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The Portland Trail Blazers will travel to the Big Apple today to take on the New York Knicks at the Madison Square Garden. The Trail Blazers will be looking to continue their winning run at the Mecca of Basketball, while the Knicks will go in the game to protect their home court at all costs.
Match Details
Fixture: Portland Trail Blazers vs. New York Knicks | NBA Season 2020-21
Date & Time: Saturday, February 6th, 1:00 PM ET (Saturday, February 6th, 11:30 PM IST)
Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York
Portland Trail Blazers Preview
The Portland Trail Blazers have won their last two games, with their last victory coming against a strong Philadelphia 76ers side. They managed to get past the 76ers without two of their best players, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. This is indicative of how deep the Blazers' roster is.
The Portland Trail Blazers will be fielding a second-string lineup once again tonight, which means head coach Terry Stotts will have to rely on the likes of Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood to shoulder the load of scoring and playmaking.
Key Player - Gary Trent Jr.
Included in the starting lineup following an injury to star shooting guard CJ McCollum, Trent Jr. has more than justified his head coach's decision so far. Despite playing second fiddle role to Damian Lillard, Trent Jr. has managed to average 13.7 points per game on a whopping 45.7% shooting from behind the three-point arc.
Lillard is listed as probable for this game, which means Gary Trent Jr. is set to get another opportunity to display his offensive prowess.
Portland Trail Blazers Predicted Lineup
G- Gary Trent Jr., G- Rodney Hood, F- Carmelo Anthony, F- Robert Covington, C- Enes Kanter
Also Read: NBA Trade Rumors: 3 Teams that should be a part of the JJ Redick sweepstakes
New York Knicks Preview
The New York Knicks reacted to back to back losses with a win against the Chicago Bulls, and Tom Thibodeau will be expecting to see some more of that tonight. The Knicks have shown flashes of brilliance so far but have failed to string a series of wins together.
They have been stellar on the defensive end, allowing only 104.1 points per game, which is the second-best mark in the league. On the other hand, they are the worst offense in the league, averaging a dismal 102.4 points per game.
The Knicks will have to quickly overcome their offensive woes if they want to realize their target of booking a playoff berth.
Key Player - Julius Randle
Julius Randle has been one of the few positives for the New York Knicks this season. He is averaging 22.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 6 assists per game.
The Portland Trail Blazer have struggled against power forwards this season, and Randle has a brilliant chance to pad his stats against a depleted roster. He will need to have another big game tonight if the Knicks are to get close to a better record.
New York Knicks Predicted Lineup
G- Elfrid Payton, G- RJ Barrett, F- Reggie Bullock, F- Julius Randle, C- Mitchell Robinson
Trail Blazers vs. Knicks Match Prediction
The New York Knicks have a brilliant chance to move up in the Eastern Conference standings tonight, as they will be facing a Portland Trail Blazers which will be missing multiple key starters. The Blazers managed to get a win against the 76ers, but fans can expect the Knicks to clinch this one.
Where to Watch Trail Blazers vs. Knicks
The local coverage of the Portland Trail Blazers vs. New York Knicks matchup will be available on NBCS North West and MSG Network. International fans can catch this game on the NBA League Pass.
Also read: NBA Trade Rumors: 3 teams that would benefit the most from adding Victor Oladipo to their roster
