Blazers lock No. 7
The Portland Trail Blazers clinched the West’s No. 7 seed with a road victory and are set to meet the Spurs in the first round. (x.com)
Portland is back in the playoffs after beating Phoenix 114-110 on Tuesday night to grab the Western Conference’s No. 7 seed. (nba.com) The Trail Blazers won the 7-versus-8 play-in game on the road in Phoenix, and the National Basketball Association schedule lists Portland at San Antonio for Game 1 on Sunday, April 19, at 9 p.m. Eastern. (nba.com) (espn.com) Deni Avdija scored 41 points in Phoenix, and ESPN’s game summary listed Portland’s final record at 42-40 after the win. (espn.com) (sports.yahoo.com) The play-in tournament gives the teams that finish seventh through 10th one more route into the bracket, and the 7-8 winner moves straight into the first round. Portland took that spot Tuesday, while Phoenix dropped into Friday’s game for the No. 8 seed. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) That sends Portland into a series with a San Antonio team that finished 61-19 and claimed the West’s No. 2 seed. The official playoff bracket lists the matchup as Spurs versus Trail Blazers in the 2-7 slot. (basketball-reference.com) (nba.com) The pairing is a sharp turn from Portland’s recent history. NBA.com’s game preview said the franchise had not reached the playoffs since 2021 and had not won a playoff series since 2019 before Tuesday’s result. (nba.com) San Antonio won two of the three regular-season meetings, including a 112-101 victory on April 8. NBA.com’s series preview said the Spurs took the season series 2-1, and that April 8 win came without Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle in the lineup. (nba.com) (basketball-reference.com) The Spurs also arrive with one of the league’s best records after going 34-48 last season. NBA.com’s series preview called the matchup unexpected in part because San Antonio jumped from 34 wins to 62 and Portland rose from 36 wins to 42 under acting head coach Tiago Splitter. (nba.com) Now Portland’s reward for surviving Phoenix is a quick turnaround and a road opener against the West’s No. 2 team. The bracket is set, and the Blazers’ first playoff game since 2021 is four days away. (espn.com) (nba.com)
