Trail Blazers' Starting Lineup Tonight: Portland Trail Blazers' Predicted Starting Lineup Against New Orleans Pelicans
Game Preview
The New Orleans Pelicans will tonight travel to Portland to take on Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers. The two teams last met in early November when a big Lillard performance was enough to ensure a 132-119 win for the Trail Blazers.
Portland enters the game having won seven of their last ten games, and the team currently sit fourth in the Western Conference standings.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans have continued to struggle this season, and despite a number of huge performances from Anthony Davis, New Orleans currently sit four places outside of the West playoff places. The Trail Blazers have been excellent at home so far this season (19-7), and Alvin Gentry's men will be confident of beating a Pelicans team with an abysmal 6-18 road record.
Team News
Heading into tonight's game, the Portland Trail Blazers have two injury concerns. Caleb Swanigan is questionable heading into the game due to an injury to his right knee. The 21-year-old hasn't played for the Blazers since December, although he was this week recalled from the G-League after averaging 8.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in four games with the Texas Legends.
The team is also likely to be without Maurice Harkless, who remains a major doubt due to soreness in his left knee. The 25-year-old has missed the Blazers last five games, and Harkless' injury issues are quickly becoming an issue for the team. Nevertheless, Portland is likely to start with the same starting five that steered the team to a win against the Cleveland Cavaliers, with Al Farouq Aminu and Jake Layman playing at the forward positions.
Predicted Portland Trail Blazers starting line-up: Al Farouq Aminu (F), Jake Layman (F), Jusuf Nurkic (C), Damian Lillard (G), C.J. McCollum (G)