Tonight, the Trail Blazers continue their road trip in Chicago to face the Bulls. While both teams have struggled with their records, the Bulls are still in the playoff hunt, while Portland sits firmly in 12th place in the West. However, this matchup could significantly impact draft positioning, as both teams are only separated by half a point for the 9th-best odds in the draft. Either way, this should be an exciting matchup between two young, rising teams.
Julian Phillips Questionable
Dalen Terry Questionable
Jevon Carter Questionable
Lonzo Ball Questionable
Tre Jones Out
Anfernee Simons Questionable
Toumani Camara Questionable
Doup Reath Questionable
Jerami Grant Out
Deandre Ayton Out
Scoot Henderson Questionable
Robert Williams Out
We’ve seen both Portland and Chicago thrive after the All-Star weekend. Their young teams have found their stride as players like Josh Giddey, Deni Avdija, Shaedon Sharpe, and Coby White have all taken a leap, showcasing their star potential.
The Bulls find themselves in an intriguing position tonight. They are just a half-game behind the Heat for the 9th seed, which would give them home court advantage in the play-in. On the flip side, they are also only a half-game behind Portland for the 9th seed in draft odds. This will be a sliding door moment for Chicago, but my gut says they're prioritize the play-in over draft positioning.
If Chicago is going for it tonight, this should be an interesting matchup. White, Giddey, and even Buzelis have all looked solid. This young core plays a high-paced, downhill style of basketball that is incredibly entertaining. They are effective scorers at almost every position, making them a challenging matchup for a depleted Portland roster.
Portland will struggle tonight with several key players questionable or out. Especially if Portland is without Camara, they’ll struggle against the tricky backcourt of White and Giddey. Without Camara as the point-of-attack defender, those two might have a clear lane to attack the rim all night.
However, Portland has two advantages in this game: Sharpe and Avdija. Wow, those two have been outstanding. We’ve truly witnessed what an unleashed Sharpe is capable of, and it’s scary. Avdija, on the other hand, has completely taken control. Scoring check, rebounding check, playmaking check, and defense check- he’s been the complete package.
Even with those two playing some of the best basketball of their careers, the Bulls might still be too much. Defensively, Portland will struggle tonight. They have size, but I believe the key issue for Portland will be Nikola Vucevic. Going against Clingan tonight, Vuc will be able to pull Clingan out of the paint, which will leave the rim wide open. This should give the rest of the Bulls plenty of opportunities to attack the rim and get to the line
Overall, I think this game would have been a bit close a few weeks ago, but I don’t think Portland is motivated to win tonight. Unless we see a Sharpe and Avdija looking like MJ and Pippen, I doubt Portland has the firepower to keep up with Chicago tonight.
Money line: POR (+205) / CHI (-250)
Total Points: 234.5
Spread: +6 POR (-108) / -6 CHI (-112)
With half of Portland’s roster either questionable or out, it seems they may finally be shutting it down. Their play-in hopes are virtually gone, while their draft position is at risk tonight. Considering how solid Chicago has appeared in recent weeks, this should be a game they can win at home. Unless Portland’s dynamic duo can lead this team to a victory for a third time, the Chicago line looks strong
This score seems likely to increase significantly. Chicago is a motivated team full of young players who can score. Portland has some strong scorers as well, but even if this game becomes a blowout, Chicago will likely boost the score. We’ve seen Chicago reach this point total in their last seven games. I don’t expect them to hold back tonight.
Even with Portland’s surprising success on this road trip, Chicago is the best team they’ve faced. The Bulls have the roster to bury Portland tonight if they’re hitting their shots. With a potential home court advantage in the play-in at stake, I don’t think they’ll pull players early. I think we'll see Chicago going full throttle tonight.
Sharpe has taken over with the guard minutes opening up for Portland. No Simons or Henderson has given Sharpe the runway to take over the last couple of games. He’s now had back-to-back games over third points. Going against the Bulls tonight, he should find some great matchups and be able to continue to attack the rim against a weaker defense.
We’ve seen Buzelis getting a lot more run in the final few weeks of the season. In that time he’s had some standout performances with his rebounding numbers bumping up. He’s still been a bit inconsistent, but he’s had over five rebounds in three of the last five games. Considering how Portland has been playing lately, attacking the rim and running the floor should put Buzelis in a prime position to grab rebounds left and right.
Avdija has been on a tear lately. He recorded a triple-double on Tuesday against Atlanta and a double-double against Toronto last night, showcasing his ability to move the ball well. Especially if Portland is without Simons and Henderson again, Avdija will handle most of the playmaking. Six assists should be right in his wheelhouse.
We’ve seen Giddey thrive lately on this plucky Bulls team. He’s been elite at filling out the box score. However, his last game against Portland was far below his usual production. He was held to 0 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds in 29 minutes of play. Even if he doesn’t have that catastrophic of a game, there is a good chance Portland can hold him well below his averages tonight.