Warriors at Trail Blazers
THE STORY: The Portland Trail Blazers look to secure a post-season berth Wednesday as they entertain the Golden State Warriors. Portland can clinch a playoff spot with either a victory or a Houston Rockets loss. The Blazers have won eight in a row at home, and face a Warriors team that hasn't won on the road in its past nine outings.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, CSBA+, CSNW
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (45-32): Portland looked like world beaters last week, handing the Oklahoma City Thunder a 98-91 defeat before toppling the Dallas Mavericks 104-96. The fact that the Blazers handled a pair of 50-win teams bodes well for potential playoff success. However, coach Nate McMillan will need to make sure Portland doesn't ease up against the Warriors, who aren't in the playoff picture but can go off for 120-plus points on any given night. Gerald Wallace led a balanced attack with 19 points against the Mavericks, while LaMarcus Aldridge added 18 and Wes Matthews chipped in with 16.
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (33-44): The Warriors also enjoyed recent success against Dallas, defeating the Mavericks 99-92 in their last outing Saturday night. Monta Ellis overcame a sore ankle to pour in a team-high 32 points, 18 of those coming in the pivotal third quarter. David Lee added 16 and Dorell Wright 13 as the Warriors held the visiting Mavericks to 41-percent shooting. Golden State is well out of the playoff picture, and has its performance on the road this season to blame. While the Warriors fared well at home, sporting a 24-14 mark, their 9-30 road record is third-worst in the Western Conference.
WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: Aldridge is averaging 24.7 points and 10.3 rebounds over his last three games. Ellis has picked up his assist total of late, averaging 8.4 helpers to go along with 26.4 points over his last five outings.
KEY STATISTIC: 106.1 - Golden State's points against per game, second worst in the league. As has been the case for years, the Warriors simply can't defend well enough to become one of the elite powers in the West.
SEASON SERIES: The teams have split a pair of meetings this season, with the home side prevailing both times. Portland edged Golden State 96-95 on Dec. 18, while the Warriors exacted their revenge with a 109-102 victory a week later.
KEY INJURIES: PORTLAND: C Greg Oden (knee); G Elliot Williams (knee). GOLDEN STATE: G Acie Law (wrist); C Andris Biedrins (ankle).
LAST WORD: Defensively, we made (the Mavericks) work. The execution on the offensive end was really good - recognizing the mismatches and going to them right away.” - McMillan after the Blazers beat Dallas.