Trail Blazers at Hornets
The Portland Trail Blazers have been getting a look at some of the players they lost or traded away in the summer this week, and the reunion tour continues with Nicolas Batum. The veteran swingman will take on his former team with a heavy heart when the Charlotte Hornets host the Trail Blazers on Sunday.
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Batum, who is a native of France, learned that his family was safe after the violence in Paris on Friday and collected 28 points and eight rebounds in a loss at Chicago that night. “I tried to show people in my way that we're strong and we won't (back) down because you are doing bad stuff to people,” Batum told reporters. “We'll keep our heads up, step forward and say we're better than that.” On the court, Portland could probably use the wide range of skills that has Batum averaging 16 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists for the Hornets. The Trail Blazers got back guard Gerald Henderson and forward Noah Vonleh in the trade, and the two combined for five points (all by Henderson) in 20 minutes off the bench in a 101-100 loss at Memphis on Friday.
TV: 5 p.m. ET, CSN Northwest (Portland), FSN Southeast (Charlotte)
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (4-6): Portland has dropped four in a row, including Wednesday's 113-101 decision against San Antonio and former star forward LaMarcus Aldridge -- lost in free agency in the offseason. The Blazers, who see Aldridge again when the team travels to San Antonio on Monday, fought back from a 14-point deficit to take the lead on Friday only to have a last-second tip by Zach Randolph give the game to the Grizzlies. “I thought it was a terrific effort, especially in the fourth quarter,” Portland coach Terry Stotts told reporters. “To fight back in a game like that was good to see. We just couldn’t take advantage of a couple opportunities.”
ABOUT THE HORNETS (4-5): Charlotte is 4-2 since beginning the season with three straight losses but could not find enough help for Batum in a 102-97 setback on Friday. Stars Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson were a combined 8-of-27 from the field in the loss and neither has managed to record more than 13 points in any of the last three games. Jefferson is locked in the worst of the struggles while combining for 19 points on 8-of-28 shooting in the last three contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Charlotte PF Cody Zeller (ankle) sat out Friday and is day-to-day.
2. Trail Blazers G Damian Lillard is battling a sore right thumb and was limited to a season-low 11 points on 5-of-15 shooting on Friday.
3. Portland took both meetings last season and six of the last seven in the series.