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Portland Trail Blazers: Can they stay hot on 4-game road trip?

By Raymond Simms

PORTLAND, OR - OCTOBER 22: The Portland Trail Blazers stands for the National Anthem before the game against the Washington Wizards on October 22, 2018 at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR - OCTOBER 22: The Portland Trail Blazers stands for the National Anthem before the game against the Washington Wizards on October 22, 2018 at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Portland Trail Blazers are off to a solid start after a three-game homestand. Can they maintain this goodwill as they set off on a four-game road trip?

The Portland Trail Blazers are starting the 2018-19 season on the right foot. The team is 2-1 in its first three games for the third consecutive season. It’s also the fifth time in the last seven years.

Things got going with a thrilling 128-119 win over LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 19. Portland followed that up with a convincing 121-108 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. They were unable to end their homestand undefeated, falling 125-124 in overtime to the Washington Wizards. It was another competitive matchup, but the Blazers attack could not match Markieff Morris, Bradley Beal and Kelly Oubre Jr. combining to go 14-of-22 from 3-point range.

The Trail Blazers currently sit fourth in the Western Conference, a game-and-a-half behind the first place Denver Nuggets. This can be credited to playing well enough on both ends of the floor. Portland is currently ninth in the NBA in offensive rating (113.4) and 13th in defensive rating (107.3). Combined, it puts them seventh in the league in net rating (+6.1).

League-wide, there has been an absurd increase in scoring. However, Rip City still manages to sit among the top thanks to their new offensive outlook. Their 124.3 points per game average is the NBA’s third-highest. That’s a 18.7-point increase from what they averaged last year, which ranked them 16th in the league.

Win or lose, Portland has scored over 120 points in each of its three games, for 373 points total. That’s the second-most for a three-game start in franchise history, only trailing the beginning of the 1984-85 campaign.

Now, the Trail Blazers will take that high-scoring offensive show on the road. The team will embark on a four-game trip from Oct. 25-30. On this excursion, they will face the Orlando Magic, Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets.

Portland went 21-20 on the road in 2017-18. Their final road trip of last season was also four games and included a visit to the Rockets. The Blazers went 0-4, losing by 6.3 points per game and missing their chance to reach the 50-win plateau.

Portland went 6-4 against its four upcoming opponents last year. They swept each Eastern Conference foe 2-0, but got swept by Houston 0-4.

The Magic and Heat are both 2-2 on the season. Both Florida squads are entangled in a five-way tie for fifth in the Eastern Conference.

Orlando is in its first season under Steve Clifford, the team’s fifth head coach in five seasons. So far, the Magic are playing hard, with three of their first four games being decided by three points or less. Meanwhile, Miami is overstepping a rash of injuries to get off to a .500 start. Despite the personnel losses, the Heat are still the third-best defense in the league.

The Pacers are currently ahead of both of those teams at 3-2, fourth in the East. In this month of Halloween, they won’t scare you with close games down the stretch. All of their games have been decided by 10 or more points, regardless of result.

Surprisingly, the Rockets are the team with the worst record in this trip. Houston entered this year poised to challenge the Golden State Warriors for the Western Conference crown. However, the Rockets currently sit at 1-3 on the year. That puts them in a three-way tie for 12th place in the conference.

Despite more MVP-caliber play from James Harden, the Rockets are enduring a lot of injuries. In addition, the players that are dressed to play have struggled defensively, with the team sitting 20th in the league in defensive rating.

Even with its recent troubles, the Houston game will likely be Portland’s toughest matchup. It’s the last game of the trip and will be the only game where the opponent has two top-20 players on its roster.

Indiana and Miami will also present worthy challenges. However, the Blazers should end up victorious if they get off to strong offensive starts. Despite the new coaching staff, Orlando is by far the most winnable game on the trip. From this vantage point, the Blazers should come out with at least a 2-2 record.

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The Portland Trail Blazers are off to a good start in the early going. After three games in front of their home fans, they now take their high-scoring act on the road. Each opponent will surely give the Blazers their best shot, but their efficiency on both ends of the floor puts them in position to still be within the West’s top four by the time they return to the Moda Center.

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