Charlotte Hornets Gameday: at Portland Trail Blazers
10 p.m., Moda Center
TV: Fox Sports Southeast Radio: WFNZ-AM 610.
Projected Starters
Hornets | Blazers | |||||
Pos, Player | PPG | RPG | Pos, Player | PPG | RPG | |
G K. Walker | 20.5 | 4.2 | G D. Lillard | 24.3 | 4.4 | |
G N. Batum | 14.9 | 6.4 | G C. McCollum | 20.8 | 3.6 | |
F P. Hairston | 6.4 | 2.8 | F A. Aminu | 10.4 | 6.4 | |
F M. Williams | 9.7 | 6.6 | F N. Vonleh | 3.7 | 4.0 | |
C S. Hawes | 6.0 | 4.3 | C M. Plumlee | 9.3 | 7.8 | |
Matchup to Watch
Damian Lillard vs. Kemba Walker: A matchup of two of the NBA’s top scoring point guards.
Observations
▪ This will be Nic Batum’s first time playing as an opponent in Portland after spending his first seven NBA seasons as a Trail Blazer.
▪ It’s possible Hornets small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will play his first game this season after having shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum in October. The Hornets list Kidd-Gilchrist as questionable for the Trail Blazers game.
Tap-ins
▪ The most impactful of several off-season trades for the Hornets swapped Batum for Gerald Henderson and Noah Vonleh.
▪ Jeremy Lin will miss Friday’s game after suffering a sprained ankle Wednesday in Salt Lake City.
Did you know?
The Trail Blazers are steadily improving; they have won four of their last five home games.
Rick Bonnell
This story was originally published January 28, 2016 at 9:32 PM with the headline "Charlotte Hornets Gameday: at Portland Trail Blazers."