After having the holiday off for the last seven seasons, the Portland Trail Blazers (19-14) make their triumphant return to the NBA's Christmas Day schedule with a tilt versus the Utah Jazz (16-18) Tuesday night at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
SERIES NOTES
ALL TIME: Jazz lead, 101-85IN PORTLAND: Trail Blazers lead, 63-31AT THE JAZZ: Jazz lead, 70-22LAST PORTLAND WIN: 102-93, 4/11/18 (Portland)LAST JAZZ WIN: 120-90, 12/21/18 (Portland)CURRENT WIN STREAK: One (Utah)
GAME NOTES
• Tuesday’s game marks the second of four meetings between the Trail Blazers and the Jazz during the 2018-19 season. Utah leads the season series, 1-0. The Trail Blazers have won at least two games against the Jazz in each of the last five seasons.• LAST MEETING: The Jazz outscored the Trail Blazers by 15 points in the fourth quarter of a 120-90 Portland loss at Moda Center on Dec. 21. Damian Lillard scored a team-high 19 points (7-16 FG, 4-8 3-PT, 1-2 FT) to go with four rebounds, two assists, three steals and two blocks. Ricky Rubio paced the Jazz with 24 points and eight assists.• CHRISTMAS PAST: The Trail Blazers are 14-3 all-time on Christmas Day. Portland last played on Christmas in 2010. The Jazz are 4-2 all-time on Christmas Day, and last played on Christmas in 1997. This is the first time Portland and Utah have played each other on Christmas.• Damian Lillard has scored 30-plus points in seven of his last 12 games against the Jazz. In that span, he has averaged 30.3 points and made at least four three-pointers eight times. His career high in scoring (59 points) came against Utah on April 8, 2017.• Jusuf Nurkic had a double-double of 10 points (5-9 FG) and 10 rebounds to go with four assists, one steal and two blocks against Utah on Dec. 21. In six games against the Jazz with the Trail Blazers, Nurkic has averaged 11.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.33 blocks.• CJ McCollum recorded 12 points (5-15 FG, 0-3 3-PT, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, two assists and three steals against the Jazz on Dec. 21. In his last four games against Utah, McCollum has averaged 19.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.50 steals.• Rudy Gobert posted a double-double of 11 points (4-9 FG, 3-3 FT) and 11 rebounds to go with three assists and two blocks against the Trail Blazers on Dec. 21. Gobert has recorded a double-double in eight of his last nine games against Portland.• Kyle Korver scored 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting (3-7 3-PT, 1-1 FT) to go with four rebounds and two assists against Portland on Dec. 21.• CONNECTION: Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard attended Weber State University, located 30 miles outside of Salt Lake City in Ogden, Utah. Weber State retired Lillard’s No. 1 jersey on August 26, 2017.• CONNECTION: Portland guard Gary Trent Jr. and Utah guard Grayson Allen were teammates at Duke during the 2017-18 season.
INJURY NOTES
The Trail Blazers have no injuries to report for Tuesday night's contest. As for the Jazz, Grayson Allen is out for Tuesday's game with a right ankle sprain.
BROADCAST NOTES
Tuesday's game can be seen locally on NBC Sports Northwest with Kevin Calabro, Lamar Hurd and Brooke Olzendam. NBC Sports Northwest also streams 76 live games during the 2018-19 Trail Blazers season. NBA League Pass will also carry the game, though blackouts based on location apply. Travis Demers, filling in for Brian Wheeler, and Casey Holdahl will have the call on Rip City Radio 620 AM and on all of the stations of the stations of the Trail Blazers Radio Network.