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New Orleans plays Portland on home losing streak

Portland Trail Blazers (9-15, 10th in the Western Conference) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (3-22, 15th in the Western Conference)

New Orleans; Thursday, 8 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Trail Blazers -5.5; over/under is 237.5

BOTTOM LINE: New Orleans hosts Portland looking to stop its four-game home losing streak.

The Pelicans are 1-19 against Western Conference opponents. New Orleans has a 1-10 record in games decided by at least 10 points.

The Trail Blazers are 7-10 in Western Conference play. Portland has a 4-5 record in games decided by 10 or more points.

The Pelicans average 11.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.5 fewer makes per game than the Trail Blazers give up (12.5). The Trail Blazers’ 44.2% shooting percentage from the field this season is 5.6 percentage points lower than the Pelicans have given up to their opponents (49.8%).

The teams play for the second time this season. The Trail Blazers won the last matchup 125-117 on Nov. 13, with Shaedon Sharpe scoring 35 points in the victory.

TOP PERFORMERS: Trey Murphy III is shooting 47.7% and averaging 21.0 points for the Pelicans. Jose Alvarado is averaging 2.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Deni Avdija is averaging 25.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists for the Trail Blazers. Jerami Grant is averaging 21 points and seven rebounds over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Pelicans: 1-9, averaging 119.2 points, 42.9 rebounds, 26.7 assists, 8.9 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 48.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 126.1 points per game.

Trail Blazers: 3-7, averaging 112.7 points, 48.7 rebounds, 23.6 assists, 7.0 steals and 6.0 blocks per game while shooting 42.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.0 points.

INJURIES: Pelicans: Dejounte Murray: out (leg), Zion Williamson: out (abductor), Jordan Poole: day to day (quad).

Trail Blazers: Scoot Henderson: out (hamstring), Matisse Thybulle: out (thumb), Robert Williams III: out (illness), Jrue Holiday: day to day (calf), Blake Wesley: out (foot), Donovan Clingan: day to day (leg), Damian Lillard: out for season (achilles).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

NYPD says dozens rescued from human trafficking during World Cup

▶ Watch Video: Inside look at security preparations for World Cup Forty-three people, including seven minors, were rescued from human traffickers during the World Cup matches in the New York City area, according to the New York City Police Department's Special Victims Unit.The rescue operations were carried out between June 11 and July 19 by specialized NYPD detectives who arrested 89 individuals."The surprise was really the outpouring of support behind the mission and the collaboration with all our partners," said Inspector Gary Marcus, commanding officer of the Special Victims Unit.Those rescued, largely the victims of sex trafficking, are now being supported with an array of social services for the victims, including food, housing and counseling.The 87 operations carried out during the World Cup have generated new leads, officials said, and law enforcement agencies are building more cases based on the investigations already underway."We have ongoing investigations now as a result of these operations," an NYPD official told CBS News.Major sporting events are known to law enforcement as hotbeds of human trafficking.Years in advance, the NYPD devoted significant resources to preparing for the World Cup. Eight matches were played at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, including the final on Sunday."When we talk about the outreach and the prep we do, a large part of that involved visiting the known sex offenders, particularly the known human traffickers, in our registry," Marcus said. "Whether they're on parole or probation for human trafficking, we visited them to make sure they're compliant with the terms of their release, and secondly, to let them know that the NYPD is watching."The matches were held in multiple cities around the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Preparations to secure those games and prepare for crimes like human trafficking were coordinated between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.Police departments in many locations that hosted World Cup matches have made arrests and rescues connected to human trafficking, including in Georgia, New England and Missouri. Nationally, there were more than 673 arrests on human-trafficking charges made during the World Cup, and 61 adults and 13 minors rescued, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
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