in the past week.
Their next eight games are against teams with a .500 record on the season. The Trail Blazers will need to pull up their socks and improve their strategies or they risk slipping out of playoff reckoning.
The Portland Trail Blazers are 29th in the league in defensive rating and are below 17th in almost every defensive category.
Given their tough road ahead, their abysmal defense could certainly cost them unless coach Terry Stotts makes a few changes. However, the highlight of their week was Enes Kanter dropping 24 points and 30 rebounds in the team's last outing against Detroit.
That set a new Portland Trail Blazers record, as Kanter became only the third player in the last two decades to post a 20p/30r outing in the same game.
Key Player - Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard has continued to impress this season. He is averaging 29 points and 7.7 assists on 44/37/92 shooting splits and is in the conversation for his first-ever MVP award.
Lillard carried the Portland Trail Blazers when McCollum, Nurkic and Collins were injured. He is arguably one of the greatest clutch players in the league, with his late-game heroics producing several wins for the Portland Trail Blazers this season.
Portland Trail Blazers Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Damian Lillard | Shooting Guard - CJ McCollum | Small Forward - Norma Powell | Power Forward - Robert Covington | Center - Jusuf Nurkic.
Miami Heat Preview
The Miami Heat face a series of tough matchups ahead. They take on the Phoenix Suns, the Denver Nuggets and the Brooklyn Nets after this game and risk falling in the conference standings.
However, the Heat have seemingly reprised their form from last season when they won the Eastern Conference title last year. Six players are averaging double-double digit scores, and the team is functioning like one cohesive unit. Duncan Robinson is shooting lights out from distance, while Bam Adebayo is averaging a near double-double, with 19.1 points and 9.5 rebounds a game.
The Miami Heat bolstered their roster with the addition of two-guard Victor Oladipo. He has played just four games since his arrival, averaging 12 points, 3.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game.
He dropped 18 points in the Miami Heat's last game, shooting 5-8 from the field, which includes 2-3 from the three. However, Oladipo hurt his leg and won't be joining the team for this road trip.
Key Player - Jimmy Butler
Jimmy Butler is the 'swiss army knife' of the Miami Heat. He does everything on the floor from scoring to defense and whatever it takes to get his team a win.
Butler is leading the Miami Heat in scoring, assists and steals this season and is second-highest in rebounds. He is the ultimate hustler who grabs loose balls and defends the opponent's best player without any fuss.
Jimmy Butler also mentors the young players in his team and is one of the main voices in the locker room.
Miami Heat Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Goran Dragic | Shooting Guard - Duncan Robinson | Small Forward - Jimmy Butler | Power Forward - Trevor Ariza | Center - Bam Adebayo.
Heat vs Trail Blazers Match Prediction
This game appears quite evenly matched on paper and could go either way.
The Miami Heat's defense on Damian Lillard could be a major factor in the game's outcome. Enes Kanter and Jusuf Nurkic will have to guard Bam Adebayo and look to disrupt his rhythm.
However, the scales are tipped in the favor of the Portland Trail Blazers, as the Heat have listed Tyler Herro, Victor Oladipo, KZ Okpala and Gabe Vincent either questionable or out for this game.
Where to watch the Heat vs Trail Blazers game?
The Miami Heat vs Portland Trail Blazers game will be locally televised on Bally Sports Sun and NBC Sports Northwest. The matchup will also be nationally broadcast on NBATV. The game can also be live-streamed with an NBA League Pass.
Also Read: Miami Heat's stance on the trans sports ban and what it means for inclusivity in sports.