Portland Trail Blazers vs New Orleans Pelicans: Match Preview and Predictions - 11th February 2020
Match Details
Fixture: Portland Trail Blazers vs New Orleans Pelicans
Date & Time: Tuesday, 11 February 2020 (8:00 PM ET)
Venue: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
Last Game Results
Portland Trail Blazers (25-29): 115-109 win over Miami Heat (9 February, Sunday)
New Orleans Pelicans (22-31): 124-117 win over Indiana Pacers (8 February, Saturday)
Portland Trail Blazers Preview
After the Portland Trail Blazers endured a heartbreaking loss against the Utah Jazz following a missed call by the referees, the team bounced back with an emphatic win against a headstrong Miami Heat unit.
Currently 2.5 games behind the 8th seed Memphis Grizzlies, the Blazers are making a strong push for the final playoff berth. Having won seven of their last ten matchups, Portland have improved to 25-29 (0.463) for the season and are shooting almost 38% from beyond the arc.
Key Player - Damian Lillard
Averaging a blistering 40.3 points and 9.2 assists per game across his last 12 outings, Damian Lillard now has 13 30-point games since the turn of the year - the highest in the NBA. Lillard is shooting almost 40% from the beyond the arc and leads his team with a solid 29.9 points per game at the moment.
The 5-time All-Star is also averaging 7.9 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1 steal while playing over 37 minutes per game this season.
Trail Blazers Predicted Lineup
Carmelo Anthony, Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Trevor Ariza, Hassan Whiteside
New Orleans Pelicans Preview
The New Orleans Pelicans have been without the services of Brandon Ingram (ankle) and Zion Williamson (ankle) of late but that has not hindered them too much. The Pelicans have managed to win six of their last ten games and occupy the 11th spot in the Western Conference leaderboard at the moment.
With their 22-31 (0.415) win-loss record, they are currently outside the playoff picture but remain in contention to secure a top-eight spot.
Ranked amongst the best teams in the league in terms of pace and three-point percentage, New Orleans have had their moments throughout the season, but will need to develop more consistency going forward.
Key Player - Zion Williamson
Zion Williamson is apparently "ready to go" against the Blazers after popping up on the injury report for the previous game. The No. 1 overall pick is averaging 19.8 points and 7.5 rebounds across the 8 games he has played so far, while shooting 57% from the field.
He has six 20-point games already despite averaging under 27 minutes this season. The 19-year-old is carving out a reputation for himself as the franchise's cornerstone and will hope to continue his development in the weeks to come.
Pelicans Predicted Lineup
Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, Derrick Favors, Jrue Holiday, Lonzo Ball
Trail Blazers vs Pelicans Match Prediction
Portland are desperate for wins to fortify their playoff push and the Pelicans are just another obstacle between them and a postseason berth.
The Blazers have lost numerous prominent names to injuries this season, but their hustle despite being shorthanded is worth applauding.
New Orleans will make it hard for them but the visitors should have enough firepower to get the W.
Where to Watch Trail Blazers vs Pelicans?
There will be live coverage of the game on NBCSNW and Fox Sports New Orleans from 8:00 PM ET. You can also stream the game via NBA League Pass.