Pregame: Blazers Need Win Against Depleted Pacers
Portland, losers of five straight, has a golden opportunity on the road against a short-handed Indiana squad.
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Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images
Portland, losers of five straight, has a golden opportunity on the road against a short-handed Indiana squad.
Opponent: Indiana Pacers (29-31 overall, 6-4 last 10 games)
Offensive Rating: 111.3 (16th)
When: 4:00 p.m. (PST)
Broadcast: NBC Sports Northwest/Bally Sports Indiana
Point Spread: Portland -5
Injuries/Health
Portland: Zach Collins (out)
Primer: There is no must-win game against a non-conference foe before the final few games of the regular season. Portland has 12 games to play before the playoffs or play-in tournament. There s still plenty of time for Terry Stotts team to move back up in the standings and right its wayward ship.
Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
The Portland Trail Blazers dropped four home games and slid out of the No. 6 spot in the Western Conference standings over the past week. The result: a considerable downward move in the latest round of power rankings.
No. 12, down two spots from last week. Contributor Royce Young detailed Portland’s new position inside the play-in field.
The Blazers have lost five straight and eight of 10. They’ve slipped into the play-in spot, now two games behind the Mavericks in the loss column. Diagnosing the Blazers is complicated, but Damian Lillard summarized it this way after Sunday’s loss to Memphis: “I’m not playing well enough. I’m on the floor because that gives our team the best chance to win, and I’ve got to be better.”
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On this week’s episode of the Blazer’s Edge podcast, host Danny Marang answers listener questions following the the Portland Trail Blazers’ loss to the short-handed Charlotte Hornets. Marang touches on the overall “vibe” of the team right now, potential internal struggles, how hot is Coach Terry Stotts’ seat, and how the Blazers can retain Norman Powell in the offseason. Of course, it wouldn’t be a complete Marang-infused podcast without a little CJ McCollum trade talk.
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The Trail Blazers amassed a less-than-ideal 1-3 record last week. In those three defeats, two of the margins crossed the double-digit threshold. Portland’s subpar week, especially against above-500 teams, led to a slide in the latest round of power rankings.
In ESPN’s rankings, the Blazers slipped from No. 9 to
No. 10. Contributor Royce Young pointed to the fatigue that Damian Lillard is displaying on the floor.
After carrying the team for two months, the burden might be catching up to Damian Lillard. In six April games, Lillard is averaging just 20.1 points on 38.3% shooting and the Blazers are 2-4, with wins over Detroit and OKC. They are finally healthy, and deadline addition Norman Powell is playing well. All signs pointed to them hitting a stride, but they go as Lillard goes, and until he finds his second wind, neither will the Blazers.
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