Tomorrow afternoon, the shorthanded Portland Trail Blazers get set for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day duel against the Spurs. Here are three keys that should ensure them a victory.
It’s always going to be difficult trying to classify a team that ranks 25th in defense as “gritty,” but in their own way, that’s exactly what the Portland Trail Blazers are becoming.
All in this week alone, the Blazers have faced deficits of 17, 20, and 16 … and had to rely on defensive grit to prove triumphant in each of them, all the while overcoming injuries and uncertainties.
And that’s the definition of gritty, no?
The day-old adage continues to be proven: regardless of the circumstances, as long as you have No. 0 on the floor, there’s always a chance at a victory.
Tomorrow night, that ideology gets put to the test, as Damian Lillard prepares to lead the Blazers into battle without Jusuf Nurkic and CJ McCollum for the first time since Mar. 27th, 2019, when they play the San Antonio Spurs.
As is normally the case when the Blazers and Spurs play, sentimentality will be at an abnormal high, as Lillard meets his former All-NBA teammate LaMarcus Aldridge. Both the teams are hoping to continue making jumps within the Western Conference, ranking fifth and sixth respectively, as of tonight.
As Lillard seeks to add to his individual greatness on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, here are three things the Portland Trail Blazers can do to ensure they leave Monday night with a 9-5 record.