Game Preview
The San Antonio Spurs (14-13) will look to extend their modest one-game win streak when they host the struggling Portland Trail Blazers (9-18) on Saturday night. While the Spurs have hovered around .500 for much of the season, the Trail Blazers find themselves well below that mark, sitting at just 33.3% on the year.
San Antonio has hung its hat on a balanced offensive attack, averaging 111.7 points per game while shooting a respectable 45.7% from the field. The Spurs have been particularly potent from three-point range, hovering around 35% as a team. Their offense has been even more prolific of late, scoring 115.4 points per contest over their last five games on 45.8% shooting.
Defensively, the Spurs have been just a shade below average, allowing 113.4 points per game on the season. However, they've struggled to contain opponents recently, surrendering 120.8 points over their last five. San Antonio will need to tighten up on that end to complement their high-scoring ways.
Portland, meanwhile, has simply struggled to find its rhythm all year long. The Trail Blazers are scoring just 107.6 points per game while allowing a generous 116.4 points to opponents. Their shooting percentages have been underwhelming, hovering around 44.3% from the field and 33.7% from deep. Those offensive woes have been even more pronounced over their last five games, where they've averaged just 109.6 points on 44.6% shooting.
If the recent trends hold true, this matchup favors the Spurs at home. San Antonio's potent offense, buoyed by a 46% shooting clip over their last 10 games, should give them the edge against Portland's porous defense. The Trail Blazers will need to find a way to jumpstart their stagnant scoring attack to keep pace in what could be a high-scoring affair.