Opinion
4 min read

Trail Blazers Blaze Past Spurs in Upcoming Moda Center Showdown

The Portland Trail Blazers are gearing up for a riveting encounter against the San Antonio Spurs at the Moda Center, and fans should be cautiously optimistic. Despite a rocky season with more losses than wins, the Trail Blazers have shown flashes of brilliance that could spell trouble for their Texan rivals.


SALT LAKE CITY, UT - DECEMBER 3: Jerami Grant #9 of the Portland Trail Blazers shoots the ball during the game against the Utah Jazz on December 3, 2022 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

In their recent victory over the Sacramento Kings on December 27th, Portland put up an impressive 130 points to Sacramento's 113. This offensive explosion was fueled by a remarkable bench performance that contributed 65 points to the total tally. The team's efficiency game score stood at an impressive 113.9, indicating that when they click, they can be one of the most potent offenses in the league.


Portland also demonstrated their ability to control both ends of the court with a solid defensive rating of 111.8 and an offensive rating of nearly 129 against Sacramento. They dominated time leading by over half an hour and showcased their rebounding prowess with a total of 55 rebounds—16 offensively and a staggering 39 defensively.


However, it hasn't all been smooth sailing for POR; just two days before their triumph over Sacramento, they suffered a narrow defeat at home against Washington Wizards on December 22nd. Despite out-rebounding Washington with an incredible count of 62 to Wizards' 48 and scoring more second-chance points (32), Portland still fell short by one point in a nail-biting finish.


Looking back further to December 24th against Golden State Warriors away from home paints another picture where POR struggled defensively allowing Golden State to shoot at an efficient rate from both inside and outside while only managing to lead for just under twelve minutes throughout the game.


The upcoming match-up presents Portland with both challenges and opportunities. The Spurs are not having their best season either but have been known as scrappy competitors who can surprise teams when least expected.


For this upcoming game on December 28th at Moda Center starting at 7:00 PM local time (10:00 PM ET), Trail Blazers fans should expect their team to come out strong leveraging off their high-scoring potential demonstrated in recent games coupled with aggressive rebounding which has been consistent even during losses.


The key will be whether POR can maintain defensive intensity while capitalizing on fast break opportunities created through steals—a stat where they matched Sacramento previously—and turnovers forced upon San Antonio Spurs who will undoubtedly look to disrupt Portland's rhythm early on.


Fans eager not only witness this exciting matchup but also support Trail Blazers can tune into ROOT Sports NW or BSSW depending on location or head down directly to Moda Center where action promises electrify those present as these two teams battle it out court side amidst passionate crowd cheering every basket scored!

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