After going 3-1 on their first road trip of the season, the Portland Trail Blazers (3-2) return home to host the Philadelphia 76ers (4-0) Saturday night in the team's first "Decade Night" of their 50th anniversary season. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
SERIES NOTES
ALL TIME: 76ers lead, 58-55IN PORTLAND: Trail Blazers lead, 37-21AT THE 76ERS: 76ers lead, 37-18LAST PORTLAND WIN: 130-115, 2/23/19 (Philadelphia)LAST 76ERS WIN: 101-81, 11/22/18 (Philadelphia)CURRENT WIN STREAK: Three (Portland)
GAME NOTES
• Saturday’s game marks the first of two regular season games against the 76ers during the 2019-20 season.
• LAST SEASON: Portland won the season series against Philadelphia in 2018-19, 2-0.• BLOCK PARTY: Philadelphia ranks third in the NBA in blocks per game (6.75) while the Trail Blazers are seventh (5.80).
• CJ McCollum averaged 25.0 points (54.3% FG, 41.7% 3-PT, 100% FT), 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.00 steal in two games against the 76ers last season. In his last two home games against Philadelphia, McCollum finished with 35 points, three rebounds and three assists (12/30/18) and 34 points, seven rebounds and four assists (12/28/17).
• In two games against Philadelphia last season, Damian Lillard averaged 16.0 points (55.0% FG, 36.4% 3-PT, 100% FT), 6.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists. Lillard has scored 30 points twice in his last five games against the 76ers.
• Hassan Whiteside recorded 15 points (7-8 FG, 1-2 FT), nine rebounds, four blocks and two steals in his last game against Philadelphia with the Miami Heat on April 9, 2019. He has blocked at least three shots in five of his last eight games against the 76ers.
• Ben Simmons averaged 24.0 points (62.1% FG, 66.7% FT), 5.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists in two games against the Trail Blazers last season. In four career games against Portland, Simmons is has averaged 20.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists.
• In his lone game against the Trail Blazers with the 76ers last season, Tobias Harris recorded 20 points (8-14 FG, 3-7 3-PT, 1-1 FT), eight rebounds, one steal and one block. Harris played against Portland four times last season (three with LAC), posting averages of 27.0 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists.
• CONNECTION: Trail Blazers center Hassan Whiteside and 76ers guard/forward Josh Richardson were teammates in Miami for four sea-sons from 2015-19.
• CONNECTION: Portland guard/forward Kent Bazemore and Philadelphia forward/center Al Horford were teammates in Atlanta for two seasons from 2014-16.
INJURY NOTES
Hassan Whiteside (left knee bone bruise) is questionable, while Zach Collins (left shoulder dislocation), Pau Gasol (left foot fracture) and Jusuf Nurkic (left lower leg fracture) and are out for Saturday's game.
As for the 76ers, they will be without Joel Embiid (league suspension), Shake Milton (bone bruise and mild sprain – left knee), Marial Shayok (G League – Two-Way) and Zhaire Smith (G League – On Assignment).
BROADCAST NOTES
Saturday's game will air locally on NBC Sports 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 Trail Blazers Radio Network.