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The San Antonio Spurs will lock horns with the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center on Saturday night in an enticing 2020-21 NBA Western Conference matchup. The two teams have split their two previous meetings this season.
The San Antonio Spurs snapped their five-game losing run to beat the Sacramento Kings 113-104. The Portland Trail Blazers, meanwhile, beat the LA Lakers 106-101 to claim their sixth win in seven games.
Match Details
Fixture - San Antonio Spurs vs Portland Trail Blazers | 2020-21 NBA Season.
Date & Time - Saturday, May 8th; 10:00 PM ET (Sunday 9th; 7:30 AM IST).
Venue - Moda Center, Portland, OR.
San Antonio Spurs Preview
The San Antonio Spurs have a tough run of fixtures, starting with this game. They will face the Milwaukee Bucks, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks and the Phoenix Suns next, a run of games that could hinder their postseason hopes.
Nevertheless, they will look to continue their winning momentum and see out the regular season on a strong note.
DeMar DeRozan (25 points) and Dejounte Muray (22 points) starred for the San Antonio Spurs in their win over the Sacramento Kings in their last outing. The team shot 51.7% from the field and 89.5% from the free-throw line. Greg Popovich's side were clinical at the defensive end as well, registering seven blocks and eight steals on the night.
Key Player - DeMar DeRozan
The Portland Trail Blazers have been playing some solid defense of late, which makes DeMar DeRozan a key player for this game. He is the San Antonio Spurs' anchor at the offensive end and will have to be produce a big outing to help his team beat the Portland Trail Blazers.
DeRozan is leading the Spurs in points (21.4 per game) and assists (7.3 per game) this season.
Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Dejounte Murray l Shooting Guard - Devin Vassell l Small Forward - DeMar DeRozan l Power Forward - Keldon Johnson l Center - Jakob Poeltl.
Portland Trail Blazers Preview
The Portland Trail Blazers are buoyant after beating the LA Lakers in their last game.
The win has given the Portland Trail Blazers an advantage over the defending champions. The Blazers are now the sixth seed in the West and are eligible to qualify for the playoffs automatically. They also have a tie-breaker advantage over Frank Vogel's side.
Meanwhile, Talisman Damian Lillard shone for the team again, scoring 38 points and dishing out seven assists against the Lakers. CJ McCollum contributed 21 points as five Portland Trail Blazers players scored in double digits.
They were clinical from the charity stripe as well, knocking down 20 of their 21 free-throw attempts and committed just eight turnovers all game.
Key Player - Robert Covington
Robert Covington has been the best defensive player for the Portland Trail Blazers this campaign, averaging a team-high 1.2 blocks and 1.7 steals per contest.
He could be tasked with limiting DeMar DeRozan and help the Blazers record their third win on the trot. His matchup with the Spurs talisman could be key in the outcome of this game.
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.
Spurs vs Trail Blazers Match Prediction
The Portland Trail Blazers are the overwhelming favorites in this game, owing to their superior recent form.
The Blazers also have a better squad on paper, and Damian Lillard's prolific exploits could make this game a one-sided affair. However, the San Antonio Spurs have produced unexpected wins this campaign and could spring an upset.
Where to watch the Spurs vs Trail Blazers game?
The game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Portland Trail Blazers will be televised locally on NBC Sports Northwest and Bally Sports Southwest. The match can also be live-streamed with an NBA League Pass.
