When to Watch
Today: Blazers at Timberwolves.
5 p.m. at Target Center (CSN Channel 37)
Key match-up: Portland power forward LaMarcus Aldridge vs. Minnesota power forward Kevin Love. Aldridge will not be short on motivation for this one. Love, as any casual Blazer fan knows by now, was selected for the final All-Star spot over Aldridge at the beginning of the month. But the decision certainly wasn’t based on head-to-head play. Aldridge has destroyed Minnesota over the course of the season, averaging 33.7 points and 10.3 rebounds in the team’s three meetings — all of which resulted in Portland wins. But don’t discount Love, who has amassed 40 consecutive double doubles and is averaging 21.3 points and a league-best 15.5 rebounds per game.
To win: The Blazers need to forget that they’ve won four straight games and are playing the team with the second worst record in the Western Conference. Portland is the more talented squad, no doubt, and have been getting unbelievable production from Aldridge. But this is also the team that had its five-game winning streak snapped last month by Sacramento — which owns the worst record in the West. Play their game, and the Blazers got it.
Wednesday: Hornets at Blazers
7 p.m at Rose Garden (CSN Channel 37)
Key match-up: New Orleans point guard Chris Paul and Portland point guard Andre Miller. Paul is averaging 16.5 points and 9.7 assists per game and, according to ESPN, is the NBA’s fourth most efficient player behind Dwyane Wade. More significantly to the Blazers — he’s lightning quick. Portland coach Nate McMillan has mentioned how his team struggles against speed, and it’s no secret that the 34-year-old Miller doesn’t have a future as a sprinter. The Blazers will have to find a way to neutralize Paul or 48 minutes will seem like 480.
To win: Aldridge will have to have another one of those nights. Portland is playing well, but its past two wins have been close and have come against sub. 500 teams. Who knows who will be back in the lineup by this point, but at its core, this is still a depleted team. If the Blazers want to reel in the Hornets and climb the Western conference standings, LA will need to be at his best.
