Portland will try to extend its two-game winning streak when it travels to New Orleans on Thursday night. The Trail Blazers have picked up road wins in Miami and Charlotte already this week, and they are playing the fifth game of a six-game road trip. New Orleans snapped a two-game losing skid with a win at Chicago on Wednesday.
Portland has been one of the most pleasant surprises in the NBA so far this season, going 8-3 through its first 11 games. The Trail Blazers won their first four games of the campaign and have not suffered back-to-back losses. They are getting set for the fifth game of a six-game road trip that concludes in Dallas on Saturday night. Portland split a pair of games in Phoenix to open the stint before beating Miami on Monday and Charlotte on Wednesday. Star guard Damian Lillard was questionable to play due to a calf injury, but he poured in a team-high 26 points, dished out seven assists and grabbed six rebounds.
SQUAAAAD ????#RipCity pic.twitter.com/whWsj3LWIU
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) November 10, 2022
Lillard has missed four games this season, but he has played in both games this week. He is averaging 29.0 points, 4.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game this season. Shooting guard Anfernee Simons is the second-leading scorer with 22.4 points, while Jerami Grant (18.4) and Jusuf Nurkic (13.0) are both in double figures as well—Grant and Nurkic both missed Wednesday’s game and are questionable for this one. The Trail Blazers shot 53.3% and rallied from a 12-point deficit in the third quarter on Wednesday, handing Charlotte its sixth straight loss. Shaedon Sharpe scored 17 points off the bench, while Drew Eubanks had 14 points and eight rebounds. The Trail Blazers have not been a great offensive team overall this season, ranked No. 22 in points per game (109.8). They are facing a New Orleans defense that is No. 20, allowing 114.6 points per contest.
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