Philadelphia 76ers vs Portland Trail Blazers Prediction & Match Preview - November 20th, 2021 | NBA Season 2021-22
The Philadelphia 76ers continue their road trip to the West Coast with an enticing 2021-22 NBA season game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on Saturday.
The Sixers returned to winning ways against the Denver Nuggets in their previous contest. They handed Nikola Jokic and Co. a 103-89 loss to snap a five-game losing streak.
Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers have improved their form of late, winning three of their last four games. They are coming off a 112-107 win over the Chicago Bulls.
Match Details
Fixture: Philadelphia 76ers vs Portland Trail Blazers | 2021-22 NBA season.
Date & Time: Saturday, November 20; 10:00 PM ET (Sunday, November 21; 8:30 AM IST).
Venue: Moda Center, Portland, OR.
Philadelphia 76ers Preview
The Philadelphia 76ers have been hit with an injury bug earlier this season, hampering their chances of improving on their 8-2 start. The likes of Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris and Danny Green have all missed a significant number of games during their recent slump.
Nevertheless, the blowout win against the Nuggets has boosted the team's morale. Philadelphia played without Embiid, Green and Matisse Thybulle once again.
Tyrese Maxey led the charge in their absence with 22 points on the night, while Seth Curry had 20 as six players ended up with 10 or more points for the Eastern Conference heavyweights.
The Philadelphia 76ers will once again need to put in a solid defensive shift if they are to maintain their winning run on this road trip.
Meanwhile, Maxey, Curry and Tobias Harris will have to bear the responsibility of scoring big, with Joel Embiid likely to miss out on this game as well.
Key Player - Tyrese Maxey
Tyrese Maxey has played a crucial role in helping the Philadelphia 76ers stay afloat in the absence of stars like Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
The young guard is having a career-high season playing as the team's starting point guard. He is averaging 17.5 points and 4.4 assists on a 51/42/87 shooting split.
Maxey will have to produce yet another solid performance to help the Philadelphia 76ers build on their winning momentum from the last game.
He did an exceptional job the last time he went against Damian Lillard on defense. That will once again be the key for the 76ers to claim a win against the Portland Trail Blazers.
22 PTS | 5 REB | 4 AST
@TyreseMaxey does not disappoint.
🎥 presented by @PALottery https://t.co/3ioz5OZ4hu
Philadelphia 76ers Predicted Lineup
G - Tyrese Maxey | G - Seth Curry | F - Georges Niang | F - Tobias Harris | C - Andre Drummond.
Portland Trail Blazers Preview
The Portland Trail Blazers are slowly finding their rhythm after a sluggish start to the season. Their home record has been terrific so far at 7-1.
They will be eager to use their homecourt advantage and level the season series against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.
The Trail Blazers recorded one of their best wins of the season against the Chicago Bulls in their previous game. They overturned a 20-point deficit to claim their eighth victory of the campaign.
Portland produced a brilliant all-round performance in the second half, outscoring Chicago 64-44 in that stretch. They limited their opponents to 35.1% shooting while knocking down 48.9% of their attempts from the floor.
Damian Lillard was instrumental in that comeback as he registered 16 of his 22 points in the second half. Meanwhile, Jusuf Nurkic and Norman Powell recorded 18 points apiece during the game.
The Portland Trail Blazers will need them to replicate their showings if they are to have a healthy chance of recording their ninth win this year.
Key Player - Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard averaged only 17.7 points per game in his first nine appearances of the season. His poor run of form was one of the key reasons behind the Portland Trail Blazers' struggles early in the campaign.
Lillard seems to have rediscovered his mojo after his dismal four-point outing against the Indiana Pacers, though. Since then, he has averaged 24.2 points on 45% field goal shooting, including 38.1% from beyond the arc on 9.2 attempts per game.
His performance will be important to the Portland Trail Blazers' hopes of defeating the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday, making Lillard the key player for this contest.
CJ MCCOLLUM ✋
DAMIAN LILLARD ⌚️
What a sequence. https://t.co/58z79HMOeO
Portland Trail Blazers Predicted Lineup
G - Damian Lillard | G - CJ McCollum | F - Norman Powell | F - Robert Covington | C - Jusuf Nurkic.
76ers vs Trail Blazers Match Prediction
The Portland Trail Blazers roster is way healthier than the Philadelphia 76ers at this stage. On top of that, their scintillating form playing at home will give them a huge advantage as well.
Considering these factors, the Trail Blazers will be the favorites to emerge victorious in this contest.
Where to watch 76ers vs Trail Blazers
The game between the Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers will be televised locally by NBC Sports Philadelphia + and ROOT SPORTS. Fans can also catch live action online via a subscription to NBA League Pass.