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The gritty Toronto Raptors will take on the high-scoring Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, with an intention to get their third win of the 2020/21 NBA season.
The Raptors have struggled badly this season, and this is reflected in their 2-7 record. The Trail Blazers, on the other hand, are barely over the .500 mark with a 5-4 record.
Match Details
Fixture: Toronto Raptors vs Portland Trail Blazers
Date and Time: Monday, 11th January, 10 PM ET (Tuesday, 12th Jan, 8:30 AM IST)
Venue: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Toronto Raptors Preview
The Toronto Raptors have struggled on the offensive end this season and are averaging only 111 points per game. Their usually solid defense has also not delivered.
Head coach Nick Nurse is expected to make some tweaks to the starting line-up on Monday, as the Raptors will be facing an offensively potent Trail Blazers outfit.
Key Player - Fred VanVleet
Fred VanVleet has managed to impress in a stagnant offense, averaging 22 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists per game for the campaign.
The diminutive point guard is also shooting 40% from behind the arc, and head coach Nick Nurse will be expecting him to lead the attack from the front against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Toronto Raptors Predicted Lineup
G- Kyle Lowry, G- Fred VanVleet, F- Pascal Siakam, F- OG Anunoby, C- Alex Len
Also Read: NBA Trade Rumors: LA Lakers eyeing Derrick Rose to bolster their point guard options
Portland Trail Blazers Preview
The Portland Trail Blazers have shown flashes of brilliance this NBA season but haven't managed to close out games well. As a result, they sit on an ordinary record, which they will be looking to improve on Monday.
Head coach Terry Stotts will be expecting a big game from his backcourt. Bosnian center Jusuf Nurkic is also due for a big performance, and fans can expect him to go off.
Key Player - Damian Lillard
After a relatively slow start to the season by his lofty standards, Damian Lillard has finally come into his own and has been the torching the opposition defenses.
He has quietly averaged 26 points and 6 assists this season and will be smacking his lips ahead of the encounter against a weak Toronto Raptors defense.
Portland Trail Blazers Predicted Lineup
G- Damian Lillard, G- CJ McCollum, F- Derrick Jones Jr., F- Robert Covington, C- Jusuf Nurkic
Raptors vs Trail Blazers Match Prediction
The Portland Trail Blazers have thrived against weak defenses this season, and we expect them to do the same versus a low-on-confidence Toronto Raptors outfit. Lillard and McCollum have looked in good knick, and the Blazers should win this game comfortably.
Where to watch Raptors vs Trail Blazers
The local coverage of the Toronto Raptors-Portland Trail Blazers game will be available on Sportsnet and NBC Sports Northwest. Fans can also live-stream this match-up via the NBA League Pass.
Also Read: 5 teams that should look to acquire James Harden before the NBA trade deadline
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