The Portland Trail Blazers are heading to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans for the second game of a three-game road trip. Portland is looking to add another game to the win column after losing to the Oklahoma
City Thunder in the first game of the road trip. New Orleans, on the other hand, is losers of five straight games and will be looking to get back in the positive.
This is the second meeting between the two teams this season, with the Pelicans coming away with a blowout 143-120 win at home against the Blazers on December 11th.
What you Need to Know
Portland Trail Blazers (14-20) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (8-27) – Fri Jan. 2 – 5:00pm Pacific
Where to watch via antenna or cable: See your options on the Rip City Television Network
Where to stream: BlazerVision in Oregon and Washington; League Pass everywhere else.
Where to listen: Trail Blazers Audio Network
Trail Blazers injuries: Jerami Grant, Scoot Henderson, Jrue Holiday, Damian Lillard, Matisse Thybulle, Blake Wesley (Out)
Pelicans injuries: Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones (Out); Derik Queen, Saddiq Bey (Questionable)
What to Watch For
Zion Williamson. The last time these two teams met, Williamson was sidelined by injury. However, this time he is fully healthy and is coming into this contest on a very strong stretch of games. He is averaging 26.3 points over his last seven games, and he eclipsed 30 points in each of his last two contests. Being able to slow down Williamson could prove to be a tall task for the Blazers in this contest, but it will be an important one if Portland hopes to equalize the season series.
Taking Care of the Ball. The Blazers are dead last in the NBA in turnovers per game at 16.6 per game. That number is made worse in this contest by New Orleans being a top-ten team at grabbing steals, averaging 9.0 per game this season. If Portland is not able to rein in the turnovers, the Pelicans will have plenty of opportunities for easy baskets in transition to help out their offense. On the other hand, if the Blazers take good care of the ball, it puts them at an advantage against a New Orleans team that struggles to put the ball in the basket at times.
What Others Are Saying
Cem Yolbulan of New Orleans Pelicans on SI talks about the interim head coach of the Pelicans, James Borrego, and how he believes Borrego has earned the official head coaching position.
The Pelicans have been the 17th-best offense in the league under Borrego and have the 24th-best defensive rating. The offense has obviously been impressive on the back of a high-tempo style that Borrego likes. One can also easily argue that the defense is overperforming, considering that the starting point guard and center for the team are rookies.
Most importantly, however, the Pelicans are playing with effort and discipline. The young players are playing hard and are improving, while Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy are fitting seamlessly next to Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen. Considering that the future of Pelicans basketball belongs to the Fears-Queen-Murphy trio, the fact that Borrego is getting the most out of them should be more important than the number in the win column. That should be enough to land him the head coaching job in New Orleans.
