Pacers vs. Trail Blazers: Preview and Game Thread

The Pacers look to secure their first road win of the season when they face the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night. The game at the Moda Center is the first of four consecutive roadies against Western Conference teams.

The Pacers have a history of struggling in Portland with one win in their last 12 visits. The Blue and Gold will also see familiar foes with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum still running in the Blazers’ backcourt. Both teams are trying to rebound from slow starts to the season and for Portland, a rough start from 3-land for All-Star Lillard has him making less than 25% of his shots from deep. Of course, the Pacers ran into a similar situation against Brooklyn with James Harden and had to endure a breakout game. Hopefully, that scenario doesn’t repeat itself.

The Pacers are also looking for three consecutive wins which has coincided with a healthier roster. Unfortunately, Malcolm Brogdon is a late scratch after showing up sick (non-COVID) in Portland. Myles Turner was a monster on Wednesday against the Spurs, so the game tonight presents an opportunity for Turner to show some consistent production from game to game.

When: 10:00 p.m. ET

When: Moda Center, Portland, OR

TV: Bally Sports Indiana

Radio: 93.5 FM/107.5 FM

Projected Starting Lineups:

Pacers: TJ McConnell, Caris LeVert, Chris Duarte, Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner

Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Norman Powell, Robert Covington, Jusuf Nurkic

Injury update:

IND: Jeremy Lamb - questionable (left ankle sprain), Malcolm Brogdon - out (sick), Isaiah Jackson - out (left knee injury), T.J. Warren – out (left foot stress fracture)

POR: None

Please leave your thoughts and observations on the game in the comments.