Tonight at 7:00 p.m. PST, the Portland Trail Blazers host the Utah Jazz. In what has been a very unhappy few weeks, but the Trail Blazers could receive a boost tonight as Robin Lopez should be active. The Jazz defeated the Golden State Warriors last Friday and they have a ton of confidence entering tonight’s matchup with their Northwest Division rivals. The game will be broadcast nationally on NBATV as well as locally on CSNNW. You can also hear the call on Rip City Radio 620 AM.
The Trail Blazers need a shot in the arm to help them turn things around before the All-Star break. The probable return of Lopez might just do the trick. Panic mode hasn’t quite set in around Rip City, yet this current stretch where the Trail Blazers have lost eight of their last 10 is definitely concerning. The Trail Blazers still hold an eight game lead in the Northwest Division over the Oklahoma City Thunder but that cushion is disappearing. The return of Lopez will hopefully provide renewed confidence in the offense and defense.
The Jazz arguably had their best win of the season last Friday. They defeated the Warriors 110-100 and they never trailed in the game. Hindered by a sinus infection against the Clippers on Wednesday, Hayward returned with a vengeance against the Warriors, putting in 26 points and corralling a career-high 15 rebounds. He could definitely be a huge factor in tonight’s game.
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This will be the first matchup of the season between the Trail Blazers and Jazz. Last season, the Trail Blazers swept the four game season series. Lillard was effective from distance in those four games, going 12 of 22 overall (54.5 percent), but has struggled over the past 1o games in multiple categories. He is only shooting 33 percent from the field and he has turned the ball over more than usual. He had six turnovers in each of the last two games and must protect the ball better tonight.
As mentioned, Hayward could be the driving factor to another loss or a win for the Trail Blazers. He struggled against Portland last season averaging only 14.5 points per game and grabbed a total of 18 rebounds in four games. Batum has not been 100 percent for some time now but he will need to turn on the defense tonight to keep Hayward at bay. The Trail Blazers can get by when Batum doesn’t score in double figures but they desperately need him to defend, rebound, and fill the assist column.
If Lopez does in fact return to the court tonight, it will most likely be in limited fashion. However, his sheer presence on the court will be a breath of fresh air. He will need help from Chris Kaman to keep Favors off the glass and out of the paint. As a starter, Kaman has averaged 8.1 rebounds per game, up from his season average of 6.9 rebounds. Favors is averaging 8.5 rebounds this season but he is also the second leading scorer for the Jazz at 15.7 points per game.
In order to secure a win, the Trail Blazers will need to limit their turnovers and be able to score. The last two games, the Trail Blazers have committed 16 and 17 turnovers. When that happens you can’t expect to win. They also have not scored more than 100 points since a win at home against the Wizards on January 24th. In fact, over the last 10 games, the Trail Blazers have only cracked the century mark twice. Get the ball to Lillard and Aldridge early and hopefully both of them can spark the offense.