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Fresh off a Herculean 71-point individual performance (with 13 made three-pointers, one shy of the all-time NBA record) in Houston, Bay Area-native Damian Lillard and his Portland Trail Blazers will return to Northern California to take on the reigning champion Golden State Warriors. Lillard, born and raised in Oakland, always plays sharp against the Dubs (career 33.5 ppg against the Warriors). With superstar Stephen Curry still missing from action, all eyes will be on “Dame-time” come Tuesday (10 p.m. ET) at San Francisco’s Chase Center.
We already know Curry will be in street clothes on Tuesday against Portland. Additionally, F Andrew Wiggins has been ruled out (personal), as he has not played since before Valentine’s Day. Former DPOY Draymond Green (knee) is questionable to suit up against the Blazers, but an ailment like that can certainly hamper his effectiveness. For Portland, they will officially be without big men Jusuf Nurkic (calf) and Ibou Badji (knee).
Considering all moving parts of the very full injury report in this contest, DraftKings Sportsbook has the Warriors as 4-point home favorites on Tuesday night. The total is set at 236. On the moneyline, Golden State is -175 to win outright, while Portland is priced at +150 to steal a win on the road Tuesday.
Trail Blazers vs. Warriors, 10 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Blazers +4
The Warriors have dealt with numerous frustrations since winning another title last June, mostly surrounding the health of their icon, Steph Curry. In his absence, fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson has attempted to shoulder the load along with inconsistent contributions from Jordan Poole. But considering that the always-physical Draymond Green is likely out as well, I lean toward Lillard to again show out in front of his Bay Area family. Worth mentioning: Golden State is 11-12 straight up without Curry this season and 3-4 when he and Green are both out.
Over/Under:
In the two prior head-to-head meetings this season between Golden State and Portland (both without Curry), the current total of 236 would have split, scoring 230 (Warriors win 118-112) back on December 30 and 247 on February 8 (Blazers win 125-122). The decision is tough, but with several key defenders missing in this game, my lean for Tuesday night is over 236, especially with a hot-hand Lillard on a homecoming trip.