Following the weeklong NBA All-Star Break, the Portland Trail Blazers (23-33) visit the Orlando Magic (21-37) Thursday evening to begin a three-game Eastern Conference road trip that colncludes with stops in Toronto and Detroit. The Magic took the first meeting between the two sides, 115-109, in Portland on January 13.
Damian Lillard enters the second half of the NBA season leading the Blazers with 25.7 points per game, the tenth-best average in the NBA. Behind him, CJ McCollum holds an average of 23.4 points per game on 48.4% shooting from the field and a 41.1% mark from behing the three-point line. Newcomer Jusuf Nurkić, acquired from Denver on February 12, recorded 13 points and seven rebounds off the bench in his debut vs. Utah on February 15.
The Magic are led by Evan Fournier's 16.8 points per game. Big man Nikola Vucevic is averaging 13.9 points and 10 rebounds for Orlando this season, but holds career numbers of 23.9 points and 12.4 rebounds in seven games versus the Trail Blazers since his rookie season in 2011-12.
Thursday's contest tips of from Amway Center near the Magic Kingdom at 4pm Pacific. Kevin Calabro and Lamar Hurd have the call on CSNNW, while Brooke Olzendam provides insights from courtside. As always, Brian Wheeler details the action on Rip City Radio 620 and the Trail Blazers mobile app.