With just two days to go until the All-Star break, the Warriors and Blazers are set to do battle. Would you believe that given everything each has been through, they enter the matchup with the same number of wins? It’s pretty wild to fathom.
Portland has played most of the year without CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic, while the Dubs went multiple weeks without a center.
The Warriors come in sitting at 19-16 and looking like a team that belongs in the playoffs. Their odds of winning the West are extremely slim, and it would be the first time they made the postseason without getting to the Finals under Steve Kerr.
Mark Jackson was unable to get GS past round two in his three years at the helm. Kerr has gone to the final round five times.
Portland, meanwhile, sits at 19-14 and will probably be a playoff team yet again. The decision to bring Enes Kanter back has been a huge one, as he has filled in nicely as the starting center while Jusuf Nurkic has been out.
It’s basically the same story as 2018-19, happening all over again in Oregon. Damian Lillard continues to do what he does, though he will not start the All-Star Game.
ODDS:
The spread for Wednesday night is sitting at Warriors -1. The over/under is set at 235.5 points.
Dubs Seeking Road Win
Coming into the season, knowing Klay Thompson would be out, nobody would have pegged the Warriors as the team to reach 20 wins before Portland. This was never really a discussion because the teams weren’t comparable, but here we are.
The decision to trade D’Angelo Russell for Andrew Wiggins is continuing to look smart, while the November acquisition of Kelly Oubre Jr. continues to pay dividends.
Draymond Green has reminded folks this season of his true value. Why he was a former defensive player of the year, and what he’s capable of on the floor.
From hitting the three to dropping 15 assists in a game, he’s been a triple-double machine. This has been perhaps his most important season, keeping the team winning along with Steph.
Whenever they play Portland, it’s a slugfest.
Portland Looking to Knock Warriors Off
It has been another incredible year for Lillard, who hasn’t been in the MVP conversation for some odd reason. Every season, he seems to raise his game and find new ways to impact things.
He’s still rocking with burying the 35+ foot threes, doing all of this without his running mate McCollum. Shoutout to Gary Trent Jr. for continuing to play well.
The team’s bench is very lucky to have Carmelo Anthony because nobody else among the healthy players is doing much. He scored 29 in the last game, all 10 of his baskets being swishes.
He is having a tremendous season while playing a new role. And the recent hot surge of Robert Covington is also coming at an ideal time.
Lillard is ready to duel with Curry in a matchup of top point guards.
Dubs Get the Win
You can’t spell Warriors without the W. They’ll pick up a tight win over Portland to improve to 20-16.
FREE PLAY: WARRIORS -1
OVER/UNDER: OVER 235.5
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