HOUSTON vs PORTLAND
When: 12/26/2020 10:00 PM
Where:

TV: 10:00 PM
LINE:
PREDICTION: PORTLAND , HOUSTON

Oddsmakers currently have the PORTLAND listed as point favorites versus the HOUSTON, while the game’s total is sitting at .

A short-handed version of the Houston Rockets, including star James Harden but without six other players, will try again Saturday to open the season.

The Rockets, with just nine available players, one above the NBA minimum, are prepared to play a Saturday road game against the Portland Trail Blazers. Houston had to postpone its scheduled Wednesday home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder when it had fewer than eight players available due to positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing.

Before the Thunder game was scrapped, new Rockets guard John Wall delivered straightforward words on hopes and expectations for the 2020-21 season.

“The only expectations I have are staying healthy,” Wall said. “That’s how I feel for any of us, just all stay healthy and go out there and play basketball. That’s all I can focus on because I haven’t played in so long.”

Good health could be translated to “virus-free” in the current lexicon, and by that measure, the Rockets are not. Kenyon Martin Jr. and Ben McLemore are sidelined following positive COVID-19 tests.

The Rockets listed six players as unavailable for Saturday: McLemore and Martin, who are self-isolating away from the team, plus Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Gordon and Mason Jones, who are quarantined due to contact tracing.

Interestingly, Harden was absent from the daily injury report after reportedly testing negative a fourth time in as many days Friday. Harden was fined $50,000 for violating the league’s health and safety protocols after he attended a private indoor party Monday. He was listed as unavailable for the Thunder game that didn’t happen but is expected to start against Portland.

The Rockets’ thin bench will include two undrafted rookie free agents, Jae’Sean Tate and Brodric Thomas.

The Trail Blazers’ early-season issues are more traditional.

Having entered this season seemingly reinforced defensively, Portland surrendered 120 points to the visiting Utah Jazz on Wednesday, allowing 19 3-pointers (on 50 attempts). Portland, which trailed by as many as 23 points while surrendering 65 first-half points, also was hammered on the boards. Utah posted a 59-40 rebounding edge and finished with a 17-8 edge in second-chance points.

Add to those woes subpar efforts from Blazers star guards Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, and Portland barely resembled a team poised to make a leap in the Western Conference. Lillard posted a scoreless first half en route to a quiet nine-point, seven-assist effort as he shot 4-for-12 from the floor. McCollum, who earned a late-game technical foul, managed 23 points, but he hit only 7 of 19 field-goal attempts.

“It was a tough night offensively and defensively for our team,” Lillard said, “but it’s a long season like we always say, and we can’t let losing one game cause us to lose two and three.

“It’s one game. We didn’t play great in the preseason, and this isn’t how we wanted to start our season. I think we’ve got to be a little more assertive in correcting ourselves and demanding more of each other.”

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PORTLAND vs SACRAMENTO
When: 10:00 PM  ET, Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California

TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBATV, NBCS Northwest (Portland), NBCS California (Sacramento)
LINE: 2
PREDICTION: Kings 109, Trail Blazers 107

Oddsmakers currently have the SACRAMENTO listed as 2 point favorites versus the PORTLAND, while the game’s total is sitting at 222.5.

The Sacramento Kings have discovered their offense and they look to post their fourth win in the past five games when they host the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday. Sacramento was a torrid 18-of-31 from 3-point range in Friday’s win over the Atlanta Hawks and averaged 118 points during a 2-1 road trip.

The Kings struggled during a 0-5 start, dropping games by 32 points to the Utah Jazz and 29 to the Phoenix Suns in addition to a 122-112 loss to the Trail Blazers. A more-balanced approach is working as Sacramento had six players score 13 or more points against Atlanta and the club scored at least 28 points in each quarter. Portland halted a four-game slide on Sunday as it dominated the overtime to produce a 124-113 overtime win over the visiting Hawks. “I don’t think we could have played that five minutes any better than we did when the game was on the line and such a big situation for us,” Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard said of outscoring Atlanta 17-6. “So I was just excited for our team.”

TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBATV, NBCS Northwest (Portland), NBCS California (Sacramento)

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (4-6): Lillard had 30 points, seven rebounds and six assists against Atlanta, two nights after scoring a career-best 60 points in a 119-115 home loss to the Brooklyn Nets. The NBA’s second-leading scorer at 33 points per game enjoyed a solid all-around game in last month’s win over the Kings when he contributed 35 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals. Center Hassan Whiteside excelled with 22 points on 9-of-10 shooting and collected nine rebounds in the win over the Kings and he had a stellar effort against Atlanta with 21 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots.

ABOUT THE KINGS (3-6): Bench players Bogdan Bogdanovic (5-of-6) and Trevor Ariza (4-of-6) combined for half the 3-point makes against the Hawks and Bogdanovic has made 11-of-17 over the past two games while averaging 21 points during the stretch. “We have really good shooters on our team,” Kings coach Luke Walton told reporters. “We know that. … When our guys are open we want them letting it fly.” Point guard De’Aaron Fox is averaging 19.8 points and eight assists over the past six games but sprained an ankle in practice on Monday and will be sidelined for at least three to four weeks.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Trail Blazers won six of the past seven meetings.

2. Sacramento SG Buddy Hield scored 22 against Atlanta for his third straight 20-point outing and sixth of the season.

3. Portland swingman Rodney Hood (back) could miss his second straight game.

PREDICTION: Kings 109, Trail Blazers 107

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PORTLAND vs DENVER
When: 3:30 PM  ET, Sunday, May 12, 2019
Where: Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado

TV: 10:00 PM
LINE: -5.5
PREDICTION: Nuggets 113, Trail Blazers 110

Oddsmakers currently have the DENVER listed as -5.5 point favorites versus the PORTLAND, while the game’s total is sitting at 212.5.

The Golden State Warriors are in the Western Conference Finals for the fifth straight year and will face either the Portland Trail Blazers or Denver Nuggets, who meet in Game 7 of their semifinal matchup Sunday in Denver. The Blazers stayed alive with a 119-108 win at home in an intense Game 6 on Thursday, but they were defeated by 26 points in their last visit to Denver.

Damian Lillard scored 17 of his 32 points in the third quarter in Thursday’s win for Portland, and the Blazers’ leader says his team will be locked in for the do-or-die finale. “Don’t overthink, don’t make it some big, crazy deal or nothing like that,” Lillard told reporters of Game 7. “We’re going to play a basketball game. And it’s a big game, and we’ve won on their floor before, and we know what type of mentality we had when we did that.” The Nuggets were an NBA-best 34-7 at home during the regular season and are 5-2 at the Pepsi Center in the postseason. Star center Nikola Jokic had 29 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in the Game 6 loss, falling just shy of his fifth triple-double of a dominant playoff run.

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PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS vs HOUSTON ROCKETS
When: 8:00 PM  ET, Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas

TV: 8:05 PM
LINE: -6
PREDICTION: HOUSTON , PORTLAND

Oddsmakers currently have the HOUSTON listed as -6 point favorites versus the PORTLAND, while the game’s total is sitting at 219.

The first 25 games of the season have been a disaster for the Houston Rockets, who look nothing like the squad that reached the Western Conference finals last campaign. The struggling Rockets aim to halt a three-game slide on Tuesday, when they host the Portland Trail Blazers.

Houston has lost seven of its last nine games and is just three setbacks shy of matching last season’s total, but coach Mike D’Antoni feels the team is close to turning things around. “There is no other alternative,” D’Antoni told reporters. “There are a bunch of professional guys in there, and they are trying to figure it out.” Portland hopes it is back on the upswing after posting back-to-back wins following a stretch during which it dropped six of seven games. “We’ve had some bad stretches and we lost some games, trying to fight back and be better,” Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic told reporters. “We showed at the start of the season we can be a lot better than that. And when we play defense and play with edge, we’re a pretty good team.”

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBA TV, NBCS Northwest (Portland), AT&T SportsNet-Southwest (Houston)

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (15-11): Nurkic is coming off a strong all-around performance in Saturday’s 113-105 win over Minnesota as he matched his season high of 22 points and also recorded 11 rebounds, four assists, four blocked shots and three steals. Star point guard Damian Lillard, who ranks fourth in the NBA with a 27.2-point scoring average, also is on a roll as he is averaging 30.8, eight assists and 5.8 rebounds over his last four games. Lillard has made multiple 3-pointers in eight straight contests, including a franchise-record 10 on Nov. 28 against Orlando.

ABOUT THE ROCKETS (11-14): Houston quickly parted ways with forward Carmelo Anthony when it was clear he didn’t fit and shooting guard Eric Gordon could be the next player shipped out of town. Gordon, who is averaging 15.7 points and shooting a woeful 36.6 percent, made critical comments about the team and expressed that he isn’t enjoying this season at all. “I’m just not having fun, man,” Gordon told The Athletic. “I’m just not. This sucks. Even the times where I have good games. We’re just not using some guys the right way. Are we gonna make the right sacrifices? Do we have the right attitude? Last year was the best year I’ve ever had being a part of a team. We just never had a bad moment.”

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Rockets have won seven of the last nine meetings, but the Trail Blazers never trailed en route to a 104-85 triumph on Oct. 30.

2. Houston G James Harden is averaging a league-best 30 points and has scored 30 or more in seven of his last 11 games.

3. Portland PF Al-Farouq Aminu has scored in double figures in four of his last five contests and is averaging 14.8 points during that stretch.

PREDICTION: Rockets 113, Trail Blazers 111

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PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS vs SAN ANTONIO SPURS
When: 7:00 PM  ET, Sunday, December 2, 2018
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas

TV: 7:05 PM
LINE: -1
PREDICTION: SAN ANTONIO , PORTLAND

Oddsmakers currently have the SAN ANTONIO listed as -1 point favorites versus the PORTLAND, while the game’s total is sitting at 216.

The San Antonio Spurs continue to sink toward the bottom of the Western Conference while displaying an uncharacteristic inability to stop opponents on the defensive end. They will try to limit the damage against the visiting Portland Trail Blazers — who already put up some big numbers against the Spurs earlier this season — when the teams meet Sunday.

After an embarrassing 128-89 loss at Minnesota on Wednesday, San Antonio returned home to suffer a 136-105 defeat at the hands of Houston, and Gregg Popovich’s team has seen the last two opponents combine to make 40 3-pointers in 95 attempts. “Guys feel embarrassed and deflated, and rightfully so,” guard Patty Mills told reporters. “It’s the big picture. It’s who we represent when we put these jerseys on. It’s who we play for. It’s much bigger than that, and we need to understand that we are here just for a short time amongst this organization that will be here for a lot longer than we are. We’ve got to take pride in that.” The Blazers shot 53.6 percent while defeating the Spurs 121-108 at home on Oct. 20. That was early in Portland’s 10-3 start, but the squad has since dropped six of nine, including a 113-112 loss against Denver on Friday at home.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBCS Northwest (Portland), FS Southwest (San Antonio)

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (13-9): CJ McCollum scored 33 points against the Nuggets but lamented his missed shot at the buzzer as a late rally fell short. “Coach drew up a little spread action where I run to the corner and come off the double (team),” McCollum told reporters of the final play. “(Al-Farouq Aminu) slips and then (Damian Lillard) hits (Jusuf Nurkic) and comes around for a little handoff. Dame turned the corner, ran into a crowd, and kicked it to me. I missed an open 18-footer.” It was one of just three missed shots in 17 attempts inside the arc for McCollum, who shot 49.1 percent in November after struggling to hit 41 percent of his attempts in October.

ABOUT THE SPURS (10-11): San Antonio has allowed at least 135 points an NBA-high four times in 2018-19, two more than it did in Popovich’s first 22 seasons at the helm, but the future Hall of Famer sees issues all over the place. “It’s a game where you try to continue to get better at all aspects,” Popovich told the media after the loss to the Rockets. “We’re obviously discombobulated on offense. So a lot of that has to do with me. I’ve got to do a better job there. I think defensively, we’ve obviously got to shore up our effort and our wisdom at that end of the court. So we’ve got a lot of work to do.” Leading scorer DeMar DeRozan was held to 18 points — nearly six below his average — against Houston after producing a season-low 10 on Wednesday in Minnesota.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Lillard scored 29 points and handed out nine assists with zero turnovers in the first meeting.

2. Spurs SF Dante Cunningham has 18 total points over his last six games after scoring 19 on 7-of-7 shooting at New Orleans on Nov. 19.

3. Opponents shoot 48 percent against the Spurs, the third-worst mark in the NBA entering Saturday.

PREDICTION: Trail Blazers 113, Spurs 110

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PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS vs MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
When: 8:00 PM  ET, Friday, November 16, 2018
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota

TV: 8:05 PM
LINE: 1.5
PREDICTION: MINNESOTA , PORTLAND

Oddsmakers currently have the MINNESOTA listed as 1.5 point favorites versus the PORTLAND, while the game’s total is sitting at 222.

Jimmy Butler has been traded and suddenly the Minnesota Timberwolves look like a team again. Minnesota strives to earn its third straight victory since Butler was shipped to the Philadelphia 76ers when it hosts the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday.

Center Karl-Anthony Towns (25 points, 16 rebounds) and small forward Andrew Wiggins (23 points) both had strong games as the Timberwolves posted a 107-100 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday. “We were just playing together,” Towns told reporters. “We did a great job getting the ball around, getting everyone involved. It was just about having fun and playing with love and enthusiasm.” Portland will be looking to rebound after it fell 126-117 to the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday to see a four-game winning streak reach an end. The setback occurred in the opener of a six-game road trip that concludes against the Golden State Warriors on Nov. 23.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCS Northwest (Portland), FS North (Minnesota)

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (10-4): Star guard Damian Lillard is nursing a sore right knee but played 38 minutes against the Lakers and collected 31 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. Lillard has 23 assists over the past two games while recording back-to-back double-doubles and has tallied 25 or more points on nine occasions in another strong start. Center Jusuf Nurkic averaged 19.5 points and 15.5 rebounds while recording two straight double-doubles and has seven on the campaign.

ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (6-9): Forwards Robert Covington (13 points) and Dario Saric (nine) made their team debuts on Wednesday after being acquired in the Butler deal along with injured guard Jerryd Bayless (knee). Covington was in the starting lineup while Saric came off the bench and Minnesota will study their games to see where they best fit. “The last few days feel very short to me, but at the end of the day, this is basketball,” Saric told reporters after the win. “It was very pleasurable to be on the court. We played team basketball. I think we had 29 assists — that’s a pretty good number. It’s just the beginning. I hope we still continue to play like this every game.”

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Trail Blazers won the past three meetings, including a 111-81 victory on Nov. 4.

2. Minnesota G Derrick Rose (knee) is expected back after a one-game absence.

3. Portland SG Seth Curry (knee) departed Wednesday’s contest and is questionable to play against Minnesota.

PREDICTION: Timberwolves 119, Trail Blazers 113

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BOSTON CELTICS vs PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
When: 9:00 PM  ET, Sunday, November 11, 2018
Where: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon

TV: 9:05 PM
LINE: -2
PREDICTION: PORTLAND , BOSTON

Oddsmakers currently have the PORTLAND listed as -2 point favorites versus the BOSTON, while the game’s total is sitting at 213.5.

The Portland Trail Blazers are making easy work of the early part of their schedule and will try to push their latest winning streak to four straight when they host the Boston Celtics on Sunday. The Trail Blazers are still led by guards Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, but the progression of the rest of the roster is pushing the team to elite status.

Portland expanded its rotation to 11 players on Friday and watched five score in double figures as it cruised past the Los Angeles Clippers 116-105. “It was a grind-it-out kind of game,” Lillard, who finished with a team-high 25 points, told reporters. “I thought our team did a good job at just being present for the entire game. Our bench once again came through, gave us another spark down the stretch. The end of the third, beginning of the fourth, they had a really good stretch, opened up the game a little bit and left it there for us to come close it out. So, another team effort.” The Trail Blazers will be looking to take advantage of a Celtics squad that struggled to losses in three of the first four stops on its five-game road trip. “Effort is the most important thing and that takes heart,” point guard Terry Rozier told reporters after a 123-115 loss at Utah on Friday. “So, we’ve got to go out there and it isn’t just about scoring all the time. We’ve got to go out there and give effort, especially on the rebounding. They out rebounded us by (21) and that’s all effort so we need more of that.”

TV: 9 p.m. ET, NBCS Boston, NBCS Northwest (Portland)

ABOUT THE CELTICS (7-5): Boston center Al Horford was outplayed by counterpart Rudy Gobert in Friday’s setback and took the blame for the team’s struggles. “I wasn’t very happy with my performance,” Horford told reporters. “I felt like I wasn’t that presence I needed to be on the defensive end and it was a lot of miscommunications. I take blame for that and I need to be better, especially going into a game in Portland. Those guys are really good playing at home and we’re going to have to be great in order to win that one.” The Celtics allowed the Jazz to shoot 55.8 percent from the floor and surrendered an average of 115.7 points in the last three contests.


ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (9-3): Portland’s key players have been together with coach Terry Stotts for several years, and the continuity is paying off for the team. “I think our time together, how good we get along together, our understanding of what our coaches want us to do, our understanding of each other, I think it’s all coming together,” Lillard told reporters. “The time spent is really counting for us right now.” That familiarity is helping the team limit its turnovers, and the Trail Blazers committed just seven miscues in Friday’s victory.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Trail Blazers C Jusuf Nurkic is averaging 15.1 points and 9.9 rebounds in 24.8 minutes.

2. Celtics PG Kyrie Irving (personal) sat out Friday and is uncertain for Sunday.

3. Boston took the last three in the series and earned a 105-100 win at Portland last season behind 30 points from PF Marcus Morris.

PREDICTION: Trail Blazers 120, Celtics 114

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LA CLIPPERS vs PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
When: 10:00 PM  ET, Thursday, November 8, 2018
Where: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon

TV: 10:05 PM
LINE: -5
PREDICTION: PORTLAND , LA CLIPPERS

Oddsmakers currently have the PORTLAND listed as -5 point favorites versus the LA CLIPPERS, while the game’s total is sitting at 225.5.

CJ McCollum has put a slump behind him and looks to follow up his best outing of the season when the Portland Trail Blazers host the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday. McCollum exploded for 40 points in Tuesday’s 118-103 win over the Milwaukee Bucks and also added six assists and five rebounds.

McCollum was 17-of-26 shooting and made five 3-pointers in a strong showing that followed a stretch in which he scored fewer than 20 points in five of six games. “Whether I play well or not, I know how much time I spend preparing,” McCollum told reporters following the fourth 40-point outing of his career. “The only thing I saw was I had a lot of in-and-outs and I was shooting with a dead wrist. That was the only thing I noticed. I wasn’t locking my wrist out, so I just tried to lock my wrist out.” The Clippers are looking for their first three-game winning streak of the season after scoring 120 points in back-to-back wins over the Orlando Magic and Minnesota Timberwolves. “This team likes to play together and they understand that if one guy or a group is going they’re fine with waiting,” Los Angeles coach Doc Rivers told reporters of his team’s unselfish approach.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Los Angeles), NBCS Northwest (Portland)

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (6-4): Starting forwards Tobias Harris (21.3 points) and Danilo Gallinari (20 per game) are providing a large chunk of the team’s scoring, but the next four leading scorers are all reserves. Guard Lou Williams, the reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year winner, is averaging 19.1 points and is followed by power forward Montrezl Harrell (12.1), center Boban Marjanovic (9.1) and rookie guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (eight per game). “We have different guys that can make plays, and on any given night, it’s gonna be somebody else’s night,” Harris told reporters. “That’s the beauty of our team.”

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (8-3): Portland is 3-1 on a six-game homestand that concludes Sunday against the Boston Celtics and its three triumphs have been by an average of 19.3 points. Swingman Evan Turner established season highs of 16 points and 11 rebounds against Milwaukee on a night in which point guard Damian Lillard tallied a season-low 13. Lillard wasn’t needed for an offensive splurge with McCollum on a roll but his season average stands at a stellar 26.7.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Trail Blazers won the past three meetings after losing 10 of the previous 12.

2. McCollum averaged 18.3 points in four games against the Clippers last season.

3. Los Angeles SG Avery Bradley (ankle) will miss his second straight game.

PREDICTION: Trail Blazers 124, Clippers 117

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MILWAUKEE BUCKS vs PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
When: 10:00 PM  ET, Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Where: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon

TV: 10:05 PM
LINE: -2
PREDICTION: PORTLAND , MILWAUKEE

Oddsmakers currently have the PORTLAND listed as -2 point favorites versus the MILWAUKEE, while the game’s total is sitting at 226.5.

The Milwaukee Bucks have matched the best nine-game start in franchise history and look to add another victory when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday. Milwaukee has won eight of its first nine games to join the 1971-72 squad led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the franchise’s top mark.

The Bucks continued their strong opening stretch by rolling to a 144-109 win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. Milwaukee set a franchise record with 22 made 3-pointers and also registered its most points in a non-overtime game since racking up 147 against the San Antonio Spurs on March 18, 1979. Portland has won four of its last five games and pounded the Minnesota Timberwolves 111-81 on Sunday to improve to 7-3. “To be sitting where we are now, I’m sure people didn’t expect it,” star point guard Damian Lillard told reporters. “I think we’re playing good basketball. We’ve been pretty consistent with the things that we need to do to win games and it’s showing.”

TV: 10 p.m. ET, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee), NBCS Northwest (Portland)

ABOUT THE BUCKS (8-1): Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo posted his second triple-double of the season and 12th of his career with 26 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists in the rout of the Kings. Antetokounmpo was one of eight players to reach double digits against Sacramento as solid ball movement was evident throughout the easy victory. “Hopefully, one of the keys to Giannis being great is everybody around him being great,” Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters. “We can also talk about a lot of other guys who played well, too. So, that’s a great sign for Giannis and a great sign for us.”

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (7-3): The victory over Minnesota came one night after a stunning home loss against the Los Angeles Lakers and Lillard liked how his team bounced back against the Timberwolves, who were without guards Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose. “I think it speaks to our maturity,” Lillard told reporters. “In the past, we might have let that one slip (Saturday) and then come back and been, I guess, too emotional about it, like a younger team would be, kind of holding on to it. It would carry over to (Sunday).” Center Jusuf Nurkic has posted back-to-back double-doubles after recording 19 points and 12 rebounds against Minnesota and has five for the season.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Bucks won both of last season’s meetings and prevailed in six of the past seven.

2. Milwaukee SF Khris Middleton has made three or more 3-pointers in eight of the first nine games.

3. Portland backup SG Nik Stauskas (quadriceps) is questionable after departing Sunday’s game.

PREDICTION: Trail Blazers 112 Bucks 110

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MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES vs PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
When: 9:00 PM  ET, Sunday, November 4, 2018
Where: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon

TV: 9:05 PM
LINE: -6
PREDICTION: PORTLAND , MINNESOTA

Oddsmakers currently have the PORTLAND listed as -6 point favorites versus the MINNESOTA, while the game’s total is sitting at 230.5.

The Jimmy Butler saga is not getting any easier for the Minnesota Timberwolves, and neither is the schedule. The Timberwolves may or may not have Butler in the lineup when they continue a challenging five-game road trip at Portland on Sunday.

The four-time All-Star, whose desire to be traded to another team has drawn plenty of publicity, returned from a one-game layoff to score 21 points in Friday’s 116-99 loss at Golden State but Butler indicated he plans to sit out either Sunday’s game or Monday’s at the Los Angeles Clippers. “I let them know,” he told reporters Friday. “They don’t know how my body feels. So if I’m nicked up, then you can count on that. I don’t know. We’ll see how it goes. I don’t know what we plan on doing tomorrow. Obviously, I got to get some treatment along with a lot of other guys. But we’ll see whenever Sunday and Monday gets here.” The Blazers will be dealing with the second half of a back-to-back of their own after falling 114-110 to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum scored 30 points apiece for Portland, which saw its three-game winning streak come to an end.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, FS North (Minnesota), NBCS Northwest (Portland)

ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (4-5): Minnesota still led with under 11 minutes remaining against the Warriors before it became unable to get stops, a season-long issue for a team that entered Saturday ranked 26th in defensive scoring (118.2 points allowed per game). Derrick Rose followed up his 50-point performance against Utah on Wednesday with just three in five minutes before leaving with an ankle injury that has him questionable for this one. Fellow guard Jeff Teague (knee) has already been ruled out for Sunday.

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (6-3): McCollum’s 30-point effort was a season high and it came two nights after he was held to a season-low eight points on 2-of-8 shooting in a win over New Orleans. He averaged 21.3 points while burying 12-of-21 from 3-point range in four matchups with the Timberwolves last season, and Lillard averaged 26 points and 7.8 assists. Jusuf Nurkic had 14 points and 13 rebounds versus Los Angeles for his fourth double-double in the last seven games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Timberwolves PG Tyus Jones, who made his first start of the season Friday in place of Teague, is 12-for-41 from the floor over his last five games.

2. Lillard is 32-for-32 from the foul line over a five-game stretch.

3. Portland has won four straight meetings at home.

PREDICTION: Trail Blazers 112, Timberwolves 108

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