PREMIUM
Rogers' *10* NBA Game of the Day >> 74-40-4 L118 NBA Sides! 10-1 L11!
(NBA) Portland vs. Atlanta,
Point Spread: 3.00 | 102.00 Portland (Away)
Result: Win
Point Spread: 3.00 | 102.00 Portland (Away)
Result: Win
The set-up: The 30-37 Portland Trail Blazers are hoping to track down the Denver Nuggets for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference. The Trail Blazers are currently in ninth-place but have fallen 2 1/2 games back of the Nuggets. Portland will be in Atlanta tonight to take on the 37-31 Hawks, who are the East's No. 5 seed, 2 1/2 games back of Toronto (No. 4 seed) and two games up on Indiana (No. 6 seed).
Portland: The Blazers won the opener of their five-game road trip at Phoenix on Sunday but suffered an 'ugly' 100-77 loss at New Orleans on Tuesday. However, they were able to win 110-106 the very next night at San Antonio. "Well, that had to be to be probably our best win of the year," Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts told reporters. "To beat a team like San Antonio on the road, and not only that, but how we won, I thought it was one of our better games as far as staying focused throughout the game. Withstanding some of their runs, the crowd, a lot of good performances." All season long, the Blazers have been led by the backcourt duo of Lillard (26.5-4.9-5.8) and McCollum (23.3) However, if Portland is able to catch Denver, the reason will likely be the play of the 7-0 Nurkic, who Portland acquired from Denver in a swap of centers (Plumee was sent to the Nuggets). It was an "under the radar deal," but Nurkic is averaging 14.1 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 3.6 APG and 1.5 BPG in his 12 games (11 starts) with the Blazers.
Atlanta: The Hawks are close enough to the fourth-place Raptors to consider homecourt advantage in the first round if they can pull out of their current rut but then again, Atlanta is just 19-16 at home this year (18-15 on the road). Unlike Portland, Atlanta didn't have much luck at San Antonio (a 107-99 loss on Monday) plus then followed that with another homecourt disappointment, losing 103-91 to the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday. The Hawks had just beaten the Grizzlies by 17 points in Memphis five days earlier!
The pick: Portland is one of eight Atlanta opponents in the next nine games that has a losing record, but the Blazers are 6-2 in March. Also, while the Hawks have won five straight against the Trail Blazers, including an OT win at Portland back on Feb. 13, the Blazers now have an inside presence in Nurkic. Make Portland a 10* play.
Portland: The Blazers won the opener of their five-game road trip at Phoenix on Sunday but suffered an 'ugly' 100-77 loss at New Orleans on Tuesday. However, they were able to win 110-106 the very next night at San Antonio. "Well, that had to be to be probably our best win of the year," Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts told reporters. "To beat a team like San Antonio on the road, and not only that, but how we won, I thought it was one of our better games as far as staying focused throughout the game. Withstanding some of their runs, the crowd, a lot of good performances." All season long, the Blazers have been led by the backcourt duo of Lillard (26.5-4.9-5.8) and McCollum (23.3) However, if Portland is able to catch Denver, the reason will likely be the play of the 7-0 Nurkic, who Portland acquired from Denver in a swap of centers (Plumee was sent to the Nuggets). It was an "under the radar deal," but Nurkic is averaging 14.1 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 3.6 APG and 1.5 BPG in his 12 games (11 starts) with the Blazers.
Atlanta: The Hawks are close enough to the fourth-place Raptors to consider homecourt advantage in the first round if they can pull out of their current rut but then again, Atlanta is just 19-16 at home this year (18-15 on the road). Unlike Portland, Atlanta didn't have much luck at San Antonio (a 107-99 loss on Monday) plus then followed that with another homecourt disappointment, losing 103-91 to the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday. The Hawks had just beaten the Grizzlies by 17 points in Memphis five days earlier!
The pick: Portland is one of eight Atlanta opponents in the next nine games that has a losing record, but the Blazers are 6-2 in March. Also, while the Hawks have won five straight against the Trail Blazers, including an OT win at Portland back on Feb. 13, the Blazers now have an inside presence in Nurkic. Make Portland a 10* play.
