Portland Trail Blazers vs Charlotte Hornets Prediction & Match Preview - October 31st, 2021 | NBA Season 2021-22
The Portland Trail Blazers will be looking to make it a hat-trick of victories when they take on the Charlotte Hornets in their NBA match on Sunday. Damian Lillard has produced his best-performance so far this season while Jusuf Nurkic and CJ McCollum have both looked in fine form thus far.
The Charlotte Hornets, on the other hand, will be looking to shrug away their loss to the Miami Heat. LaMelo Ball was not at his best on offense while having another off night as well. Gordon Hayward and Miles Bridges have been their best players so far.
"This team continues to battle and showed its resiliency and perseverance again. Proud of the effort in the second half, but it’s got to better there in the first half and for 48 [minutes] against a very good team like this." - James Borrego
#AllFly | @HusqvarnaUSA
Match Details
Fixture – Portland Trail Blazers vs Charlotte Hornets | NBA season 2021-22.
Date & Time - Sunday, October 31st, 2021; 7:00 PM ET (Monday, October 30th; 4:30 AM IST).
Venue - Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
Portland Trail Blazers Preview
The Portland Trail Blazers’ biggest issue has been the slow start to the season for star man Damian Lillard. Concerns have vanished in the last two games despite Lillard still some way away from his best with respect to shooting. Jusuf Nurkic is currently averaging a double-double with respect to points and rebounds while CJ McCollum has got off to a good start as well.
Dame 🤝 Nurk
@moda_health | Assist of the Game https://t.co/6gJdW7XqsO
The Trail Blazers’ Anfernee Simmons has also impressed off the bench and provided points in crucial stages. In their two victories back-to-back, they have gotten off to flying starts and never relinquished the lead. They will be looking for a similar level of performance against the Hornets.
Key Player – Damian Lillard
The Portland Trail Blazers have looked solid in both offense and defense in the last two matches. This is despite their star man not currently shooting well. Lillard produced his best performance so far this season in the last game, and the Trail Blazers will be hoping that it will lead to a more prolific one. In 34 minutes against the LA Clippers, Lillard had 26 points, six assists and four rebounds and converted five of his seven three-point attempts, shooting at an overall 52.9%.
Portland Trail Blazers Predicted Lineup
G - Damian Lillard; G - CJ McCollum; F - Nassir Little; F - Robert Covington; C - Jusuf Nurkic.
Charlotte Hornets Preview
The Charlotte Hornets shot a poor 38.9% as a team in their last game, with both Mason Plumlee and LaMelo Ball producing bad shooting nights. In the last two games, Ball has converted only 5 of his 28 overall field goal attempts.
Gordon: 23 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST
Miles: 22 PTS, 8 REB
Kelly: 17 PTS, 4 REB
Cody: 15 PTS, 3 REB
#AllFly https://t.co/jrLcx1zI0L
Terry Rozier is still some way away from making a return which has left the Hornets with limited options off the bench. LaMelo Ball started the season well but is due a big performance. He was poor with his decision-making and was found taking on difficult shots multiple times. The Hornets need to recollect themselves quickly before taking on a well-drilled Portland Trail Blazers side.
Key Player – LaMelo Ball
The 2021 rookie of the year is off to a strong start this season and is showing a marked improvement in his three-point shooting. Ball had a terrible shooting night against the Heat and finished with six points, six assists and five rebounds. Ball has also shown an increased willingness to defend and has been more aware on the defensive end of the court, averaging 1.7 steals per game in five games thus far.
Charlotte Hornets Predicted Lineup
G - Kelly Oubre Jr.; G - LaMelo Ball; F - Miles Bridges; F - Gordon Hayward; C - Mason Plumlee.
Blazers vs Hornets Match Prediction
The Portland Trail Blazers are in fine form and saw their star man burst into form in their last game. The Charlotte Hornets, on the other hand, started the season brightly and will be looking for LaMelo Ball to provide a big performance. Overall, the Trail Blazers are the favorites for this matchup.
Where to Watch Trail Blazers vs Hornets?
Live coverage will be available on Barry Sports SE-CHA The Charlotte Hornets vs Portland Trail Blazers game, which can be streamed live on NBA League Pass as well.