Portland continues their road trip in Brooklyn, taking on the Nets. While neither of these teams is precisely elite, they’ve both punched above their weight this season. Brooklyn has been a tough young team that, if slept on, can steal a win from most teams. Portland, on the other hand, has seen their season turn around late this year. This should be a great battle between two up-and-coming groups.
Jerami Grant Questionable
Deni Avdija Questionable
Robert Williams III Out
Nets Injuries:
Dariq Whitehead Out
D’Angelo Russell Out
Noah Clowney Out
Brooklyn is an interesting group of talent. Even though they don’t have a star, this team is tough. They play hard, run on you, and can be challenging to contain. Their defense has been where they keep teams close. The offense has been their weakness this year. They’ve struggled to keep up with teams all year, and most of their wins are when they can keep their opponent under 100 points.
On the other hand, Portland has been shockingly confident over the last month and a half. They’ve functionally taken themselves out of the tanking race for Cooper Flagg and are now eyeballing a play-in spot. It’s not likely that they’ll get to that level, but they’ve shown this group can compete.
This matchup should be intriguing. Portland should have a mild advantage tonight, even with a few players' availability uncertain. Brooklyn's problem in this matchup is offense, but getting Cam Thomas back helps a ton. We haven’t seen him on the court since the beginning of January, but he’s a one-man offense. Portland will have to contain him and make his first night back a challenge.
Overall, Portland has the advantage with their scorers. They have scorers all over the roster who can take over this game. If Portland can get hot from deep or run in transition, they should be able to overwhelm Brooklyn.
Money line: POR (-135) / BKN (+114)
Total Points: 220.5
Spread: -2.5 POR (-108) / +2.5 BKN (-112)
Portland has been the better team over the last couple of weeks. They’ve played great defense, move the ball well, and have been hitting their shots more consistently. Currently, on a 3-game win streak, this group has gelled together nicely.
Even with Brooklyn being a strong defensive group, Portland has been putting up points all year. They’ve had multiple games over 140 points in just the last couple of weeks. If Portland hits their threes and keeps the pace up, this game will quickly surpass the 221 mark.
This spread is close enough to stick with the Blazers. The Nets would be a good take if it were closer to 5 points. This game probably won’t be a blowout with how well Brooklyn has played. Especially with the return of Cam Thomas, Portland may struggle with this group.
Simons has been up and down lately. His three-point shooting hasn’t been what it used to be, but he’s still a strong score. Settling less for contested jumpers, he’s been forcing his way into the paint and the line more often. He’s already hit 21 points 8 times this month, so he’ll have a great chance to do it again tonight.
Clingan has been critical to the Portland defense. He is the only true center with Ayton and Robert Williams out tonight. 12+ rebounds is highly doable to him as long as he doesn’t get into foul trouble. He'll easily hit this number if he can find 25+ minutes on the court tonight.
Johnson has been an excellent scorer for this group. His ability to hit from deep while still shooting over 40% from three has been key. He’ll likely have a fair number of attempts tonight.
Claxton has been a force at protecting the paint. He’s averaging 2.8 blocks for the entire month of February. Considering how aggressive Portland can be attacking the rim, 3+ blocks isn’t crazy.