Why the Blazers 6-Game Road Trip is Crucial

The Portland Trail Blazers are about to embark on one of the longest road trips of the season, during which they will play six games in a 10-day span across five cities.

The Blazers are coming off a pair of wins against the Oklahoma City Thunder, which should give them some momentum going into their trip. They are going to have to generate some energy themselves, just like they did in their first five road games of the year. Here's a look at every game the Blazers will face on this road trip and what to expect.

Game 1: Sacramento Kings

Sacramento Kings guard Darius Acuff Jr. drives to the basket past Orlando Magic guard Alex Morales. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Blazers begin this road trip with an NBA Cup game against the Sacramento Kings, who have one of the worst records in the league, with just a single win in 11 tries. The Kings have dropped their last four games and have yet to win at home this season, so the Blazers need to do what they can to ensure they aren't the team that breaks that trend.

After beating the Thunder in consecutive games, they need to keep their foot on the gas and give the same energy and attention to the Kings.

Games 2 & 3: Minnesota Timberwolves

Dallas Mavericks forward Caleb Martin dribbles the ball as Minnesota Timberwolves guard LaMelo Ball plays defense. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Blazers have been fortunate to face the Wolves while Anthony Edwards is dealing with an injury, but these will not be easy games. The Wolves like to run up and down the court, which will prove to be a difficult matchup.

Especially with this coming on a back-to-back, the Blazers showed that they are capable of pulling out a sweep in a back-to-back against the Thunder. Now they will have to accomplish that on the road against another tough Western Conference opponent in the Wolves.

Game 4: Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks guard Ryan Rollins gets medical attention after scratching his face. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This is another must-win game for the Blazers on the trip as they visit the one-win Milwaukee Bucks. Taking care of business against the lesser teams in the league is what separates the good from the great teams in the standings. The Blazers don't get many chances against teams like this, so they have to take advantage and pull out a win when they can.

Game 5: New York Knicks

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns talks to guard Jalen Brunson. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The trip gets tougher as they head all the way to the East Coast to face off against the defending champion New York Knicks. They struggled at the beginning of the year, dropping their first three games, but they have since won six of their last eight contests. The Knicks remain a massive threat, and the matchup between Jalen Brunson and Damian Lillard should be an exciting one to watch.

Game 6: Philadelphia 76ers

Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey reacts during the fourth quarter against the Toronto Raptors. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The hardest game on the trip is the last one, as the Blazers will be pretty tired going into this final game against the Sixers, who hold the second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 10-3.

There are also a lot of question marks surrounding which version of the Sixers the Blazers will draw. Will they get the full-strength Sixers with LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey, or will they get a compromised version with only some of those stars? Even so, it will still be a big challenge to survive on the road in Philly.

Add us as a preferred source on Google