Tonight at 7:00 p.m. PST, the Portland Trail Blazers welcome the Toronto Raptors to the Moda Center. The Trail Blazers have been red-hot and hope to stay on track with a win over the Raptors. The Raptors are leading the Eastern Conference and have morphed into a formidable contender this season. The game can be viewed on CSNNW and heard on Rip City Radio 620 AM.
The Trail Blazers and the Raptors are two of the hottest teams in the NBA. The Raptors are one of two teams the Trail Blazers will face in their seven game home stand that is currently over .500. At the Moda Center, the Trail Blazers are 8-0 versus Eastern Conference opponents. Yet none of the previous opponents were playing at the level the Raptors are currently engaged in. They are second in scoring and sit atop the Eastern Conference for the first time in who knows how long. Tonight’s game will definitely be one to watch, even if a few stars are missing.
The Trail Blazers have been able to pick up wins without Aldridge. He has missed three of the last four games with an upper respiratory illness. His status has been upgraded from questionable to probable for tonight’s game.
The Raptors have also been able to win without their All-Star, shooting guard DeRozan. He’s been sidelined for over a month with a groin injury, and is still not close to a return, though he was seen putting up shots with the team on Friday in Los Angeles. The Raptors have adopted a familiar philosophy in which they simply outscore their opponents without him, averaging 114.8 points in their last five games.
Who would have thought a battle between Lillard and Lowry could be so intriguing? Yet tonight’s point guard matchup will be just that; a battle. Lillard has had two exceptional games during the four game absence of Aldridge. He put in 40 points against the Thunder last Tuesday and added 28 against the 76ers the following Friday. He is only one part of the what has become an absurd three-point barrage. Matthews and Batum have also stepped in to knock down shots from distance. The timing couldn’t be more perfect for the deep balls to fall since the Trail Blazers interior production is sorely diminished without Aldridge and Lopez.
Lowry should make the All-Star game this year. His production has been fantastic, averaging career highs in scoring (20.5) and assists (7.7). He has had at least 30 points in two of his last three games, including Sunday’s win in Denver where he had 30 points while shooting 60.0 percent from the field. Lowry was considered a snub for last year’s All-Star game but he seems determined to make sure that doesn’t happen again. He faces the same problem Lillard does: small market team with little national attention. Lillard ranked eighth in votes among backcourt players in the first return of 2015 NBA All-Star Balloting. Lowry didn’t rank in the top ten and could be in for another All-Star disappointment.
Tonight’s outcome will be determined by a few factors:
- Will Aldridge play? He has averaged 27.7 points and 13.5 rebounds over his last six games against the Raptors. Having him back would be a great sign but I’m one who would like to see him back only if he’s 100 percent healthy.
- Can the Trail Blazers continue to blaze the nets? In the last three games, the Trail Blazers have taken an average of 36.7 three-point attempts. With limited interior production, the Trail Blazers may have to lean on their hot outside shooting again.
- Will the Trail Blazers’ bench produce? The Raptors bench averages 40.1 points per game. Lou Williams had 31 points by himself on Sunday and I’m not confident the Trail Blazers bench can stop the Raptors second unit.