The NBA kicked off with a Saturday afternoon battle between two teams looking to host playoff series in opposite conferences. This one went the way of the Western Conference club, as the Portland Trail Blazers took advantage of the shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers with a 130-115 win at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers were playing without Joel Embiid, so the Blazers went down to their big man, Jusuf Nurkic, who had 24 points and 10 rebounds in Portland's 36th win of the season. Damian Lillard added 17 points for the road team, while their latest addition, Enes Kanter, continued to impress with 16 points and eight rebounds., Kanter was added last week, off waivers, from the New York Knicks.
The Blazers were able to overcome Ben Simmons' big game, as he finished with 29 points and 10 assists, while Tobias Harris scored 20 points in the loss. Embiid missed his second straight game coming out of the All-Star break, and he is expected to miss at least a week with a sore left knee. Philadelphia has split the two games they have played without their star. The loss of that presence in the paint led to the Trail Blazers having a 53-33 rebounding advantage, including 19 offensive rebounds. Portland ended with seven players in double figures, and have now won three games in a row, including a 22-point win over the Golden State Warriors.
The Sixers dropped to 4-4 in the month of February, and they will look to get another win without Embiid when they visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night. The Trail Blazers, who sit in fourth place in the Western Conference, will visit the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers that same night.
The Blazers were able to overcome Ben Simmons' big game, as he finished with 29 points and 10 assists, while Tobias Harris scored 20 points in the loss. Embiid missed his second straight game coming out of the All-Star break, and he is expected to miss at least a week with a sore left knee. Philadelphia has split the two games they have played without their star. The loss of that presence in the paint led to the Trail Blazers having a 53-33 rebounding advantage, including 19 offensive rebounds. Portland ended with seven players in double figures, and have now won three games in a row, including a 22-point win over the Golden State Warriors.
The Sixers dropped to 4-4 in the month of February, and they will look to get another win without Embiid when they visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night. The Trail Blazers, who sit in fourth place in the Western Conference, will visit the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers that same night.
