Blazers: When to Watch 3/07

When to Watch

BLAZERS AT MAGIC

4 p.m. today at Amway Center, Orlando, Fla. (CSN cable Channel 37)

Key matchup: Andre Miller vs. Jameer Nelson.

The Blazers may struggle with speed, but Miller does not struggle against Nelson. Earlier this season, he dropped 22 points on the Orlando point guard while shooting 9 of 15 from the field. The Blazers won the game by 14 points, and that was with Dwight Howard in the lineup. Today, the Magic big man will sit out due to a suspension he incurred from earning his 16th technical foul of the season.

To win: The Blazers can’t bank on Orlando folding because they’re without their leader. Portland has endured a host of injuries this year and is well above water. It’s still on the road facing a playoff-caliber team, and has to view Howard’s absence as advantage, not a guaranteed win.

BLAZERS AT HEAT

4:30 p.m. Tuesday at America Airlines Arena, Miami (CSN cable Channel 37)

Key matchup: LaMarcus Aldridge vs. Chris Bosh

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade displayed both excellence and theatrics in an overtime win at the Rose Garden the last time these teams met — the pair combining for 78 points. But Aldridge owned Bosh in the post all night, finishing with 31 points and 14 rebounds on 12 of 23 shooting.

To win: Hope. Pray. Look, it’s possible the Blazers can pull it out. They outplayed the Heat for the first 46 minutes of the game in January, and Miami has been struggling lately — losing four straight games against the league’s elite. But it’s still LeBron. It’s still Wade. And the game is in Miami.

BLAZERS AT BOBCATS

4 p.m. Friday at Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, N.C. (CSN cable Channel 37)

Key matchup: Stephen Jackson vs. Gerald Wallace

This is assuming Jackson plays, of course. The guard averaging 19 points per game did not suit up against Portland on Saturday due to a strained hamstring. But Jackson is dangerous, and it will take a stopper like Wallace, a man certainly accustomed to Jackson’s tendencies, to slow him down.

To win: Aldridge proved too much for the likes of Boris Diaw when these teams last played, LA punishing the Frenchman for 26 points on 11 of 18 shooting. And the Blazers will have had two days off before matching up with the Bobcats, allowing them to be at full strength.

BLAZERS AT HAWKS

4 p.m. Saturday at Philips Arena, Atlanta (CSN cable Channel 37)

Key matchup: Jamal Crawford vs. Patty Mills / Andre Miller

Crawford torched the Blazers two Sundays ago, scoring 23 points and nailing a 3-point dagger with 1:30 left to ice the game. He also is averaging 15.0 points per game this year for the Hawks as a reserve. Both Mills and Miller will have their hands full trying to slow him down.

To win: Summon up the energy. Lack of effort doomed Portland the last time it met Atlanta; its seven-point loss far less competitive than the score indicated. Considering they’re on the road, and playing the second half of a back-to-back, the Blazers are going to have to dig deep to pull this off.