After a tough loss in Los Angeles, the Nets flew north to Portland where they will visit the Trail Blazers and their 2012 draft choice (unless it's top three, of course). The game will be a challenge for Avery Johnson's charges following the Laker loss.Although depleted by trades, the Blazers are an athletic club who've been off since Monday.

Of course, Monday was not a positive. The Jazz scored the last eight points of the game and Raymond Felton, already unpopular in Portland, had two late turnovers to held seal the Utah win. "I’ll try to put it behind me—try," Felton said Monday. "It’s going to be hard to sleep tonight. But we have to have a good practice (Tuesday) and be ready on Wednesday (against New Jersey)."

But Portland has some of the game's most athletic players at their positions, LaMarcus Aldridge at power forward and Nicolas Batum at small forward. The game is likely to be marked on Gerald Wallace's calendar. Wallace was traded by the Blazers at the deadline. He was, as he is with the Nets, a fan favorite.

• New Jersey Nets Game Notes - New Jersey Nets
• Portland Trail Blazers Game Notes - Portland Trail Blazers
• Getting Inside - New Jersey Nets - Sports Xchange
• Getting Inside - Portland Trail Blazers - Sports Xchange
• Nets-Trail Blazers Preview - Kate Hedlin - Stats LLC
• Nets' recent success makes them look like a different team - Colin Stephenson - Star-Ledger
  
• Portland Trail Blazers vs. New Jersey Nets game preview - Oregonian
• Blazers fans think Raymond Felton's time in Portland has 'run out of gas' - Oregonian
• New Jersey Nets vs. Portland Trail Blazers Preview - Dave - Blazer's Edge
  
• And Then There Was April - Mike Acker - Rip City Project