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We are in the final half of the regular season and the Portland Trail Blazers, who are on a two-game win streak will travel to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers, as a part of their 7-game road trip. This road trip will be very crucial for the Blazers and they need to put in their maximum effort to pick up as many wins as they can.
Match Details:
Portland Trail Blazers (35-23) vs Philadelphia 76ers (38-21)
When: 23rd February 2019, 11:30 pm IST
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia
The Portland Trail Blazers' perspective
The Portland Trail Blazers are playoffs-bound once again and have the talent to make some noise in the postseason. Their trade deadline acquisition of Enes Kanter has added much-needed depth in their bench unit.
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The center of attraction, just like every year, is once again Damian Lillard who is averaging an eye-catching 26.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game. The backcourt of Lillard and McCollum has been at their usual best and the Blazers sit firmly at the fourth spot in Western Conference.
The Blazers currently have one of their toughest schedules all season long and this road-trip can be a make-or-break for this team as they try to make their way to the top of the standings.
Predicted Portland Trail Blazers' starting line-up:
Maurice Harkless (F), Al-Farouq Aminu (F), Jusuf Nurkic (C), CJ McCollum (G) and Damian Lillard (G)
The Philadelphia 76ers' perspective
After their trade for Tobias Harris and Boban Marjanovic, the Philadelphie 76ers' chances of winning it all in the East have improved a lot and it will be interesting to see if they could challenge the NBA-leading Bucks in the postseason.
At 38-21, they are expected to make it to the playoffs without much difficulty. However, just like the Blazers, the Sixers also have a tough schedule coming up that includes games against the teams like Golden State, Oklahoma City and Houston to name a few.
Therefore, it is also important they take care of the business at hand without getting complacent and over-confident. The Sixers are also on a two-game win streak of their own and will be looking to further extend it.
The predicted Philadelphia 76ers starting line-up:
Tobias Harris (F), Jimmy Butler (F), Joel Embiid (C), Ben Simmons (G) and JJ Redick (G)
How the things might unfold
With two of the best teams in the NBA going at each other, it is not going to be an easy affair for either of the teams to register the win. When the two teams met for the first time this regular season, in Portland, the Sixers got blown out of the building by as many as 34 points.
However, the situation is entirely different this time around and it is expected to go down to the wire. It is a very challenging task to make a prediction for this game but if I have to pick up one, I would say the Sixers because of the fact that they will be raring to go and take the revenge.
Not to forget, the Sixers are at home while the Blazers will have to travel from Brooklyn. As a fun fact, this matchup will be the second of a back-to-back for both the teams.
Prediction: Philadelphia 76ers to beat the Portland Trail Blazers.
