The Portland Trail Blazers (4-2) and Golden State Warriors (5-1) both did well in their respective 2016-2017 NBA Preseason Games stints. They face each other at the Oracle Arena on Oct. 21, Friday for their final exhibition matches before the opening of the new season.
Start Time and Streaming Info
The game starts at 10:30 p.m. ET. It can be viewed live online thru the NBA League Pass.
Preview
Led by the backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, the Blazers have dominated their opponents in the preseason.
In their most recent match, Portland edged the Utah Jazz, 88-84, at the Vivint Smart Home Arena on Wednesday to snap a two-game losing skid.
Lillard had an outstanding performance as he scored 27 points in 11-for-16 field goal shooting, grabbed four rebounds, and dished off two assists in 28 minutes to lead head coach Terry Stotts' side.
McCollum had 11 points, two boards, and four assists as the only other starter who scored in double figures.
Off the bench, former Celtic Evan Turned contributed 15 points, seven rebounds, and two assists as he continues to compete with Maurice Harkless for the Blazers' starting small forward position.
As expected, Lillard will continue to be the focal point of the team moving forward, which some analysts believe could be risky for Portland as they have no other superstar to turn to in case he has an off-night.
Lillard and McCollum are also reportedly one of the worst backcourt duos when it comes to defense and so it is a concern for Stotts.
Meanwhile, the Warriors are arguably the best team in the NBA right now with the addition of Kevin Durant. After losing their preseason-opener to the Raptors, the team has won five straight, thrashing everyone on their path.
It is hard to find a team that could stop Durant, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson from scoring. And with Draymond Green and Zaza Pachulia completing the lineup, teams will really have a hard time finding the right defensive strategy to do so.
Head coach Steve Kerr has successfully integrated Durant to their system during the preseason, which makes the Warriors even more dangerous when the real battles start next week.
Prediction
Another big win by the Warriors to close out their preseason campaign before getting ready to face the San Antonio Spurs at home on Oct. 26 for their regular season-opener.
