The Portland Trail Blazers are the hottest team in the NBA at the moment as they're in the midst of a 13-game winning streak. 

They have been red-hot in the second half of the season and are the only team yet to lose since the All-Star break. 

Their impressive form has seen them unexpectedly climb to third in the Western Conference with a 44-26 record.

As always, a huge reason for their success is down to star duo Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum who are once again enjoying a terrific campaign together. 

They're the leaders of this Blazers team and have formed a devastating partnership on the floor in the years they've been teammates. 

With Portland sitting among the top of the west, this is definitely the best season that the pair have had. 

It has led to the guards receiving more recognition and credit as they're winning as well as putting up huge numbers, which hasn't always been the case. 

Lillard and McCollum are two of the best scoring guards in the league but they have usually been fighting for one of the last playoff spots in recent years and barely making it above .500.

But that's all changed this season with their impressive record and Lillard believes they should be ranked accordingly. 

The three-time All-Star is never shy to publicly state how he should be rated as a point guard but he now wants him and his backcourt partner to be recognised for the work they do together on the court. 

“I think we as good as any backcourt,” said Lillard, according to ESPN’s Chris Haynes. “We get to the playoffs every year. We haven’t had the playoff success that we wanna have. And that’s what we’re working toward.

"But we get the job done when it come to winning games. There’s a lot of people in the league that they’re not in the playoffs consistently.”

“I think we find a way to get that done every year. And whenever we matched up against whoever, we out there bangin’. We going at everybody. And we standing up to every matchup.

"So I think like he said, nobody gonna look back and be like, “Oh, they averaged the most points during this time.” It’s gonna come down to, like, wins and your team’s success. But I think if that’s a discussion, we as good as any backcourt.”

Dame is averaging 26.7 points and McCollum is posting 21.7. They are the only guard tandem in the league to have each put up 50-point games. 

Their influence on the Trail Blazers is huge and they really do deserve to be in the conversation among the best backcourts in the league. 

Having won multiple championships together, however, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are rightfully classed as number one. 

But in terms of talent and production, the Portland duo are not that far behind and they're starting to get their dues. 

Listen HERE to the first episode of the new GiveMeSport NBA podcast, featuring former Cleveland Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin.

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