PORTLAND, Ore. (Interstat) — The Atlanta Dream visit the Portland Fire on Friday night in a matchup of two of the WNBA’s early-season surprises. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. PDT at Moda Center. Atlanta (4-1) has won three straight after a narrow 82-80 victory over the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday. The Dream’s only loss came by a single point against the defending champion Las Vegas Aces. Atlanta’s fast start is fueled by balanced scoring, but guard Jordin Canada has been the catalyst. Canada posted her best all-around performance of the season against Phoenix, logging 11 points, seven rebounds and a season-high 14 assists in 31 minutes. The veteran floor general has been remarkably consistent, averaging 12.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.2 assists over her last five games. Her leadership will be critical against a Portland team that plays at a high tempo. Portland (4-3) is coming off an impressive 81-74 road win over the New York Liberty on Monday. The Fire have been erratic, alternating wins and losses over their last six games, but they have proven dangerous at home. Forward Emily Engstler has been Portland’s most impactful player. She is coming off a strong stretch that includes a 16-point, seven-rebound, four-block outing against Toronto on May 23. In her last two games, Engstler has averaged 12 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks, providing a defensive anchor and scoring punch in the paint. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 98-97 Atlanta victory in a game that could feature plenty of offense. The Dream have scored at least 82 points in four of five games, while Portland has reached 80 or more in four of its seven outings. Both teams face challenging schedules ahead. Atlanta returns home to host Connecticut on Tuesday, then goes on the road for four of its next six. Portland hosts Indiana on Saturday before a four-game road trip through California and Minnesota. Notes: The Dream outrebounded Phoenix 36-30 behind Angel Reese’s 17-point, 10-rebound double-double. Rhyne Howard led Atlanta with 21 points against the Mercury. For Portland, rookie guard Carla Leite added 18 points in the win over New York.