Portland Trail Blazers Host New Orleans Pelicans as Season Winds Down

The (undefeated within the Tom Dundon Era™) Portland Trail Blazers host the twelfth-place New Orleans Pelicans of their propreantepenultimate recreation of the season tonight. This contest, like all remaining video games, is a must-win for the Blazers, who discover themselves vying for the eighth seed within the Western Conference.

Much has been made from the Pelicans’ terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad season during which they traded away their unprotected 2026 first spherical decide in alternate for the draft rights to Derick Queen. Queen is an thrilling younger participant with immense promise, nonetheless by no means does his promise outweigh the chance at a lottery decide within the loaded 2026 draft class.

The on-the-court product additional displays the competencies, or lack thereof, of the entrance workplace. In 76 video games performed, the Pelicans have gained 25 video games and misplaced 51. This file comes despite Aerially-capable human field truck Zion Williamson suiting up for 59 matches, the third most in a single season in his profession. Looking on the workforce’s statistics, they’re simply plain dangerous. The Pelicans sit under common in almost each measurable offensive statistics. Their saving grace, good for 25 wins, is their interior presence. Donovan Clingan would love a phrase, I’m guessing.

As with any NBA workforce, the Pelicans usually are not assured to lose. Heck – a lot to the delight of Adam Silver – they don’t seem to be even tanking. With Trey Murphy III questionable to return towards the Blazers, the Pelicans could enter Thursday night time with a litany of scoring threats able to souring the Blazers’ upper-half-of-the-Play-In-Tournament-chances (does not roll off the tongue as effectively as “playoff chances”).

The Blazers got here into Tuesday night time towards the Los Angeles Clippers with an perspective and focus. Unlike many video games this season, the Blazers have been capable of comprise quite a few tried runs by the Clippers. Perhaps it was new proprietor Tom Dundon’s encouragement(or threat-)laden pregame speech. Perhaps it was the truth that half of the Intuit Dome was comprised of Blazers followers. Or perhaps, the Blazers understood the urgency of their state of affairs.

The Blazers’ remaining schedule options solely two “gimmes”: this contest towards the Pelicans, and the ultimate recreation of the season towards the Sacramento Kings. Otherwise, they’re strapped with taking down Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs, and, as soon as once more, the Clippers. To safe the eighth seed, they have to carry that very same focus that they had towards the Clippers into every remaining contest. Of course, focus means little within the face of two of the league’s main MVP candidates, however you possibly can in all probability focus your solution to victory towards New Orleans and Sacramento.

Against the Pelicans, no two gamers can be as necessary as Donovan Clingan and Deni Avdija. The Pelicans hand over the Sixth-most makes an attempt on the rim out of any workforce. They even have the Thirteenth-worst rim protection. Both of these traits are exploitable by the whole roster, and particularly by the gamers with the very best rim frequency on the workforce.

Portland Trail Blazers (39-38) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (25-51) – Thurs. Apr 2nd – 7pm Pacific

How to look at through antenna or cable: See your choices on the Rip City Television Network.

How to look at through streaming: BlazerVision in Oregon and Washington; League Pass or NBA TV in all places else.

Trail Blazers accidents: Jerami Grant, Vit Krejci, Damian Lillard, Shaedon Sharpe (Out).

Pelican Injuries: Karlo Matkovic, Trey Murphy III (Questionable). Bryce McGowens (Out).

Kris Murray. Kris Murray earned the honors of the post-game broadcast after the Blazers’ victory towards the Clippers after posting a formidable 7 factors, 7 rebounds – 4 of which have been offensive (and completely essential), – and 6 assists. Furthermore, Murray was second solely to Robert Williams III in plus-minus, posting a plus-19 in 31 minutes of motion. While his taking pictures stroke leaves a lot to be desired, essentially the most engaging of the Murray twins is at all times ripe for a heady baseline reduce or lock down perimeter protection. It can be fascinating to look at how his function expands over the previous couple of video games, and if the teaching employees trusts his non-shooting-related expertise sufficient to present him minutes within the postseason. The Pelicans, with their size and dimension, are the proper workforce to deploy Kris Murray towards.

Turnovers. One of the few metrics during which the Pelicans sit above league common is their turnover charge. The Blazers, conversely, lather their palms in peanut oil earlier than each recreation, and stay lifeless final within the league in turnover charge. One thread by way of which the Blazers may lose this recreation is, like all night time, by way of turnovers. Winning on this side, although, shuts down the Pelicans’ most necessary statistical benefit, clearing the lane for a Blazers victory.