With the playoff picture beginning to come into focus, the Portland Trail Blazers and LA Lakers find themselves on the outside looking in. Both teams are within four games of the Houston Rockets for that coveted eighth playoff spot, and Friday’s matchup in Los Angeles will push one team even closer to the postseason.
The Blazers and Lakers have played two games against each other this year, with the home team coming away victorious each time. The matchup at the Rose Garden Arena to open the season was a memorable one for Blazers fans, who saw Damian Lillard play his first game as a professional.
Lillard performed more like a seasoned veteran against LA, finishing with 23 points and 11 assists, and the Blazers scored a 116-106 win. Portland wasn’t as successful when they traveled down to Southern California, however, getting trounced by an inspired Laker squad 104-87. With plenty on the line Friday, this meeting with the Lakers seems bigger than the last two.
To win this game, the Portland team will have to slow down all-star Laker guard Kobe Bryant. The 34-year-old veteran is fourth in the league in scoring, and will be a handful for the defensive duo of Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum, who will most likely both be called on to guard Bryant. The battle down low will feature two all-star big men in Los Angeles center Dwight Howard and Portland power forward LaMarcus Aldridge. Aldridge played well on the Blazers’ recent road trip, a trend that will have to continue for Portland to have a chance.
On the perimeter, Steve Nash of the Lakers will square off against Lillard in the most compelling matchup offered by the rivalry. The two players are at opposite ends of their careers—Nash making his way through his final years in the NBA and Lillard just beginning to forge a legacy in his first year as a professional. Lillard should have the advantage over Nash on the offensive end, but the Weber State University product will need to put together a big game on the road in other respects as well, by not only scoring but also creating opportunities for his teammates.
The Blazers have played a few games with big playoff implications already this season, and they have come up empty a lot of the time. This game will mean a lot in the standings, but it will also show the Rip City fan base whether or not Portland is truly ready to be a playoff team.
Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Friday.