Portland Trail Blazers vs Golden State Warriors Prediction & Match Preview - October 15th, 2021 | NBA Preseason 2021-22
The Golden State Warriors welcome the visiting Portland Trail Blazers to the Chase Center in San Francisco on October 15th on the final day of the 2021-22 NBA Preseason. The Warriors are looking to finish the preseason undefeated while the Blazers are still winless heading into the finale.
Match Details
Fixture: Portland Trail Blazers vs Golden State Warriors| NBA Preseason 2021-22
Date & Time: Friday, October 15th, 10:00 PM ET (Saturday, October 16th, 7:30 AM IST)
Venue: Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
Portland Trail Blazers Preview
The Portland Trail Blazers remain winless after three preseason games following a 119-74 defeat at the hands of the Phoenix Suns on Thursday. The Blazers also lost to the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings in their first two preseason games.
It has been a tough start for new Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, who was hired this summer despite backlash due to some personal issues more than 20 years ago. Billups is in a tough position since the Blazers will need to play great this season to convince Damian Lillard to stay.
Trail Blazers Head Coach Chauncey Billups reveals his message to Damian Lillard.
Hear the Portland Trail Blazers Season Preview Show featuring Chauncey Billups and on the SXM App! 🔊 siriusxm.us/NBAPreviewBlaz…
@trailblazers | @1MrBigShot | @NBA | #NBA75 https://t.co/gQKR6tGsGm
Preseason results are usually not important, but the Portland Trail Blazers need to win their final game before the start of the season. A victory would give them much-needed momentum as they are in a tough Western Conference that has so many great teams.
Key Player - Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard is entering his 10th season in the NBA, and it is the most important one. Lillard has been the best player for the Portland Trail Blazers for the better part of a decade. He has shown loyalty but there were some ramblings this summer that the Blazers superstar wanted out of Portland.
Lillard has appeared in two out of the three games the Blazers have played this preseason. The six-time All-Star had 19 points in 18 minutes in their first exhibition game against the Golden State Warriors.
The Portland Trail Blazers gave him a night off against the Sacramento Kings last Monday. Lillard returned for the matchup against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, wherein he had 12 points in 24 minutes.
Portland Trail Blazers Predicted Lineup
G - Damian Lillard, G - CJ McCollum, F - Norman Powell, F - Robert Covington, C - Jusuf Nurkic
Golden State Warriors Preview
The Golden State Warriors are one of the few remaining teams that are undefeated in the 2021-22 preseason. The Warriors are looking for their fifth exhibition win as they take on the Portland Trail Blazers.
Golden State already defeated the Blazers 121-107 in their preseason opener on October 4th. The Warriors followed it up with a victory against the Denver Nuggets last October 6th and two straight wins against the LA Lakers.
In their most recent triumph against the Lakers, the Golden State Warriors rested Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Despite the absence of two of their best players, the Warriors came up with a 111-99 win. Curry and Green are expected back in the lineup for their preseason finale against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr tells reporters in LA that Stephen Curry and Draymond Green will rest tonight vs. Lakers but are expected to play in the preseason finale vs. POR on Friday.
Key Player - Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry showed everyone last season that he is still a great player. Despite the Golden State Warriors not making it to the playoffs, Curry came in third in the MVP ballot behind Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid.
So far this preseason, Curry has played in three out of four games for the Golden State Warriors. In his most recent outing against the LA Lakers last October 8th, Curry exploded for 30 points with three rebounds and two assists.
If the Golden State Warriors want to become legitimate contenders this season, they will need Stephen Curry to remain healthy and in great form. As the season opener draws near, Curry and the Warriors need to take care of the Blazers first in the preseason finale.
Golden State Warriors Predicted Lineup
G - Stephen Curry, G - Jordan Poole, F - Andrew Wiggins, F - Draymond Green, C - Kevon Looney
Blazers vs Warriors Match Prediction
The Portland Trail Blazers were blown up in their game against the Phoenix Suns. They are expected to come out of the gate firing against the Golden State Warriors with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum at the forefront.
However, the Warriors have shown their depth throughout the preseason. They defeated the LA Lakers twice, with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green out for one of them. Curry and Green are expected to play in the finale, so Golden State should end the preseason undefeated.
Where to watch Blazers vs Warriors?
The Portland Trail Blazers vs. Golden State Warriors game will be broadcast live on NBA TV. Meanwhile, fans in Portland can watch the games locally via ROOT Sports, while Warriors fans in San Francisco can tune in on NBC Sports Bay Area. Blazers vs Warriors can also be streamed on the NBA League Pass.
Also Check Out: Complete NBA TV Schedule for 2021-22 Season