Thursday Update #3 (Aug. 13, 11:45 ET)
Play-In Set: No. 8 Portland vs. No. 9 Memphis
It came down to the wire, but the Blazers got the win they had to have in order to keep their season alive, as they defeated the Nets 134-133 to secure the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference Play-In. Damian Lillard poured in 42 points and 12 assists, CJ McCollum added 25 points and Jusuf Nurkic posted 22 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Blazers past a playoff-bound Nets squad led by Caris LeVert’s 36 points.
The Blazers win drops the Grizzlies to the No. 9 seed in the Play-In, meaning they will have to beat the Blazers twice this weekend in order to secure the final playoff spot in the Western Conference and a matchup with the top seeded Lakers. The Blazers win also ends the season for the Phoenix Suns, who went 8-0 in the restart and become the first team in NBA history to end the season on an eight-game win streak and miss the playoffs.
By holding the No. 8 seed, the Blazers will only have to beat the Grizzlies once in order to lock up the a playoff berth for the seventh consecutive season. The Blazers get their first chance to advance in Game 1 of the Western Conference Play-In on Saturday, Aug. 15 at 2:30 ET on ABC. If a second game is needed, it will be played on Sunday, Aug. 16 at 4:30 ET on ESPN.
The Blazers and Grizzlies met in the first game of the restart for both teams with Portland earning a 140-135 win in overtime behind 62 combined points from McCollum and Lillard. Jaren Jackson Jr. (who is now out for the season) led the Grizzlies with 33 points while Ja Morant had a double-double with 22 points and 11 assists.
Thursday Update #2 (Aug. 13, 6:30 ET)
With Memphis and Phoenix both closing out their seeding games with wins today, the San Antonio Spurs have officially been eliminated from Western Conference Play-In contention and will see their 22-season playoff streak come to an end.
Behind 31 points from Dillon Brooks and triple-doubles from Ja Morant and Jonas Valanciunas, the Grizzlies defeated the Bucks 119-106 to guarantee a spot in the Play-In as the Grizzlies can finish no lower than ninth. Memphis and Phoenix finish the season with matching 34-39 records, but Memphis owns the tiebreaker by having won the season series with Phoenix 3-1.
Devin Booker’s 27 points led the Suns to a 128-102 win over the Mavericks to go a perfect 8-0 in the seeding games. While the Suns did everything they could do to put themselves in position for the Play-In, they still need some help to get in.
It all comes down to tonight’s matchup between Portland and Brooklyn as the Blazers control their own destiny. A Blazers win would give Portland the No. 8 seed and a matchup with No. 9 Memphis, while Phoenix would be eliminated. A Blazers loss would end their season and give Memphis the No. 8 seed and a matchup with No. 9 Phoenix in the Play-In.
Portland vs. Brooklyn, 9:00 ET, TNT
Portland Win:
No. 8 Portland vs. No. 9 Memphis in Play-In
Phoenix out
Portland Loss:
No. 8 Memphis vs. No. 9 Phoenix in Play-In
Portland out
Damian Lillard has been on fire with Portland’s season on the line, as he’s put together back-to-back games of 51 and 61 points to put Portland in the driver’s seat for the Play-In. Can he put the Blazers on his back on more time and lead them to the No. 8 spot in the Play-In, putting the Blazers just one win away from a return to the NBA Playoffs?
