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The Portland Trail Blazers will finish off a six-game road trip with a clash against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The Wednesday contest will be the second and last one between the two teams this season.
In the first meeting, the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 129-110 on February 13. Gary Trent Jr., who was traded to the Toronto Raptors at the trade deadline, was the high man for the Blazers with 26 points, while Carmelo Anthony contributed 23 points and Enes Kanter put up 21 points with 13 rebounds.
The Cleveland Cavaliers lost their sixth consecutive game at the time. Heading into their final meeting this season with the Portland Trail Blazers, their losing streak is at seven.
Match Details
Fixture - Portland Trail Blazers vs Cleveland Cavaliers | 2020-21 NBA Season
Date & Time - Wednesday, May 5th, 7:30 PM ET (Thursday, May 6th, 5:00 AM IST)
Venue - Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OH
Portland Trail Blazers Preview
The Portland Trail Blazers had a four-game winning streak snapped on Monday when they lost 123-114 to the Atlanta Hawks. At 36-29, they are seventh in the Western Conference and have a shot to move up in the standings further to avoid going through the play-in tournament.
But they have to win as many of their remaining seven games as they can in order to make that happen. Norman Powell is questionable for the game as he is dealing with a knee issue. But there's a chance he will suit up, considering that he played through the injury on Monday.
Against one of the cellar dwellers in the East, the Portland Trail Blazers have a good opportunity to bounce back from the Hawks loss.
Key Player - Damian Lillard
More than any player on the Portland Trail Blazers, Damian Lillard determines the team’s fortunes with his play. In his last five games, Lillard has averaged 27.4 points on 48.9 percent shooting from the field and 46.0 percent from three. He also contributed 8.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.
He’s nursing a bruised left foot and is listed as probable for the Wednesday date with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but it’s more than likely that he will play. His head-to-head with Collin Sexton will be one of the highlights of the game.
Portland Trail Blazers Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Damian Lillard l Shooting Guard - CJ McCollum l Small Forward - Norman Powell l Power Forward - Robert Covington l Center - Jusuf Nurkic
Cleveland Cavaliers Preview
The Cleveland Cavaliers are in the midst of one of their worst stretches of the season heading into the Portland Trail Blazers game. With so many players out, the team signed Anderson Varejao to a contract which will, in all likelihood, be the last one of his NBA career. The Cavs need him to add depth and provide leadership in these last few games.
They put up a good fight against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday but fell short in the overtime period in a 134-118 loss. It was a promising performance by this young team that’s still learning how to win and put teams away.
With only seven games remaining on their schedule, the Cleveland Cavaliers are just hoping to be as competitive as possible and to continue developing their young players.
Key Player - Isaac Okoro
The Cleveland Cavaliers are high on Isaac Okoro, who put up a career-high 32 points in the loss to the Suns. He shot 10-of-16 from the field, 3-of-4 from 3-point range and 9-of-9 from the line. Known mostly for his defense, the rookie guard showed that he could become a two-way player someday.
Okoro is averaging a modest 8.6 points per game this season but had increased that number in the previous games. In the five games prior, the Cleveland Cavaliers guard had averaged 13.2 points a night with a high of 20. No one could have predicted he would top the 30-point mark on Tuesday but he was able to make the most of his opportunities.
In the Portland Trail Blazers game, Okoro will be matched up against high-scoring guard CJ McCollum. This will be another huge challenge for him defensively, similar to when he had to slow down Phoenix’s Devin Booker.
Cleveland Cavaliers Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Collin Sexton l Shooting Guard - Isaac Okoro l Small Forward - Cedi Osman l Power Forward - Dean Wade l Center - Jarrett Allen
Blazers vs Cavaliers Match Prediction
The Cleveland Cavaliers may not be in the playoff picture but they will fight the Portland Trail Blazers tooth and nail on Wednesday. The Blazers have more at stake and will be determined to finish off their road trip on a high note.
As good as the Cleveland Cavaliers were versus the Suns, they’ll be playing on the second night of a back-to-back and are undermanned. Expect the Portland Trail Blazers to win as the Cavs lose their eighth straight.
Where to Watch Blazers vs Cavaliers?
The Portland Trail Blazers vs Cleveland Cavaliers match will be televised locally by NBC Sports Northwest and Bally Sports Ohio. International viewers can catch the game on NBA League Pass.
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