波特兰开拓者队周三以125-121输给萨克拉门托国王队，这不仅仅是因为他们在比赛后期的进攻停滞不前，毫无组织。这不仅仅是因为里查恩·霍姆斯出人意料的缺席或德阿龙·福克斯在第四节被罚出场而令人沮丧，这也使得国王队成为击败开拓者队的又一个短兵相接的对手。未能在莫达中心为赛季初的失利报仇是波特兰最近一次失利的另一个原因。
但是输给萨克拉门托背后最大的理由是开拓者如此失望？这把他们的战绩从莫达中心推到了灾难性的1-8，唯一的胜利来自于低地重建的休斯顿火箭队。只有火箭队和新奥尔良鹈鹕队在本赛季客场比赛中的战绩比波特兰队差，下一次提高这一战绩的机会肯定不容易。
不用说，开拓者本可以在周五对阵联盟领先的金州勇士队的比赛中使用一些动力。FanDuel将斯蒂芬·库里、德雷蒙德·格林和他的公司列为六大最受欢迎的公司。本赛季他们在蔡斯中心的得分为10比1，净胜率为+17.0，是篮球界最好的主场得分。
不过，别告诉达米安·利拉德，波特兰队击败金州勇士的机会比拳击手少。
“这绝对是一场我们可以赢的比赛；我们必须做很多正确的事情，”他说。“他们现在是联盟中最好的球队，他们在主场踢得非常好。我们需要付出巨大的努力才能赢得比赛，但这是我们非常有能力做到的。”
开拓者队在里普城外的丑陋的输赢记录对于利拉德参加周五的比赛来说都不是什么大问题。为什么？他相信波特兰已经学会了在客场比赛是多么的艰难，只是没能抓住黄金机会在莫达中心获胜——就像开拓者队在对阵国王队时所做的那样。
“这是一场斗争，”利拉德在谈到球队的道路困境时说。“但我们参加的每一场比赛，都有一点让比赛从我们身边溜走。今晚，努力就在那里。我们只差一两场比赛。我们必须以同样的心态进入金州。”
期待波特兰队打破勇士队九连胜的局面让自己失望了。但是开拓者队的巅峰绝对足够高，至少可以与金州勇士队竞争，所以他们希望这是他们最终在莫达中心的友谊赛区之外突破的比赛。
原标题：
Blazers star Damian Lillard admits the ‘struggle’ is real ahead of Warriors game
原文：
The Portland Trail Blazers’ 125-121 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday wasn’t just demoralizing because of their stagnant, disorganized late-game offense. It wasn’t just frustrating due to the surprise absence of Richaun Holmes or fourth-quarter ejection of De’Aaron Fox, either, making the Kings yet another short-handed foe to beat the Blazers. Failing to avenge a season-opening loss at Moda Center is another reason why Portland’s latest defeat stung more than most.
But the biggest justification behind the loss to Sacramento registering as such a stark disappointment for the Blazers? It pushed their record away from Moda Center to a disastrous 1-8, with that lone victory coming over the lowly, rebuilding Houston Rockets. Only the Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans have a worse record in road games this season than Portland, and its next chance to improve on that standing definitely won’t be easy.
Needless to say, the Blazers could’ve used some momentum on the road going into Friday’s game against the league-leading Golden State Warriors. FanDuel lists Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and company as six-point favorites. They’re 10-1 at Chase Center this season with a +17.0 net rating, the best home mark in basketball, per Cleaning the Glass.
Don’t tell Damian Lillard Portland has anything less than a puncher’s chance to beat Golden State, though.
“It’s definitely a game that we can win; we just gotta do a lot of things right,” he said. “They’re the best team in the league right now and they play really well at home. It’s gonna take a great effort from us to win it, but it’s something we’re very capable of doing.”
The Blazers’ ugly win-loss record outside of Rip City isn’t even much of a concern for Lillard entering Friday’s game. Why? He believes Portland has learned how hard it has to play on the road and simply failed to take advantage of golden opportunities to win away from Moda Center — just like the Blazers did against the Kings.
“It’s been a struggle,” Lillard said of his team’s road woes. “But every game that we’ve been in, there’s been a point in the game where we let the game slip away from us. Tonight, the effort was there. We was just one or two plays short. We gotta go into Golden State with that same mentality.”
Expecting Portland to break the Warriors’ nine-game home winning streak is setting yourself up for disappointment. But the Blazers’ peak is definitely high enough to at least compete with Golden State, so they’re hoping this is the game they finally break through outside the friendly confines of Moda Center.
