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The Portland Trail Blazers will meet their Western Conference rivals, the LA Lakers, at the Crypto.com Arena on Friday. In the last meeting between the two this season, the Trail Blazers emerged victorious. Damian Lillard scored 25 points to lead his team to a win on the night.
Things have gone downhill for the Trail Blazers from thereon, though. They are 12th in the West and are only 13-21 on the season. Damian Lillard has found recovered his mojo. However, he has been unable to arrest their three-game losing skid coming into this clash against the Lakers.
The Trail Blazers are in desperate need of a win, and with the Lakers struggling to perform, they will fancy their chances of a win.
However, the Purple and Gold have LeBron James on their roster, who has been in stellar form this season. The Lakers will need him to once again deliver a big performance in this home game against the Trail Blazers.
Match Details
Fixture: Portland Trail Blazers vs LA Lakers | NBA Season 2021-22.
Date & Time: Friday, December 31, 11:30 PM ET (Saturday, January 1; 9:00 AM IST).
Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California.
Portland Trail Blazers Preview
The Portland Trail Blazers have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA this season. After starting their campaign with a few disappointing results, they seemed to have recovered their mojo.
However, injuries and COVID-19 protocols mean the team find themselves in a tough situation after 34 games. This game against the Lakers is key as they seek their first win in four games. They are already below the top ten, and they wouldn't want to slide down any further.
Key Player - Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard started the season with a series of poor performances. However, since his return from injury, the 31-year-old has looked good. He is averaging 24.2 PPG and 7.3 APG in 28 appearances.
If the team are to get a positive result against the Lakers, they will need Dame to have a big game. Coming off a 32-point performance in his last outing, Lillard will look to capitalize on the Lakers' weak defense by putting on a stellar three-point shooting show.
Portland Trail Blazers Predicted Lineup
G - Damian Lillard; G - Norman Powell; F - Nassir Little; F - Tony Snell; C - Larry Nance Jr.
LA Lakers Preview
The LA Lakers have also been very disappointing this season. They have lost five of their last six games to drop below the .500 mark. LeBron James has been playing well for them, but the team's weak defense has often been their undoing.
They will look to end the year on a high by beating the Trail Blazers. However, if Lillard has a big night, the Lakers could struggle to return to winning ways at the Crypto Arena.
Key Player - LeBron James
LeBron James has been in top form this season. The 37-year-old has been consistently brilliant in the last week or so. He has had six 30-point games in his last six outings for the Lakers.
Although the 17-time champions have lost five of these games, James' form has been a huge positive for the team. He will hope to deliver another big performance against the Trail Blazers, and lead the franchise to their 18th win of the season.
LA Lakers Predicted Lineup
G - Russell Westbrook; G - Malik Monk; F - Trevor Ariza; F - LeBron James, C - Dwight Howard.
Trail Blazers vs Lakers Match Prediction
The Lakers and the Trail Blazers have both performed below expectations this season. However, the Lakers have a better roster than their opponents, and appear to be the favorites to win on Friday.
Where to watch the Trail Blazers vs Lakers game?
All NBA games will be made available on the official NBA app. This game between the Lakers and the Trail Blazers will also be available nationally on NBA TV. Locally Spectrum SportsNet and Root Sports will telecast these games.
