Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs at Portland Trail Blazers

San Antonio Spurs @ Portland Trail Blazers

Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
February 25, 2015, 9:30 PM Spurs Time
TV: ESPN - RADIO: 1200 AM WOAI

Doubt is not just a 2008 Philip Seymour Hoffman film. It's also the kind of hazy emotion that can turn all that was once green and hopeful afoul. Sometimes a hardy gust can blow it away, while other times it settles, leaving the dregs of doom caked all over.

The last three games may have many Spurs fans experiencing the first real case of it this season. San Antonio followed up two losses to playoff teams with an uninspiring performance against Utah, who showed much more fight as a lottery-bound team than the squad that should be taking advantage of a suddenly-injury-stricken Western Conference.

Instead, the Spurs dropped their third in a row since coming out of the All-Star break and now face a Portland team that's just bolstered its bench with the addition of Arron "Don't Call me A-aron" Afflalo. Afflalo will immediately assume a smaller role on the Blazers than he's had in a long time, but he's already embraced it if it means helping out a contender. His presence means there won't be nearly the dropoff offensively that we're used to seeing when Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge take to the bench.

Speaking of the latter, Aldridge missed the team's last game against Memphis due to a sprained right thumb. He's one half of what makes the Blazers such a scary team, although any injury to his shooting hand could still play to the Spurs' advantage against the perimeter-dwelling power forward. As of now, LMA is expected to suit up; Portland's been reeling as of late and will be looking to collect themselves and assimilate their new pickup as soon as possible.

My faith isn't wavering in San Antonio's postseason potential, but there's a difference between pounding a rock and simply beating one's head against a wall. I'm picking the home squad tonight, but hope to be proven wrong.

	vs.
Portland Trail Blazers (36-19)		San Antonio Spurs (33-22)
February 25, 2015
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
9:30 PM CDT
TV: ESPN Radio: WOAI 1200AM
Starters
Damian Lillard	PG	Tony Parker
Wesley Matthews	SG	Danny Green
Nicolas Batum	SF	Kawhi Leonard
LaMarcus Aldridge (INJ)	PF	Boris Diaw
Robin Lopez	C	Tim Duncan

For the Blazers perspective, please visit Blazers Edge.

Game prediction: Blazers by 8.

As always Tony must dominate Fisher, and you can get your San Antonio Spurs tickets from Daniel Farias with Spurs Sports & Entertainment: Tel: 210-444-5607 | dfarias@attcenter.com