Who's Playing
Matchup: Toronto Raptors vs. Portland Trail Blazers
Records: Raptors (18-27), Trail Blazers (27-18)
Where to Watch
Date: Sunday, March 28
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: SN One
Location: Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL
Game Preview
Well, this should be interesting.
Ahead of Thursday's trade deadline, the Raptors and Trail Blazers were involved in one of the day's biggest deals, with Norman Powell going to Portland for Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood.
Each of them made their debuts with their new teams on Friday. Powell's was historic, with his 22 points making for the highest scoring midseason debut in franchise history. Trent Jr., meanwhile, scored eight points in his Raptors debut while Hood scored two points in 18 minutes off the bench.
When the Raptors and Trail Blazers meet on Sunday, it'll mark the first time the three of them will play against their former team since the trade.
"Definitely going to be a little weird," Powell responded when asked about what it's going to be like facing the Raptors. "I don't know. I feel like there's going to be a lot of emotions, seeing everybody, coaches and stuff still calling, texting me. I feel like it's going to be a little weird, but I'm going to be locked in and ready to go at them once the ball goes up."
MORE: Why Raptors should re-sign Trent Jr. in the offseason
22 points for @npowell2404 in his @trailblazers debut! 🙌 #RipCity pic.twitter.com/K383n852ff
— NBA (@NBA) March 27, 2021
The Raptors enter the matchup looking to get back on track. While they snapped their nine-game losing streak before the trade deadline, they dropped another tough one on Friday, losing to the Phoenix Suns. They now have an 18-27 record on the season, putting them two games behind the Chicago Bulls for the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference.
For the Trail Blazers, they're starting to return to full strength. On March 16, CJ McCollum returned after missing 25 games with a left foot fracture. In the seven games since, he's averaging 19.9 points, 4.0 assists and 3.3 rebounds on 37.0 percent shooting from the field and 35.3 percent from 3-point range. Additionally, Jusuf Nurkic returned to the lineup in Friday's win over the Orlando Magic after missing 32 games with a fractured right wrist and strained right calf.
Nurkic played 18 minutes in his first game back, scoring eight points, grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out two assists.
MORE: Lillard among this season's League Pass Alert All-Stars
THE BEAST IS BACK@bosnianbeast27 | #RipCity pic.twitter.com/cUzSarTseA
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) March 27, 2021
According to Tankathon, the Trail Blazers have the third-hardest remaining schedule in the league this season, but with a full roster and the addition of Powell, look for them to make a push. At 27-18, they're currently tied with the Denver Nuggets for the fifth-best record in the Western Conference, putting them 1.5 games behind the Los Angeles Lakers in fourth place and the 2.5 games behind the LA Clippers in third.
Injury Report
Raptors
- Patrick McCaw (left knee swelling) — Out
- DeAndre' Bembry (Health and Safety Protocols) — Out
- Paul Watson (Health and Safety Protocols) — Out
- Kyle Lowry (foot soreness) – Out
Trail Blazers
- Zach Collins (left ankle stress fracture) – Out
- Damian Lillard (left knee contusion – Questionable
- Nassir Little (right thumb sprain) – Out
Game Notes
- The Trail Blazers rank sixth in offensive efficiency (116.0) and 29th in defensive efficiency (116.8) on the season.
- The Raptors rank 13th in offensive efficiency (112.3) and 22nd in defensive efficiency (112.3).
- Damian Lillard leads the NBA in clutch scoring with a total of 113 points on 38-for-67 (56.7 percent) shooting from the field, 16-for-35 (45.7 percent) from 3-point range and a perfect 41-for-41 from the free throw line.
- Stephen Curry (11.4) and Lillard (11.2) are the only players currently attempting more 3-pointers per game than McCollum (10.6).
- Fred VanVleet is averaging 15.8 points per game against the Trail Blazers in his career. The only teams he has a higher scoring average against are the Houston Rockets (16.5) and Minnesota Timberwolves (16.1).
- Pascal Siakam recorded his first career triple-double against the Trail Blazers on Jan. 11, 2021.
Raptors vs. Trail Blazers: Betting odds, spread, over/under
Spread: Raptors -1 (-110), Trail Blazers +1 (-110)
Raptors Money line: -115
Trail Blazers Money line: -105
Over/under: 229.5 (-110)
*Odds courtesy of William Hill Sports Book
Last Time They Played
Date: Jan. 11, 2021
Score: Trail Blazers 112, Raptors 111
Trail Blazers: CJ McCollum — 30 points (10-19 FG), 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal
Raptors: Pascal Siakam — 22 points (9-17 FG), 13 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 steal
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