Brooklyn @ Portland preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 4, 2017 ) Brooklyn 116, Portland 130

Damian Lillard will try to bounce back from his worst offensive effort of the season when his Portland Trail Blazers continue a six-game homestand against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday. Lillard had a season-low 12 points while shooting 4-for-16 - including 0-for-5 from the 3-point line - in Tuesday's 98-97 loss to Memphis.

The performance came on the heels of four straight 30-point games for the two-time All-Star, and it contributed to the Blazers' first loss of the homestand. "We had some turnovers and some possessions on defense where we allowed them to take advantage of us," Lillard told the media. "They just made more plays than we did in that fourth quarter. We had some fouls. Let that one slip. We had our chances." The Nets are 1-2 thus far on a five-game trip after falling 112-104 in Denver on Tuesday. Tyler Zeller scored a season-high 21 points off the bench as Brooklyn's starting five combined for just 40 points while shooting 38.5 percent.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, YES (Brooklyn), NBCSN Northwest (Portland)

ABOUT THE NETS (4-7): Small forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson sat out the loss in Denver due to a hip issue, joining a growing list of injured players for coach Kenny Atkinson, who has been forced to adjust his rotation on the fly. "It's a challenge for continuity, which is the big thing, especially with a new team, just getting your rhythm," Atkinson told reporters. "It's continuity in the lineups where you want the same guys playing together. We're mixing and matching right now." Zeller took advantage of his opportunity to steal some minutes with an 8-for-10 shooting effort, while guard Isaiah Whitehead saw his first action on the trip and responded with five points, four assists, four steals and two blocked shots in 15 minutes.

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (6-5): CJ McCollum picked up the slack for Lillard with a season-high 36 points but missed an opportunity to hit a game-winner in the closing seconds as Portland fell to 4-3 at home. Backup Shabazz Napier saw some rare playing time and responded with 12 points - also a season high - to pace a solid effort by the bench. "Their second unit plays a small lineup, they spread the court and I just thought it was a chance for us to kind of match that," coach Terry Stotts told reporters of using Napier. "I thought we needed a little bit of a spark. I really like Shabazz. It's unfortunate he hasn't been able to get a lot of time so far and I thought it was a good opportunity to get him on the court."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Lillard has hit 44.6 percent of his 3-pointers in 10 career games against the Nets.

2. Hollis-Jefferson (hip) is hopeful to play Friday.

3. Portland swept the two-game series each of the last two seasons.

PREDICTION: Trail Blazers 114, Nets 103