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Preview: Portland at Charlotte

Charlotte, N.C. – Fast starts to the season are now the norm for the Blazers; for the second year in a row they have a long winning streak to hang their hat on. 

On Wednesday, they look to continue it. And Charlotte looks to end theirs.

After sleepwalking through the first half of their previous game in Philadelphia, then cruising to an easy victory, Portland is in the midst of an eight game winning streak, just three shy of the 11-gamer they racked up at the beginning of last season.

Charlotte, meanwhile, has stumbled out of the gate amidst lofty expectations and newfound hype. After an off-season that reinvigorated a fan base with name changes and free agent signings, the Hornets, fresh off a playoff appearance in 2013, are 13th overall in the east, and are in the midst of a five game losing skid.

Their offense has been porous (26th in the league at 94.3 points per game), and the defense not hasn’t been much better (allowing 99.4 points per game).

Perhaps they can look at Portland as the catalyst for their current woes.

On November 11th, Charlotte, 3-4 at the time, rolled into Portland and held a 23-point second half lead. The bottom fell out after that, as Portland outscored Charlotte 27-15 in the fourth quarter to seal the come from behind win.

A victory on the 14th at Phoenix was their last, and they have averaged just 89 points per game during their current streak.

For the Blazers, who are 2-0 on their current three game trip, Wednesday night marks an opportunity to not only sweep Charlotte for the first time since 2013, but it would also be the team’s fourth straight road win after starting the season 0-2 away from the Moda Center.

Portland’s hot start to the season has come primarily at the defensive end of the floor. Sure, the offense is still potent, averaging almost 104 points per game. But the defense has helped shut down some of the most prolific offenses in the league, and they are giving up just 95.2 points per game.

Being led again by LaMarcus Aldridge, who notched 33 points and 11 rebounds in Monday’s win at Philadelphia, the Blazers are nine games in the loss column ahead of Oklahoma City, who is struggling with injuries. Portland, 11-3 overall, has certainly capitalized on the Thunder’s slow start.

After a busy offseason, Charlotte often appeared on experts’ lists of teams to watch. With the addition of Lance Stephenson from Indiana, the continued growth of Kemba Walker, and steady play of Al Jefferson, the Hornets appeared to have the pieces in place to make it past the first round.

All three have been solid, just not spectacular. The problem is, they are combining for 45 points per game, almost 50% of the teams scoring.

While a 4-11 start isn’t what anyone was predicting, there’s plenty of time to turn things around.

Two streaks enter Wednesday’s game – Portland’s winning, and Charlotte’s losing – and only one will continue.