Portland @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 5, 2016 ) Portland 112, Chicago 110

The Portland Trail Blazers hope to turn the tables in January after a disappointing month when they visit the surging Chicago Bulls for a New Year’s Day matchup on Monday night. The Trail Blazers finished 5-8 in December after dropping a 104-89 decision against the NBA-worst Atlanta Hawks on Saturday to open a three-game road trip that ends in Cleveland on Tuesday.

Portland is 2-2 since leading scorer Damian Lillard (25.2) went down with a hamstring injury and the All-Star guard is questionable for the matchup against the Bulls while fellow backcourt standout CJ McCollum hopes to end his shooting woes after connecting on just 34.6 percent from the field the last five games. The Trail Blazers are still in playoff position despite a rough month and hope to begin their revival against Chicago, which lost for just the third time in 13 games Sunday with a 114-110 setback at Washington. The Bulls led by six entering the fourth quarter before managing just 21 points the rest of the way and seeing their three-game win streak come to an end while allowing the Wizards to make 16 shots from 3-point land. Chicago began to turn things around when Nikola Mirotic returned from injury and the 6-10 forward scored at least 20 for the seventh time in 13 games with 21 on Sunday.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN Northwest (Portland), WGN (Chicago)

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (18-17): McCollum averages 21 points overall and did put up 34 in the win over Philadelphia on Thursday, but will need to be more efficient if Lillard is not able to return. Center Jusuf Nurkic is the only other player averaging in double figures scoring (14.5) and pulls down 7.6 rebounds per game, but is coming off a 3-for-11 shooting performance against Atlanta. Point guard Shabazz Napier has picked up some of the slack with Lillard out, scoring in double-figures six straight games and averaging 21.7 the last three.

ABOUT THE BULLS (13-23): Point guard Kris Dunn returned to the lineup Sunday after missing one game with left patella tendinitis and posted his fourth double-double of the season - all in December - with 19 points and 11 assists. Power forward Lauri Markkanen, the seventh-round pick in the 2017 draft, followed up his career-high 32-point night Friday against Indiana with 11 at Washington on 4-of-12 shooting with nine rebounds. Center Robin Lopez had 16 points in Sunday’s loss and has drained 13-of-17 shots from the field in his last two contests.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Bulls have won seven straight games at home after losing eight of the first 10 this season in their own arena.

2. Portland F Maurice Harkless has drained 14-of-24 shots from the field and averaged 12 points over the last three contests.

3. The road team has won the last four meetings, including last season’s 112-110 victory for the Trail Blazers in Chicago.

PREDICTION: Bulls 105, Trail Blazers 99