2. Golden State Warriors (March 9)
The Warriors are second in the West behind the Houston Rockets and will be looking to make a run at the end of the season to get back the 1-seed and go into the playoffs with the best record in the NBA.
The Blazers beat the Warriors before the All-Star break, and that loss put them behind Houston. Golden State will probably be looking for a little revenge against the Blazers and will to try to prove that the win against them was a fluke.
The Blazers and Warriors have split the series 1-1 this season and have one game remaining.
The Warriors are one the deadliest and scariest teams in the NBA, and like always, they are going to be a handful. The Blazers will have two days of rest before they face the Warriors, as Golden State will be coming into Portland on the second night of back-to-back.
The night before, the Warriors will be playing against the Spurs. The Spurs always play the Warriors tough and force them to work hard on both ends of the floor.
Portland may luck out and get a sluggish Golden State squad, but a slow Warriors team is still probably better than half the NBA at full energy.
The Blazers are not scared of the Warriors by any means, and they have the weapons to compete. This will be an important game for the Blazers in the standings, but even more so for their confidence heading into the playoffs.