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The red-hot Portland Trail Blazers are looking to extend their 6-game winning streak when they face the Washington Wizards on at the Moda Center on Saturday.
Washington have themselves hit a timely run of form, winning their last 3 games though are 4-8 on the road this season and lost 132-121 at home to the Trail Blazers at the start of February.
Two of the league's best shooters will face off in this tie, with NBA-leading scorer Bradley Beal opposite Damian Lillard, who himself is averaging 29.8 points. Therefore, fans can expect another high-scoring, exciting affair.
Match Details
Fixture: Washington Wizards vs Portland Trail Blazers | NBA Season 2020-21
Date & Time: Saturday, February 20th, 10 PM ET (Saturday, 8:30 AM IST)
Venue: Moda Center, Portland, OR
Washington Wizards Preview
Despite lingering at the bottom of the Eastern Conference after their player turnover in the offseason, the Washington Wizards have had an impressive week, overcoming both the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets.
In this time, the Wizards have had huge support from their bench, particularly from Austrian Davis Bertans who scored 35 points against Denver. Meanwhile, guard pairing Westbrook and Beal have been lighting up the box score and are the main reason that Washington aren't rock-bottom of the East.
Beal was recently announced as an Eastern Conference All-Star starter and led the guards in voting. The Washington Wizards legend has been leading the league in scoring this season, averaging an incredible 32.8 points a night.
Key Player - Bradley Beal
When Washington Wizards star guard John Wall was traded in the offseason to the Houston Rockets, there were question marks about how both the franchise and Bradley Beal would fare this year. Making Beal the face of the Wizards brought his importance up to a higher level than it already was, but boy has he been living up to it.
Even for Beal's high standards, the shooting guard is scoring an outrageous amount of points at a career-high and is grabbing 5.2 rebounds, also a personal best. Beal has benefitted from Westbrook's role as a facilitator and the two look to be settling in as a partnership on the court. With the Washington Wizards roster looking much more consistent, Beal can help propel his side back toward the playoff picture.
Washington Wizards Predicted Lineup
G - Bradley Beal, G - Russell Westbrook, F - Rui Hachimura, F - Garrison Matthews, C - Moritz Wagner
Portland Trail Blazers Preview
Facing the Washington Wizards are the in-form Portland Trail Blazers, who have been steadily working their way up the Western Conference. Currently in 4th, the Portland Trail Blazers have won 8 of their last 10 outings, winning three on the road this week.
Battling against Bradley Beal will be Portland Trail Blazers' star guard Damian Lillard, who has been in scorching form lately and put up an outrageous 43 points and 16 assists against New Orleans on Wednesday.
In fact, the whole Portland Trail Blazers team have been filling up the box score and are currently ranked 5th in the league for offensive efficiency.
Key Player - Damian Lillard
It will be a battle of the guards on Saturday and hoping to extend their winning run will be Portland Trail Blazers' leader Damian Lillard.
Lillard is one of the, if not the most feared player in the NBA to have the ball in his hands down the stretch. The point guard is a serial scorer who makes big-time plays and also averages 7.7 assists per game. With CJ McCollum out recently, Damian Lillard has taken on even more offensive responsibility and has averaged 32.3 points across the Portland Trail Blazers' 6-game winning run.
Portland Trail Blazers Predicted Lineup
G - Damian Lillard, G - Gary Trent Jr., F - Robert Covington, F - Derrick Jones Jr., C - Enes Kanter
Wizards vs Trail Blazers Match Prediction
Despite the Washington Wizards recent improvements, its hard to look past the blitzing Portland Trail Blazers offense. Each of the Blazers starters scored in double-figures against New Orleans while the Wizards have been relying on additional support from their bench players.
Portland Trail Blazers will likely take this one, especially as it is on home court, though look out for the guard matchups, which will inevitably decide this fixture.
Where to watch Wizards vs Trail Blazers?
Fans in America will be able to watch the exciting matchup live on NBC Sports Southwest and NBC Sports Washington. You can also stream the game with an NBA League Pass.
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