Pelicans at Trail Blazers
The New Orleans Pelicans are craving the final playoff spot in the
Western Conference and can take another step when they visit the
Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday. New Orleans has won four consecutive
games to move within a half-game of the Oklahoma City Thunder and a
victory over the Trail Blazers would move them into a tie for the eighth
spot.
Portland holds the fourth spot in the West and is unlikely to catch the Houston Rockets or Memphis Grizzlies, the teams tied for second. The Trail Blazers clinched the Northwest Division crown on Friday when they steamrolled the Los Angeles Lakers 107-77. The division title is Portland’s first since 2009 and the focus over the final seven games will be obtaining homecourt advantage for the first round of the playoffs. The Pelicans are hoping to be part of the postseason fun for the first time since the 2010-11 campaign.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FSN New Orleans, CSN Northwest (Portland)
ABOUT THE PELICANS (41-34): New Orleans has relied on star power forward Anthony Davis most of the season but it was a surprise standout that fueled Friday’s 101-95 victory over the Sacramento Kings. Swingman Quincy Pondexter knocked down a career-best six 3-pointers for 18 points and he made five of them in the first half as the Pelicans took a 14-point halftime lead. Pondexter has played well of late with seven consecutive double-digit outings and he has made 22 3-pointers during the stretch.
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (49-26): Portland lost shooting guard Wesley Matthews to a torn Achilles’ tendon in March and has now lost reserve forward Dorell Wright for at least four weeks due to a broken left hand. The loss of Wright has coach Terry Stotts wondering how to alter the rotation and swingman C.J. McCollum took advantage with a career-best 27 points in the win over the Lakers. “We have to change it up a little,” Stotts told reporters before the contest. “Obviously, Dorell gave us some versatility. There’s never a good time for an injury like that.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Portland has won both of this season’s meetings and 10 the past 13.
2. Davis is averaging 24.8 points over the last eight games.
3. Trail Blazers SG Arron Afflalo is averaging 17 points over the past four games after scoring in single digits in each of the previous five.