Trail Blazers face Warriors in attempt to end skid

Tonight at 7:30 p.m. PST, the Portland Trail Blazers attempt to knock off the best team in the NBA when they host the Golden State Warriors. The Trail Blazers can’t seem to find the right equation for victory but playing at home for the first time in over a week may be the perfect remedy. The Warriors seem to do no wrong and may finally be in line for their deepest run in the playoffs ever. This game will be broadcast for a national audience as part of a double-header on TNT. Rip City Radio 620 AM will also have the radio call.

The end of a treacherous road trip has finally come. The Trail Blazers are fresh off a 1-4 romp with the lone win coming in the first game in Toronto. That puts the Trail Blazers on a four game slide, something they haven’t felt in more than a year. Finally back home, their reward is to face the NBA’s best team. If that wasn’t a hard enough task, they must go to battle without three key starters (Matthews included).

Aldridge and Batum both suffered injuries in the loss to Memphis on Saturday. Aldridge suffered a contusion to his left hand in the first quarter and tried to play through it but was forced to the sideline in the second half. The X-Ray came back negative but his timetable for return is uncertain. Batum had pain shoot up his back when he landed awkwardly in the first quarter. He also sat out the second half against the Grizzlies and did not participate in practice yesterday.

The Warriors aren’t dealing with injuries and have had an impressive season thus far. They possess the best record in the NBA and if you can find any cracks in their armor, it has to be when they play on the road. When playing at home, the Warriors have only lost two games all season. On the road, they are still a very good (23-11) but I’d much rather face them at the Moda Center than in the Oracle Arena.

Curry is having an MVP-type season. He is averaging 23.3 points and 7.9 assists. I’m not sure we’ve seen a shooter like Curry in the NBA for some time. He makes it look so effortless yet he is so deadly from any spot on the court. His backcourt counter part, Thompson, returned to the lineup last night and helps take pressure off Curry. The Splash Brothers pay their second visit to Portland this season looking to take the season series from the Trail Blazers.

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The first meeting between these teams came at the very beginning of the season. It was the third game for both teams and the Warriors left Rip City with a 95-90 victory. Down one point with eight seconds left, Thompson made a short jumper to give the Warriors the lead. Aldridge turned the ball over on the next possession and Curry closed the game out with four free throws. The Splash Brothers finished with a combined 50 points and should be poised for another big game tonight.

Lillard has to step up in a major way tonight. All eyes will be on him as he will matchup with Curry and he could use a big game. With the injuries mounting, Lillard needs to have a sense of urgency and lead his team through this rough time. The Trail Blazers open up a four game in five nights stretch tonight and things don’t get easier as the next two games are back on the road. In the first meeting with the Warriors, Lillard was 4-18 from the field and only finished with 11 points. He has only topped 20-plus points in four of his last 10 games and his shooting has been inconsistent as well. Tonight needs to be the night was see some vintage Lillard time.

These teams match up well (even better when Matthews is available to guard Thompson) and this should be an entertaining game. The Warriors are on the second half of a back-to-back while the Trail Blazers return home and play their first game of a back-to-back set. The absence of Aldridge and Batum will have a huge impact and the Trail Blazers will need the rest of team’s best effort to take down the Warriors.

Next: McCollum sets career-high, Blazers fall to Warriors