Don’t expect a fast-paced game when the Portland Trail Blazers (10-4, 4-2 Home) host the Brooklyn Nets (6-9, 3-5 Away) on Thursday. Brooklyn was outplayed by the Sacramento Kings 153-121 at Golden 1 Center on Tuesday. Kevin Durant was a top performer in the losing effort with 27 points and six assists.
The Nets are 12th in the Eastern Conference. Portland triumphed on Tuesday at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter, beating the San Antonio Spurs 117-110. Jerami Grant had 29 points and eight rebounds, leading the team. The Trail Blazers are third in the Western Conference, 0.5 games behind the Denver Nuggets.
This marks the first meeting of the season between the teams. Brooklyn and Portland split their matchups last season, each team taking one. The Nets got the win in the last meeting 128-123 at Barclays Center on March 18.
Durant led the Nets with 38 points and six assists. Josh Hart had 25 points in the loss. Durant is averaging 30.3 points per game, best in the league, to lead the Nets in scoring this season.
Durant also has dished 5.3 assists per game, most in the NBA. Meanwhile, Nicolas Claxton is grabbing 8.5 rebounds. Anfernee Simons and Grant have supplied much of the Blazers’ offense, averaging 22.3 and 21.3 points per game, respectively. Simons leads the NBA in scoring, while Grant is first.
Jusuf Nurkic is posting 10.6 rebounds per game, most in the NBA, and Hart is tallying 4.4 assists (1st). Half-court execution will be of utmost importance in this matchup that showcases two of the NBA’s slowest-paced teams, as the Trail Blazers and the Nets rank 29th and 26th, respectively, in possessions per game.
The Trail Blazers have had the advantage in the Nets’ last 10 trips to Moda Center at the Rose Quarter, winning six.Brooklyn is 5-5 in the last 10 games with an average margin of +3.0 (109.7-106.7). Portland has a 6-4 record over the last 10, allowing 107.3 points per game on average while scoring only 106.9 (-0.4 margin).
NETS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Edmond Sumner: 16.2 | 11.8 | +4.4
Points per game:
Seth Curry: 13.8 | 9.7 | +4.1
Assists per game:
Ben Simmons: 3.0 | 5.1 | -2.1
TRAIL BLAZERS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Jerami Grant: 38.3 | 28.8 | +9.5
Jusuf Nurkic: 16.5 | 25.6 | -9.1
Points per game:
Jerami Grant: 29.0 | 21.3 | +7.7
Jusuf Nurkic: 6.5 | 12.6 | -6.1
Rebounds per game:
Jerami Grant: 7.0 | 4.9 | +2.1
Assists per game:
Damian Lillard: 9.0 | 6.6 | +2.4
SportsTips’ NBA Pick:
Over 220.5 (-110)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
