The Portland Trail Blazers have won seven consecutive games against sub-.500 teams. Considering they needed a fourth-quarter comeback earlier this month to beat an Indiana team that was missing All-Star Danny Granger, however, they're unlikely to take the Pacers lightly.
The Blazers look to avoid being the latest high-profile victim of a Pacers club that's won 13 of 16 home games in what could be Greg Oden's first pro game in his hometown Wednesday night.Portland (42-25) thought it might be in trouble when Oden went down with a bone chip in his left knee before the All-Star break.
The Blazers trailed Northwest Division-leading Denver by 3 1/2 games at the break, but despite being without Oden for the past 15 games, they've made up ground. Portland is 10-5 since the injury to pull within a half-game of the Nuggets for the division lead.
Oden, who played high school ball in Indianapolis, missed the 2007-08 season with a knee injury, meaning Wednesday's contest would be his first pro one against the Pacers (28-40).
Oden ran full-court sprints Saturday for the first time since the injury, and although coach Nate McMillan ruled out Oden's return for the Blazers' game Monday in Memphis, there's a possibility he could play Wednesday.
With Portland thriving without its 7-foot center, though, McMillan won't rush the top pick in the 2007 draft back. LaMarcus Aldridge had 22 points and Oden's fill-in, Joel Przybilla, had 13 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in the Blazers' 103-92 win over the Grizzlies.
It was Portland's seventh straight victory over a sub-.500 team since Oden got hurt.
"We can't take anyone lightly," said Przybilla, who's averaged 10.7 rebounds while starting the past 15 games for Oden. "We're making a push for the playoffs, not only make the playoffs, but win our division. That was one of our goals at the beginning of the year, and we're in a fight for it right now."
The Blazers' last close call against a sub-.500 opponent came March 4 versus Indiana, as they trailed by 14 in the second half. However, Brandon Roy scored 28 points and Aldridge and Travis Outlaw had 21 apiece as Portland came back to win 107-105, snapping a nine-game losing streak to the Pacers.
The Blazers, though, have lost five in a row in Indianapolis since March 17, 2003, and Portland could have trouble ending that drought even if Oden plays. Granger (24.8 points per game) returned from a foot injury Sunday at Toronto, and the Pacers have beaten Cleveland, the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston, Orlando and Denver at home this season.
Indiana has needed to be good at home because it's been dreadful on the road. Granger's presence versus the Raptors didn't make a difference, as he went 3-of-11 off the bench and finished with 10 points in 18 minutes of the Pacers' 110-87 loss - their third straight overall.
"I played 18 minutes, I thought I had played 32," Granger said. "That's how it feels but it will come around. It just takes a while to get back into the rhythm."
Portland had trouble dealing with the Pacers' quick backcourt of T.J. Ford and former Blazer Jarrett Jack in their first meeting, as the two combined for 41 points.
There's reason to believe the Blazers could be victimized by the duo again. Ford has averaged 21.2 points in five games since the March 4 matchup, and Jack has scored 20.7 points per game over his last 10.
