Warriors and Blazers Set for High-Stakes NBA Cup Clash
Alright, so let me break down what’s going on with this Warriors–Trail Blazers matchup, because this one’s got a bit of everything—Cup pressure, recent form swings, injury storylines, and a little déjà vu from their last meeting. And even though the headline doesn’t mention him, some of the buzz around this game has tied back to ongoing chatter about players like Caleb Love stepping up around the league, so the whole environment feels a bit more charged than usual.
So, the Warriors are hosting the Trail Blazers on Friday night in San Francisco for an NBA Cup in-season tournament group stage game. It’s essentially one of those matchups where both teams know that a slip-up could throw their Cup hopes off-track. Golden State enters with a 9–8 record, sitting eighth in the West, while Portland comes in at 6–9 and hovering just below them. Not a huge gap, but enough to make this game matter for both.
Now Golden State has been decent against Western Conference opponents—they’re 8–4 so far—and interestingly they’ve won their only game decided by a single possession. Meanwhile, Portland has been more middling at 6–6 in the West but has quietly been one of the better rebounding teams. They’re averaging 45 boards per game, and Donovan Clingan has been a big part of that with his 10-rebound average. So this game already feels like it’s setting up to be a battle between Golden State’s speed and Portland’s physicality.
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Golden State’s shooting has been slightly off this season at 45%, which becomes more noticeable when you compare it to the 48.7% opponents have been allowed by Portland. On the flip side, Portland has been scoring at a much faster pace—about 120.7 points per game—which is about six and a half more than what the Warriors usually allow. So offensively, the Blazers have been flowing a bit more freely.
These teams have met once already this season, and Portland absolutely ran away with that one, winning 139–119. Deni Avdija was the star that night with 26 points, so Golden State definitely hasn’t forgotten that.
In terms of standout performers, Brandin Podziemski has been solid for the Warriors with his 12 points per game, while Quinten Post has been on a hot streak lately. But Portland’s Jerami Grant has been on a tear—averaging 33 points and nine rebounds over his last ten with some sharp shooting. Jrue Holiday has also been filling up the stat sheet for Portland, showing how steady he still is.
Both teams do come in with a long list of injuries and day-to-day concerns, especially Golden State with guys like Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jonathan Kuminga all on watch. Portland also has multiple key players out, including Damian Lillard for the season.
So overall, it’s one of those matchups where anything could happen—fast-paced, high-scoring, and full of storylines, making it the perfect setup for an NBA Cup showdown.
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