The NBA doesn’t go dark many days during the regular season but this is just a reminder that there are no games on the American Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday. Here is a look at two intriguing matchups Wednesday ahead of the break.

Top NBA Betting Picks of the Week (November 21st, 2022)

The Jazz and Suns trend upward while the Celtics' hot streak keeps them atop this week's NBA App Power Rankings ????

➡️ https://t.co/cAAyCutSTG pic.twitter.com/NTudGLqPmn

— NBA (@NBA) November 21, 2022

Portland Trail Blazers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

• When: Wednesday, November 23, 2022, 7:00 PM ET
• Where: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OH
• TV: BSOH, ROOT-SP+
• Radio: Rip City Radio 620 (Trail Blazers) // WTAM 1100 AM (Cavaliers)
• Live Stream: NBA League Pass
• NBA Betting Odds: TBA

The Blazers will be without superstar Damian Lillard for not just this game but at least the rest of the week. Per the Blazers, Lillard has a grade one strain to the soleus muscle in the right lower leg. He suffered the injury in the third quarter of Saturday’s 118-113 home loss to the Utah Jazz.

Lillard missed four games from Oct. 28 to Nov. 7 after suffering a right calf strain injury in a 119-98 home loss to the Miami Heat on Oct. 26. The Blazers’ backcourt has already been thinned by injuries to Gary Payton II and Keon Johnson. Rookie Shaedon Sharpe will have to shoulder a heavier load until Lillard returns. This season, Lillard is averaging 26.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and seven rebounds per game while 42.2% overall and 33.3% on 3-pointers. Lillard entered the 2022-23 season with 17,665 career points.

He needs 242 points to pass Clyde Drexler and become the leading scorer in franchise history. Lillard has now moved into the top 10 all-time for career threes made and moved passed LeBron James for ninth all-time. He’s fourth among active players.

Anfernee Simons played 37 minutes in Monday’s loss to the Bucks, posting a stat line of 29 points, five assists and four rebounds. Simons has been at his best this season when Lillard isn’t on the court, including Monday night. Simons has scored 23 or more in all four games that he’s played without Lillard, averaging 28.3 points and reaching double digits in made field goals three times.

Cleveland’s Kevin Love leads the NBA in charges drawn (10). Evan Mobley ranks 4th in the NBA in contested shots per game (12.2) and Jarrett Allen ranks 5th (12.1). Cedi Osman ranks 3rd in the NBA in offensive rating (122.5).

Darius Garland had 26 points, nine assists and one steal in 38 minutes during Monday’s 114-102 win over the Hawks. Garland shot the basketball with efficiency in this one and was just one assist shy of his third double-double of the 2022-23 campaign. He’s put up 23 or more points in each of his last five contests.

Donovan Mitchell finished with 29 points, nine assists and four rebounds in Monday’s win. Mitchell put together his best three-point shooting night since Nov. 9 against Sacramento, when he knocked down six of 14 attempts from deep. The shooting guard continues to impress with his scoring production, tallying 23 points or more in 10 of his last 11 matchups.

This is the first meeting of the season between the teams. The Cavs swept last year. Jerami Grant scored 40 points in his last game against Cleveland on March 19, 2022, marking his second-highest scoring output in his career. Jusuf Nurkic has recorded double-doubles in three out of his last five games against Cleveland.

NBA Betting Pick: Cavaliers

READ MORE: Cavaliers vs. Celtics 2022 NBA Odds and Preview – October 28th

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors

• When: Wednesday, November 23, 2022, 10:00 PM ET
• Where: Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
• TV: ESPN
• Radio: WFAN 101.9 FM (Clippers) // KLAC, 570 AM (Warriors)
• Live Stream: NBA League Pass
• NBA Betting Odds: TBA

Will the Clippers have Paul George for this game? Paul George sat out Los Angeles’ 121-114 win over the Utah Jazz on Monday night because of a right hamstring strain. George played one half and scored 21 points before being held out of the second half of the win Saturday over the San Antonio Spurs due to what the team called right knee soreness.

George was initially listed as questionable on the injury report before his status was updated. Before Monday’s game, Clippers coach Ty Lue said George is “all right” and that the team is going to take it day-to-day.

“We hope not,” Lue said when asked if this could be a long-term issue. “Just going day-to-day for right now and he feels OK, but we’re just being — making sure we do the right thing.”

Norman Powell finished Monday’s win with 30 points on 10-for-15 shooting. One game after surpassing the 25-point mark for the first time this season, he hit the Jazz for 30 and gave the Clippers much-needed production off the bench. Reggie Jackson shot 10-of-20 for 27 points. Jackson, who established a new season-high with 27 points, has scored 20 or more in three straight games. With George sidelined, Jackson will be asked to do more as a scorer.

Golden State basically punted on Monday’s game at New Orleans in a 128-83 loss. Playing one night after winning on the road for the first time this season at Houston, the Warriors scratched Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins from the lineup in New Orleans.

The starting lineup for Golden State was usual starting center Kevon Looney, along with forwards Anthony Lamb and Jonathan Kuminga, and guards Donte DiVincenzo and Poole.

It’s the first meeting of the year between the Clippers and Warriors. The Dubs have won their last six home games – the longest home winning streak since 1/21 – 2/3/22 when they had a similar streak. The last time the Warriors won at least seven consecutive games at home was when they won 11 straight at home last season (10/30-12/3/21). The Warriors have won the last three Bay Area meetings against the Clippers. Curry, the NBA Western Conference Player of the Week for Week 4, has scored 30-ormore points in 11 of the first 16 games he’s played in this season, the first time in his career he’s done so.

NBA Betting Pick: Warriors

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READ MORE: Top NBA Betting Picks of the Week – November 28th, 2022