This afternoon at 4:30 p.m. PST, the Portland Trail Blazers visit Philips Arena to take on the Atlanta Hawks. Slow starts continue to hurt the Trail Blazers as they are in the midst of their worst stretch of the season. The Hawks have been on a role, winning 17 consecutive games, and can eclipse their win total from last season with a win tonight. The game can be seen on CSNNW and heard on Rip City Radio 620 AM.
Jan 21, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) reacts in the fourth quarter against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Blazers 118-113. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The Trail Blazers are in a rut and need to pull themselves out. They have lost six of their last eight games but a win in Atlanta tonight could be the win that turns things around. The Hawks are the hottest team in the NBA and are currently a half game behind the Warriors for the best record in the league. The last four road games have not been kind to the Trail Blazers as they have lost every one. However; three of the four losses were within a 5-point margin, the only exception being the January 16th lost in San Antonio where they lost by 14 points.
It will be interesting to see how Lillard plays tonight after learning that he did not make the All-Star roster last night. “If I do make it, I’ll be excited,” Lillard told Casey Holdahl,“I’m looking forward to being in another All-Star game. If I don’t, I’m going to be pissed off and you’ll see a re-energized Damian Lillard after the break. I’ll be re-energized anyway, but if I don’t make it, you’ll see it even more.” In the first meeting with the Hawks this season, Lillard had a very productive game and finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. I think we could see a re-energized Lillard tonight, and it will be needed against a balanced Hawks attack.
The Hawks are bound to lose at some point, so why not tonight? Teague, Millsap, and Horford were announced as Eastern Conference All-Star reserves last night. The Hawks are the only team with three All-Stars this season and all five starters are averaging double figures. They were lead by Millsap’s 27 points in the win over the Trail Blazers earlier this month (115-107). The size of the Hawks should be a major concern for the Trail Blazers. With Lopez and Freeland out, they will be forced to rely on Kaman and Meyers Leonard to handle Horford and Pero Antic. Freeland and Kaman did a fairly decent job in the first meeting but will Leonard be able to fill in?
There are a few key matchups tonight that will provide excellent viewing pleasure. First is the duel between shooting guards Matthews and Korver. It was announced on Tuesday that Matthews and Korver will both participate in the 2015 NBA All-Star Three-Point Contest. The field also includes Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and J.J. Redick. That may be the best field in the history of the contest. Tonight, Matthews and Korver will go head to head and it should be electric. In the first meeting, Matthews was 4-10 from distance and finished with 19 points while Korver was 4-9 from distance and finished with 14 points.
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Second, I will look at the battle inside with Aldridge and Millsap. I’ve already mentioned that Millsap lead the Hawks in the first meeting but Aldridge lead the Trail Blazers and had a monster game. Aldridge had 30 points and 12 rebounds on 56 percent shooting. He was just selected to his fourth All-Star game and should be ready for another big game. When Aldridge and Millsap matchup, it always seems to be the game’s focal point.
You could say the game will be determined in the first quarter, although the Trail Blazers will make you second guess that. The Trail Blazers have given up at least 30+ points in the first quarter in six of their last eight games. Yet, they are the best team in the NBA at winning games where they trail by 10 points or more. In fact, 13 of their 32 wins have come when they have trailed by double-digits, which is impressive but not good on Rip City’s heart or fingernails. They gave up 29 points to the Hawks in the first meeting and can’t afford to do that again tonight. If the Trail Blazers can control the pace of the game and have a solid defensive start, a victory will be closer to grasp.