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The Portland Trail Blazers want to get back in the thick of things atop the West while the Indiana Pacers have recovered from a recent slump and have returned to the top of the East. The teams meet on Friday in what could be a classic between the best offensive team versus the best defensive squad in the NBA.

Both the Trail Blazers and Pacers have hit a rough patch of late. Indiana has bounced back with three straight wins after going 2-3 in their previous five games. Portland is looking for a similar recovery as they have lost three of their last five outings.

The Blazers (35-14) are third in their conference behind proficient scoring (107.7 PPG - first in the NBA) and rebounding (46.5 RPG – first). That Portland offense will be tested by the league's best on D with the Pacers containing their opponents to just 90.2 PPG (first in scoring defense).

The Pacers are coming off an 89-85 win over the Atlanta Hawks on the road. Defense was again key and they went to their usual go-to-guys on offense: David West finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds; Paul George had 18 points and 7 rebounds and four other players scored 8 points or more.

Lance Stephenson, who had 10 points in the win, fell down hard in the middle of the third quarter. He is listed as day-to-day after probable injuries to his left shoulder and hip.

The Blazers are just 4-5 in their last nine games although they have won their last outing taking down the New York Knicks, 94-90. They need a similar effort on the road versus the Pacers, which are 23-2 at home this season.

The Blazers struggled as a team from the floor versus the Knicks shooting just 38.0 per cent (30/79 FGs) but came up with the close win because of LaMarcus Aldridge’s efforts. The All-Star missed 12 of 17 shots but made a crucial one in the waning moments of the game that virtually sealed the game for Portland.

Aldridge finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds and had ample support from Nicolas Batum (20 points and 10 rebounds), Wesley Matthews (18 points) and Damian Lillard (12 points).