Event of the Day: Golden State Warriors v Portland Trail Blazers

Our event of the day is the NBA game between the Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trail Blazers at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. Golden State are in second place in the Western Conference with a 21-6 record and are on a six-game winning run, but all those games were on the road – the last one was a 102-98 win away to the Detroit Pistons, on Friday. Portland lie in sixth place in the Western Conference with 13 wins and 12 losses, but are in poor form and have lost four home games on the trot, the most recent was a 124-117 defeat to the Conference leaders, the Houston Rockets, on Saturday. Tonight’s rivals last met in April, when the Warriors completed a clean sweep of the Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs, on their way to the club’s fifth NBA championship title. 
The champions will once again be without guard Stephen Curry due to an ankle injury, who leads the side in points, with 26.3 per game. In Curry’s absence there are plenty of star players in the Golden State team who can step up to fill the void. Kevin Durant averages 25.6 points per game, forward Draymond Green leads the team with 7.2 rebounds and 7.3 assists, while guard Klay Thompson on strong form and has made 92 3-point shots so far this season – good for second best in the league. The Trail Blazers are led by guard Damian Lillard who averages 26.1 points and 6.3 assists per game. It should be an exciting match at the Oracle Arena tonight.
 
Honourable mentions around the globe go to the NFL clash between the Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. The Patriots sit at the top of the AFC East with a 10-2 record, while the Dolphins will be desperate to get into the Wild-Card mix with a win over their division rivals. The UEFA Champions League round of 16 and UEFA Europa League round of 32 draws take place at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. New Zealand and West Indies move into the third day of the Test match at the Seddon Park in Hamilton. It’s day 3 at the Squash 2017 PSA World Championships at the National Squash Centre in Manchester. In the NHL, the New York Islanders and the Washington Capitals face off at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. In football, there is a Serie A clash between Lazio and Torino at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome; and a meeting of Espanyol and Girona at the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat in Cornellà de Llobregat, Barcelona. In rugby, there is the postponed European Champions Cup match between Saracens and Clermont Auvergne at Allianz Park.
 
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
 
Fixture
 
Photos by NBA

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