Pelicans at Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers will get another shot at clinching a playoff berth when they host the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday. The Trail Blazers missed a chance to become the fifth Western Conference team to lock up a spot when they lost Friday to the visiting Phoenix Suns. Portland certainly isn’t playing like the team that started 22-4, but it still has a crack at catching the fourth-place Houston Rockets as the Pelicans represent the first of three consecutive lottery-bound opponents.
The Pelicans showed some life with a five-game winning streak at the end of last month but have lost four straight and leading scorer and rebounder Anthony Davis is struggling with back spasms that have limited him the last two games. Davis missed another game at the end of last month with a sprained ankle and it wouldn’t be a stretch if management decides to shut down its 21-year-old star. Tyreke Evans will be looking for a bounce-back game after scoring in single digits for the first time since late February while also committing seven turnovers in a 100-96 loss Friday at the Utah Jazz.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FSN New Orleans, CSN Northwest (Portland)
ABOUT THE PELICANS (32-44): Another player that’s looking doubtful for this game is shooting guard Eric Gordon, who made a detour to Los Angeles to have his bothersome left knee examined. Gordon’s absence has been Anthony Morrow’s gain as the sixth-year shooting guard scored a season-high 26 points against the Jazz, the fourth time he has surpassed the 20-point barrier in the last six games after reaching that mark twice in the first 64 games. Morrow struggled to three points on 1-of-8 shooting in 17 minutes during a 111-103 loss to Portland on Mar. 14.
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (49-28): Portland should be feeling a bit defensive after suffering its second-worst home loss of the season Friday night. The Trail Blazers were simply run over by Phoenix’s speed in the 109-93 loss and that’s something to keep an eye on against the Pelicans, whose swift point guard Brian Roberts scored 19 points when these teams last met. Damian Lillard scored 27 points in that game to get the better of Roberts.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Portland is trying to clinch its first playoff berth since 2010-11.
2. Portland G Wesley Matthews missed a free throw Friday to end a streak of 37 makes that began against the Pelicans on March 14.
3. Pelicans F Darius Miller made his first start of the season in Friday’s loss to the Jazz, scoring six points in 20 minutes.