The Trail Blazers enter the contest as winners of two straight after defeating the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings. Portland has won six of its last eight games to move into eight place in the Western Conference.
Damian Lillard’s 24.3 points and 7.1 assists per game lead the Trail Blazers this season. Lillard and his backcourt mate CJ McCollum combine for an average of 45.1 points per game, the third highest total of any teammates in the NBA behind Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
Friday’s game marks the return of longtime Trail Blazer Nicolas Batum. The French forward spent the first seven seasons of his NBA career in Portland before a trade in the offseason sent him to Charlotte in exchange for Noah Vonleh and Gerald Henderson. Batum’s 751 three-point field goals as a Trail Blazer rank third in franchise history.
Trail Blazers versus Hornets will be televised locally on CSNNW, and can be found at Rip City Radio 620 on the radio dial. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.