Portland Trail Blazers vs San Antonio Spurs: Match Preview and Predictions - 16th November 2019
Match details
Fixture: Portland Trail Blazers vs San Antonio Spurs
Date & Time: Saturday, 16th November 2019 (8:30 PM ET)
Venue: AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
Last game results
Portland Trail Blazers (4-8): 114-106 loss against the Toronto Raptors (Wednesday, 13th November, 2019)
San Antonio Spurs: (5-7): 111-109 loss against the Orlando Magic (Friday, 15th November, 2019)
Portland Trail Blazers Preview
The Portland Trail Blazers are off to a rough start as they find themselves 4-8 up to this point. Portland is 13th in the Western Conference, despite great starts from their backcourt duo. However, the Blazers' season may turn around in the next few games, as they added a new player to their roster.
On Thursday, the Blazers signed forward Carmelo Anthony to a non-guaranteed deal. This deal marks Anthony's first team since the Chicago Bulls waived him in February. Now, Anthony has a chance to play, as the Blazers did what other teams were reluctant to do, which is sign him.
As of now, Anthony will travel with the team to San Antonio (as well as the rest of their road trip), but he won't make his debut before Tuesday. Until then, Portland will start their trip with hopes of turning their season around.
Key Player - Damian Lillard
While the Blazers are struggling to start the season, Damian Lillard continues to do Damian Lillard things. He currently averages 30.5 points, 6.9 assists, and 4.8 rebounds. When it comes to scoring, he is second in the league. James Harden is the only player that averages more points than Lillard. If he continues this level of play, the Blazers can definitely turn their season around.
In the Blazers' loss against the Raptors, Lillard finished the game with nine points. He shot 16.7 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from deep. He struggled a bit as the Blazers lost their second consecutive game. With that being said, Lillard will, in all likelihood, be aggressive against the Spurs.
Blazers predicted lineup
Rodney Hood, Nassir Little, Hassan Whiteside, CJ McCollum, Damian Lillard
San Antonio Spurs Preview
The Spurs find themselves in a predicament. They are on a four-game losing streak after their defeat against the Orlando Magic on Friday. Their previous losses were against the Boston Celtics, the Memphis Grizzlies and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Their loss to the Magic was their closest one yet. The Celtics beat them by 20 points and the Timberwolves beat them by 15 points. Prior to the result against the Magic, their closest loss came at the hands of the the Grizzlies with a four point deficit being the difference.
Their defeats to both the T-wolves and the Magic were on the road. For their game against the Blazers, they return home. So, they have a chance of bouncing back to winning ways.
Key Player - DeMar DeRozan
DeMar DeRozan is a key player for the Spurs. He averages 20.1 points this season and is shooting 51 percent from the field. During the Spurs' losing streak, DeRozan has averaged 20.5 points and 5.0 assists. He is also shooting close to his field goal percentage by shooting 52 percent. If the Spurs want to snap their streak, DeRozan has to be involved in this game.
Spurs predicted lineup
DeMar DeRozan, LaMarcus Aldridge, Trey Lyes, Bryn Forbes, Dejounte Murray
Blazers vs Spurs Match Predictions
Both teams have had an underwhelming start to the season. The Spurs will want to end their losing streak and the Blazers will hope to finally get on track. While the Spurs may play better in this game, it is hard to see Damian Lillard shoot 2-of-12 like the last game.
If the Blazers get solid performances from their duo (Lillard and McCollum), they should be able to pull off a win.
Where to Watch Blazers vs Spurs?
This game will feature local coverage from both teams (NBC Sports Northwest and Fox Sports Southwest) and can also be found on NBA League Pass.