Blazers clinch playoff spot
Portland beat Phoenix 114–110 to win a play‑in thriller and secure the West’s No. 7 seed, a result that moves them into the main playoff bracket. (The final score and advancement was reported by CBS Sports; highlights were posted as an advance package on April 15.) (cbssports.com)(youtube.com)
Portland is back in the National Basketball Association playoffs after beating Phoenix 114-110 in the Western Conference 7-8 play-in game on Tuesday, April 14. (apnews.com) Deni Avdija led Portland with 41 points and 12 assists, and his go-ahead three-point play with 16.1 seconds left capped a comeback from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit. (apnews.com) The win moved the Trail Blazers into the main bracket as the West's No. 7 seed, while Phoenix dropped into Friday's last-chance game for the No. 8 seed. (nba.com) (cbssports.com) The play-in tournament sits between the regular season and the first round: teams that finish seventh through 10th in each conference play for the last two playoff spots. In that setup, the winner of the 7-versus-8 game takes the No. 7 seed immediately. (nba.com) (cbssports.com) That mattered in the West because Phoenix finished the regular season 45-37 and Portland finished 42-40, but Portland took the direct route into the bracket by winning the play-in matchup. (nba.com) (statmuse.com) (espn.com) Portland's reward is a first-round series against San Antonio, the West's No. 2 seed. Game 1 is scheduled for Sunday, April 19, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern on NBC and Peacock, according to the National Basketball Association playoff bracket. (nba.com) The result extends Portland's season past the regular-season finish and turns a 42-40 team into a playoff team without waiting for a second elimination game. Phoenix, despite entering as the No. 7 seed, now has to beat the winner of the 9-10 game to stay alive. (nba.com) (sports.yahoo.com) For Portland, the next step is no longer the play-in math. It is a best-of-seven series with the Spurs starting April 19. (nba.com)
