Tuesday night in Oklahoma City, the Portland Trail Blazers (17-10) bested the Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena to extended their current winning streak while snapping a losing streak to the Northwest Division rival. They try to do the same thing against Wednesday night in New Orleans.
The Trail Blazers will try complete a a perfect road trip, extend their current winning streak to six games and break a four-game losing streak to the Pelicans when the two teams face off Wednesday in New Orleans in the second game of a back-to-back for both teams. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
SERIES HISTORY
ALL TIME: Thunder lead, 33-29PORTLAND HOME: Trail Blazers lead, 21-10NEW ORLEANS HOME: Pelicans lead, 19-12LAST PORTLAND WIN: 122-110, 3/15/19 (New Orleans)LAST NEW ORLEANS WIN: 128-115, 2/21/20 (Portland)CURRENT WIN STREAK: Four (New Orleans)
SERIES NOTES
• Portland's Feb. 17 game against New Orleans is the first meeting between the Trail Blazers and Pelicans during the 2020-21 season. The remaining two matchups will come during the Second Half of the season.
• LAST SEASON: The Pelicans swept the season series with the Trail Blazers in 2019-20, 4-0. Portland and New Orleans have taken turns sweeping the other each of the past two seasons.
• Damian Lillard averaged 19.0 points (32.4% FG, 93.3% FT), 4.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.00 steals in two games against the Pelicans last season. Lillard has scored at least 20 points in seven of his last eight games against New Orleans.
• Carmelo Anthony averaged 17.8 points (42.2% FG, 27.8% 3-PT, 100% FT), 4.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists in four games against New Orleans last season. Anthony is averaging 23.1 points and 7.0 rebounds over his 40 career games against New Orleans.
• Anfernee Simons averaged 9.3 points (27.0% FG, 28.6% 3-PT, 76.5% FT), 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in four games against the Pelicans last season.
• In three games against the Trail Blazers last season, Brandon Ingram averaged 18.7 points (41.3% FG, 42.9% 3-PT, 85.7% FT), 7.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.30 steals, including a 19 points, 11 rebound double-double in Portland on Dec. 23.
• Nicolo Melli averaged 9.8 points (43.8% FG, 27.3% 3-PT, 71.4% FT), 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.00 steals in four games against Portland last season. He recorded a career-high nine rebounds last year on Feb. 11 against the Trail Blazers.
• MILESTONE WATCH: Carmelo Anthony (1,493 career 3PM) is seven made three-pointers from becoming the 37th player in NBA history to hit at least 1500 threes over the course of their career.
• CONNECTION: Pelicans forward Wenyen Gabriel spent part of the 2019-20 season with the Trail Blazers. He appeared in 19 games, scoring 44 total points and grabbing 42 rebounds. He recorded his career-high of 12 points against his current team, the Pelicans, on Feb. 11, 2020 while with the Trail Blazers.
LAST THREE GAMES
Game #27 - Portland 115, Oklahoma City 104 — Feb. 16, 2021, Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
The Trail Blazers closed the game on an 18-2 tun to halt a comeback attempt by the Thunder, hanging onto a 115-104 win at Chesapeake Energy Arena... Portland had six players finish in double figures for the seventh time this season, improving to 6-1 in those games... Portland hit 20+ threes for the fourth time this season... Damian Lillard paced the Trail Blazers with 31 points (12-25 FG, 5-14 3-PT, 2-3 FT), seven rebounds and 10 assists... It was Lillard's 33rd career game with 30+ points and 10+ assists... Gary Trent Jr. scored 19 points (8-16 FG, 3-8 3-PT) and dished out four assists... Nassir Little had 13 points on 5-5 shooting (3-3 3-PT) ... Anfernee Simons had 15 points and two boards off the bench... Derrick Jones Jr. had 13 points and seven rebounds in 31 minutes... Luguentz Dort led Oklahoma City with 23 points (8-18 FG, 3-9 3-PT, 4-4 FT), six rebounds and three assists... Hamidou Diallo added 17 points, four rebounds and two assists for the Thunder.
Game #26 - Portland 121, Dallas 118 — Feb. 14, 2021, American Airlines Center, Dallas
Portland tied a franchise-record with 45 points in the third quarter, propelling themselves to a season-best fourth straight victory, a 121-118 win over Dallas at American Airlines Center... The Trail Blazers had six players finish in double-figures for the sixth time this season, improving to 5-1 in those games... Damian Lillard led Portland with 34 points (12-26 FG, 5-11 3-PT, 5-7 FT), three rebounds and 11 assists in 36 minutes... Gary Trent Jr. scored 17 points (6-13 FG, 3-8 3-PT, 2-3 FT) in 36 minutes off work... Robert Covington had 15 points (5-7 FG, 4-4 3-PT, 1-2 FT), five rebounds and four steals... Carmelo Anthony recorded 15 points (7-17 FG, 1-8 3-PT), five rebounds and three assists off the bench... Enes Kanter had 14 points and eight boards... Luka Doncic led Dallas with 44 points (14-20 FG, 5-8 3-PT, 11-12 FT), seven rebounds and nine assists ... Kristaps Porzingis added 18 points (5-9 FG, 8-8 FT), eight rebounds and two blocks for the Mavericks.
Game #25 - Portland 129, Cleveland 110 — Feb. 12, 2021, Moda Center, Portland
The Trail Blazers jumped out to a season-high 21 point halftime lead, and eventually put away the Cavaliers, 129-110 at Moda Center ... Portland had four players finish with 20+ points for the second time this season ... Portland's reserves combined for a season-high 54 points ... Gary Trent Jr. led Portland with 26 points (8- 12 FG, 4-6 3-PT, 6-6 FT), three rebounds and two assists ... Carmelo Anthony scored 23 points (7-13 FG, 3-7 3-PT, 6-8 FT), capping off his best three-game scoring stretch as a Trail Blazer (70 total points) ... Enes Kanter had 21 points (9-11 FG, 3-3 FT), 13 rebounds and one block, recording his third game with 20+ this season ... Damian Lillard had 20 points (7-16 FG, 6-6 FT), three rebounds and nine assists in 30 minutes ... Collin Sexton scored 25 points (8-16 FG, 1-2 3-PT, 8-9 FT) to go with three rebounds, five assists and two steals ... Jarrett Allen added 22 points (7-12 FG, 8-15 FT), six rebounds, two assists and two blocks for the Cavaliers.
INJURY NOTES
Neither team has released an injury report for Wednesday’s game. Harry Giles (left calf strain), Rodney Hood (left foot sprain), CJ McCollum (left midfoot fracture), Jusuf Nurkic (right wrist fracture) and Zach Collins (left ankle stress fracture) all sat our Tuesday’s game in Oklahoma City.
As for the Pelicans, they had no injuries to report in their last game, a 144-113 victory versus the Memphis Grizzlies.
BROADCAST NOTES
Wednesday’s game can be seen locally on NBC Sports Northwest. The game can be heard on Rip City Radio 620 AM and on all of the stations of the Deschutes Brewery Trail Blazers Radio Network.