Portland clinches No. 7
Portland won its play‑in game and claimed the Western Conference’s No. 7 seed, locking its place in the playoff bracket. (cbssports.com). The result leaves Phoenix with one last survival game on Friday, April 17, to try to reach the postseason. (usatoday.com)
Portland is in the Western Conference playoffs after beating Phoenix in Tuesday’s 7-versus-8 play-in game and taking the No. 7 seed. (cbssports.com) The National Basketball Association’s play-in format gives the No. 7 and No. 8 teams one direct shot at the bracket, while the loser gets a second chance. Portland entered as the No. 8 seed at 42-40, Phoenix as the No. 7 seed at 45-37. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) That win sends Portland into a first-round series against the No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs, according to the league bracket and Portland’s own game preview. The National Basketball Association playoffs begin Saturday, April 18, after the play-in round ends Friday, April 17. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) (nba.com 3) Phoenix is not out yet. The Suns host the winner of the Los Angeles Clippers-Golden State Warriors game on Friday, April 17, with the last Western Conference playoff spot going to that winner. (usatoday.com) (nba.com) That is the point of the play-in tournament: the seventh and eighth seeds can still reach the playoffs with one win, while the ninth and tenth seeds must survive two elimination games. The league says the event runs from April 14 through April 17 this year. (nba.com) (cbssports.com) The result also locks one side of the Western bracket into place before the final play-in game is played. Oklahoma City is the No. 1 seed at 64-18, San Antonio is No. 2 at 62-20, and Portland now occupies the No. 7 line opposite the Spurs. (nba.com) For Portland, the path changed in one night: from a team that still needed a berth to a team with a set opponent and a best-of-seven series ahead. For Phoenix, the season now comes down to Friday, April 17, at home. (cbssports.com) (usatoday.com)
