Trail Blazers advance

Portland is back in the National Basketball Association playoffs after a 114-110 win over Phoenix in the Western Conference 7-versus-8 play-in game on Tuesday, April 14. (nba.com) Deni Avdija led Portland with 41 points, 7 rebounds and 12 assists, and he put the Trail Blazers ahead for good with a three-point play with 16.1 seconds left. (apnews.com) Phoenix led by 11 points in the fourth quarter, but Portland closed on a 25-10 run to take the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference. (foxsports.com) The play-in is the National Basketball Association’s four-team qualifying round for seeds seven and eight in each conference. The winner of the 7-versus-8 game goes straight into the bracket, while the loser gets one more chance against the 9-versus-10 winner. (nba.com) That format made Tuesday night an immediate clincher for Portland and a delay for Phoenix. The Trail Blazers moved into a first-round series against the No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs, while the Suns dropped into the final play-in game for the No. 8 seed. (cbssports.com) The result ended Portland’s playoff drought at four seasons. The franchise had not reached the postseason since 2021, when Damian Lillard was still the face of the team. (katu.com) Phoenix finished the regular season 45-37 and earned home court for this game as the West’s No. 7 team, but the Suns could not protect a late lead. Portland entered at 42-40 and won on the road to flip the bracket. (nba.com) The box score showed how much Portland got from Avdija in a high-usage role: he shot 15 for 22 from the field and 8 for 13 at the line. Phoenix got 35 points from Jalen Green, but it was not enough to close out the game. (espn.com) Portland now gets the reward that comes with surviving the play-in: a playoff series that starts when the National Basketball Association first round opens on April 18. Phoenix has to win once more just to join the field Portland reached Tuesday night. (nba.com)