Preview: Portland At Golden State

The Golden State Warriors have had a few days to consider their disappointing home loss to the Sacramento Kings. The Warriors will get back to the business of trying to lock up a playoff berth when they host the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday. Golden State had been cruising along in the first two of its five-game homestand but ran into trouble when Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were neutralized. The Trail Blazers have lost three straight.

The Warriors own a 1 1/2-game lead on the Houston Rockets for the No. 6 spot in the Western Conference and had a very friendly stretch of schedule get off to a rough start in Wednesday’s 105-98 loss to the Kings. Beginning with that contest, Golden State had six in a row against teams outside the top eight in the West. Portland is part of that group, as it sits 3 1/2 games behind the eighth-place Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, Comcast SportsNet Northwest (Portland), Comcast SportsNet Bay Area (Golden State)

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (33-39): Portland will be playing the second of a back-to-back set after falling to Utah at home on Friday. The Trail Blazers are still alive in the playoff race in the West but are running out of time to make up ground with each passing game. Friday’s setback was particularly crushing, as Portland held a 10-point halftime lead only to be outscored 63-43 after the break against one of the teams it is attempting to track down in the conference. Defense has been the big issue in the last three games, with the Blazers surrendering an average of 106.3 points. Portland is also dealing with an ankle injury to All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge that kept the forward out of the lineup on Friday and will force him to sit again on Saturday.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (41-32): Golden State has been stewing about the loss to the Kings since Wednesday, when Curry and Thompson combined to go 6-of-31 from the field. The inside rotation of Andrew Bogut, Carl Landry and David Lee was strong, but the perimeter magic on which the Warriors generally rely was absent. Curry at least chipped in 12 assists but Thompson went 1-for-13 from the field and offered little else. The second-year guard is shooting 34.3 percent over the last five games but had helped make up for it with a few big 3-pointers in the wins over Washington and Los Angeles beginning the homestand. Golden State has won six of its last nine games and will play six of its final nine games at home. The Warriors took the lone previous meeting with Portland this season 103-97 at home on Jan. 11. Curry collected 22 points and 12 assists and Thompson scored 16 while Lee chipped in 24 points and 10 rebounds.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Blazers had taken three straight in the series before falling in January.

2. Curry has averaged 19 points and is shooting 46 percent from 3-point range in 10 career games against Portland.

3. Lee has recorded six straight double-doubles and leads the NBA with 49 on the season.

PREDICTION: Warriors 106, Trail Blazers 101