This evening at 4:30 p.m. PST, the Portland Trail Blazers begin a five-game road trip as they visit Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Knicks. The Trail Blazers have won five straight road games and have not lost to an Eastern Conference opponent this season. The Knicks are on their second, seven-game losing streak of the season but have been competitive in almost every game. The game can be viewed on CSNNW and heard on Rip City Radio 620 AM.
The Trail Blazers were able to grind out another win on Thursday against the Indiana Pacers. Even though they scored a season-low 88 points, the Trail Blazers showed a lot of grit and determination. With under a minute to go, the Pacers pulled within three points but the Trail Blazers held on for the six point victory. Now they head out on the road for an important five-game trip. They will face only one team with a record above .500 (Bulls on Friday) but they do have two back-to-back sets. Even against weak competition, five games in seven days is never easy. The Trail Blazers must set the tone for the entire trip tonight in New York.
Lillard will be in the lineup tonight which is a huge relief. He jammed his fingers on Thursday and even though the X-rays were negative, playing with two sprained fingers will be painful. To make matters worse, the injury is to his shooting hand. While we’re not sure how it will impact his play, having the All-Star on the court is a big win. Lillard should be able to take advantage of Calderon’s shoddy defense and play well. If he isn’t able to provide his normal offensive output, hopefully he can penetrate and create open shots for his teammates.
The Knicks record is far from impressive yet they have played better than it may appear. In their 17 losses, 13 have been by seven points or less. That is just heart break if you’re a Knickerbocker fan. Three of their four wins have come at home, even though they were against lesser opponents like the 76ers. The Knicks proved they can play from behind on Friday when they overcame a 20 point deficit in Charlotte and even led by one with 41 seconds left. Kemba Walker delivered another dagger to the Knicks season when he made a layup at the buzzer to hand the Knicks their seventh consecutive loss.
The main thing to watch for tonight is how the Trail Blazers defend Anthony. Even though the Trail Blazers swept the two game series last season, Anthony torched them, averaging 30.0 points in two games. Batum will most likely pull the assignment on Anthony and he’s probably the best suited for the job. Batum played well on Thursday scoring 15 points and adding five rebounds and five assists. His back and forth play continues but the only thing to worry about tonight is his ability to make life difficult on Anthony and step up if Lillard’s injury impacts his play. Matthews may see time against Anthony as well. It’s nice not to worry about which defender is up against Anthony. Few teams can boast multiple options. If the Trail Blazers can start quick and maintain their intensity for the entire 48 minutes, they will start this road trip with an important win.