DIME PREVIEW: Warriors at Trail Blazers

The Deal

Don¿t look now, but the have been playing some pretty decent ball for the last month and a half. They showed character last night, nearly overcoming a 24-point deficit against Boston. They can expect another tough game tonight in Portland against the Blazers, who are only a game behind San Antonio for first place and the second seed in the playoffs. Ever since Portland installed at the point, they¿ve been rolling and head coach Maurice Cheeks has done a great job harnessing the Blazers¿ prodigious talent. Portland won the first matchup between these two teams in Cali 113-111, but Golden State has improved a lot since then.

The Weapons

Golden State is one of the highest scoring teams in the league, scoring over 100 points in an astounding 18 out of their last 19 games, reminding us of the Run-TMC era. One of the biggest reasons for their explosion has been the sensational play of . The former Wildcat has shown signs of stardom. This is Arenas¿ walk year, and he¿s gearing up to sign for some serious cash after the season. Two other sophomores have excelled for the ; won the dunk contest, and has been a rebounding machine, ranking top-ten in boards and double-doubles. Over the past three years, has restored some of his former Tar Heel dominance, becoming one of the most dangerous scorers in the NBA.

Everyone knows about Portland¿s legal problems, so we¿re not going to harp on that here. Let¿s keep it to what they do on the court. Mo Cheeks has done what others before him couldn¿t do — get the Blazers to reach their potential in terms of talent. The blowups — at least when they¿re at the arena — have been minimized, and Cheeks has made all the right moves, such as finally benching enigmatic point guard in favor of steadying influence . Pip has done a tremendous all-around job leading the team. Helping him out has been , who has been a great inside-outside player this year minus most of the technicals that limited his play in the past. and are dangerous and athletic wing players. Portland will be very tough in the playoffs now that Cheeks has finally got their heads screwed on straight.

The Drama

Golden State is turning it on, but Portland is still rock solid. A big part of this game will be whether Pippen can shut down the offensive explosions of Arenas. Gilbert has been dangerous but is still a second-year player that can be frustrated into a poor shooting night. Portland will look to exploit its advantage down low with Wallace against Murphy. Golden State has the advantage in athleticism, but they¿re 9-17 on the road. Portland takes this high-scoring affair, but next year, things could be different.

The Prediction

Portland, 112-103