Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers visit the Indiana Pacers on Friday.
For my NBA free pick on Friday, I’m going to Indiana where the 1-0 Portland Trail Blazers visit the 1-0 Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Tip-off is set for 7:05 PM ET.
Quite the Opener
Portland opened its season with a dominant 124-76 win over the Suns in Phoenix on Wednesday. The 48-point margin of victory is the second largest in franchise history. Even more impressive is the fact Portland did it without second-leading scorer CJ McCollum, who was serving a one-game suspension for coming off the bench during an altercation in a preseason game. McCollum is back for tonight’s contest.
A Team In Transition
Indiana also opened its season with a win. The Pacers hosted the Nets on Wednesday, and came away with a 140-131 victory. Brooklyn was a good first opponent for a Pacers team that has three new starters learning to play together. They are also doing it without Paul George, who moved on to Oklahoma City.
Moving On Up
Tonight, Indiana goes from playing an NBA bottom feeder (Brooklyn) to having to face a playoff contender. The Blazers have a major backcourt edge with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. That jump in class should prove to be too much too soon for a Pacers team in transition.
Your NBA free pick is…
Take the Portland Trail Blazers -5 in Indiana tonight.
