Golden State @ Portland preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 14, 2018 ) Golden State 117, Portland 123

Golden State Warriors star point guard Stephen Curry won't be in uniform Friday when two of the hottest teams in the NBA clash in Portland. Curry injured his right ankle during Thursday's 110-107 victory over the San Antonio Spurs and will sit out a contest in which the Warriors seek their eighth straight win while facing a Trail Blazers' squad searching for its ninth consecutive victory.

Curry left in the opening minutes of Thursday's game when he injured the ankle for the fifth time this season and coach Steve Kerr ruled him out after the contest while holding out hope he might be available for Sunday's road game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. "We got to be careful with it," Kerr said in his postgame press conference. "Take him on the trip, he won't play (Friday). We'll see from there." Portland has been thriving as All-Star point guard Damian Lillard has been on a lava-like roll with 354 points over the past 10 games - the most productive such streak in franchise history. "We've been on a good run, just playing good basketball on both ends of the floor," Lillard told reporters after scoring 37 points in Tuesday's 111-87 drubbing of the New York Knicks. "Our team has been on a string. We've been really connected."

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

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (51-14): All-Star forward Kevin Durant contributed 37 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots in the victory over the Spurs and carried the team by scoring 15 of his points over the final 6:23 as Golden State recovered from a nine-point deficit entering the stanza. "I got to my spots and I was able to knock down some jump shots," Durant said in a postgame television interview. "Draymond (Green) set some great screens and teammates did it all for me." Durant had been lethal against the Trail Blazers by averaging 32.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.8 blocks over the past six meetings, including a 50-point effort on 17-of-27 shooting in a loss last month.

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (39-26): Lillard has enjoyed productive outings against Golden State by scoring 30 or more in six of the past nine meetings, including three games in which he reached 40 or more. He also moved into fourth place on the franchise's all-time scoring list by surpassing Cliff Robinson (10,405) against the Knicks - Lillard's total sits at 10,433 and he trails Terry Porter, LaMarcus Aldridge and leader Clyde Drexler. Shooting guard CJ McCollum also has fared well against the Warriors and is averaging 28.3 points and six rebounds over the past four meetings.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Lillard had 44 points and eight assists as the Trail Blazers posted a 123-117 victory Feb. 14 to end a seven-game slide in the series and begin their current winning streak.

2. Golden State SF Andre Iguodala (sprained left wrist) and PF David West (infected cyst in right arm) will both likely miss the game -- the second straight for Iguodala and third in a row for West.

3. Portland SF Maurice Harkless (knee) could return after a three-game absence.

PREDICTION: Trail Blazers 118, Warriors 114