Thursday, January 9, 2025
Fantasy Guru - Baseball

NBA Preview: Portland Trail Blazers (12-23) vs New Orleans Pelicans (7-30)

Zion Williamson and Dejounte Murray played together on the same team for the first time on Tuesday night. Both players have missed significant time due to injuries, but they gave a glimpse of what the New Orleans Pelicans envisioned when they traded for Murray from Atlanta in the offseason — even though the duo’s first game together resulted in a 104-97 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Sports Gaming Picks - Get Your Picks Now

The Pelicans, who have the worst record in the Western Conference, will have a chance to build on that performance when they host the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.

Williamson returned from a 27-game absence due to a strained hamstring to finish with 22 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals in 27-plus minutes. It was just his seventh game of the season. Murray had a season-high 29 points, six assists, and six steals.

The Blazers, meanwhile, are coming off a 118-115 loss at Detroit on Monday night. They outscored Detroit 28-23 in the first quarter and led by as many as 22 points in the second before letting the margin and the game slip away. Anfernee Simons scored 17 points by making 7 of 8 shots from the floor in the final period. Simons leads Portland in scoring with an average of 18.6 points per game and is tied with Scoot Henderson for the lead in assists (5.1).

The season isn’t halfway over, but New Orleans and Portland already are wrapping up their season series, having played three times in the first two weeks of the season. They split a two-game set in Portland during the first week as the Pelicans won 105-103 on Oct. 25 and the Blazers captured a 125-103 victory two days later. Portland also beat host New Orleans 118-100 on Nov. 4.

With both teams looking to change their fortunes, Wednesday’s game offers a chance for the Pelicans to continue integrating their star duo and for the Trail Blazers to bounce back from their recent loss. The performance of Williamson and Murray will be key to the Pelicans’ hopes, while the Blazers will rely on Simons and Henderson to lead their offensive efforts. Fans can expect an intense and competitive matchup as these two teams battle it out on the court.

Jackery Solar Battery Portable Generator

Related Articles

Sports Gaming Digest Sports Magazine

Latest Articles

Wager-Tracker: All Sports Betting Log