After spending the majority of December at home, the Portland Trail Blazers hit the road in January, playing nine of their 15 games away from the Moda Center. That road-heavy start to 2020 begins with a five-game road trip which kicks off New Year's Day versus the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
SERIES NOTES
ALL TIME: Trail Blazers lead, 67-47IN PORTLAND: Trail Blazers lead, 42-14AT THE KNICKS: Knicks lead, 33-24LAST PORTLAND WIN: 115-87, 12/10/19 (Portland)LAST KNICKS WIN: 107-103, 11/22/16 (NYK)CURRENT WIN STREAK: Six (Portland)
GAME NOTES
• Wednesday’s game will round out the two games between the Trail Blazers and the Knicks during the 2019-20 season. Portland leads the season series, 1-0.
• LAST MEETING: Portland defeated the Knicks in Portland on Dec. 10, 115-87, marking Portland’s largest margin of victory this season. Damian Lillard led the way for the Trail Blazers with 31 points (9-15 FG, 8-12 3-PT, 5-5 FT) to go with two rebounds and six assists while Julius Randle paced the Knicks with 15 points (6-11 FG, 1-4 3-PT, 2-3 FT), seven rebounds and three assists.
• SERIES SWEEPS: A Trail Blazers win would give Portland its third consecutive season series sweep against the Knicks.
• Damian Lillard has scored 30-plus points in five of his last eight games against the Knicks, including two of his last four visits to Madison Square Garden. Lillard has shot 32-of-66 (48.5%) from the three-point line in those eight games.
• In 19 career games against the Knicks, Carmelo Anthony has averaged 27.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists. It is his highest career scoring average against any opponent. • CJ McCollum had 13 points (5-14 FG, 1-8 3-PT, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, six assists and one block against the Knicks on Dec. 10.
• Anfernee Simons recorded 16 points (5-9 FG, 4-7 3-PT, 2-2 FT), five rebounds and three assists against New York on Dec. 10.
• Hassan Whiteside scored 17 points (7-11 FG, 3-3 FT) to go with 15 rebounds, two assists and five blocks against New York on Dec. 10. Whiteside has logged a double-double in each of his last four games against the Knicks and blocked at least three shots in three of those games.
• In his last five games against the Trail Blazers, Julius Randle has averaged 25.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.40 steals and 1.00 blocks.
• Mitchell Robinson recorded 14 points (5-8 FG, 4-7 FT) and five rebounds against the Trail Blazers on Dec. 10.
• CONNECTION: Trail Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony played six-plus seasons for the Knicks, posting averages of 24.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 412 games (all starts).
• CONNECTION: Portland center and New York native Moses Brown played high school basketball at Archbishop Molloy High School in Queens.
INJURY NOTES
Skal Labissiere (left knee inflammation), Rodney Hood (left ruptured Achilles tendon), Zach Collins (left shoulder dislocation) and Jusuf Nurkic (left leg fracture) are out.
The Knicks have not yet released their injury report for Wednesday's game.
BROADCAST NOTES
Wednesday's game can be seen locally on NBC Sports Northwest with Kevin Calabro, Lamar Hurd and Brooke Olzendam. Travis Demers and Michael Holton will have the call on Rip City Radio 620 AM and on all of the stations on the Deschutes Brewery Trail Blazers Radio Network.