The Portland Trail Blazers’ play-in chances are looking truer by the day, especially following a resounding 115-99 win over the Memphis Grizzlies at the Moda Center Wednesday night.
After the Blazers beat some — lets call them “disingenuous” — lower-tier opponents for their last two wins, Portland got a real test against the No. 5 seed in the West Wednesday. They cleared it with flying colors. The Blazers dominated the glass, 65-40, made 10 more 3-pointers than the opposition, and never trailed during the game. The only time the game was even tied was at 0-0.
“It was one of our most complete games, wire to wire,” Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups said.
Sure, the Grizzlies were without star Ja Morant. But the rest of the Grizzlies are no slouches, led by two-time All-Star forward Jaren Jackson Jr. and guard Desmond Bane. Memphis also had something to play for as it jockeys for home-court advantage in a tight playoff race. And let it not be forgotten that this Memphis team beat the Blazers by 45 and 25, respectively, in their previous two meetings this season.
Wednesday was a much different script. The first half was a free-flowing offensive contest with lots of scoring. The Blazers did that better, producing 71 points, thanks to a 14-27 mark from beyond the 3-point line and a monster half from Deni Avdija (26 points on 7-10 shooting, five rebounds, four assists). The second half was an ugly, grind-it-out defensive affair. Portland won at that game, too, holding the Grizzlies to just 10 fourth quarter points.
Portland guard Anfernee Simons was asked by a reporter what he appreciated about the win. The first words that came to him involved the race for that NBA play-in, reserved for the No. 7-10 seeds in the conference.
“It got us closer to the play-in,” answered Simons, who scored 22 points on 8-24 shooting. “And we beat a good team that beat us twice.”
Simons wasn’t the only one thinking about the play-in. Wednesday’s game seemed to be the moment it collectively dawned on the local press corps that the Blazers not only have a legitimate shot at grabbing that 10th seed, but it may even be likely with the way forces are trending. With 12 games remaining in the regular season, the win over Memphis placed the 12th-seed Blazers (31-39) just two games back of the 11th-seed Dallas Mavericks and 10th-seed Phoenix Suns — Dallas, by the way, is falling apart with a 1-9 record in March.
Billups didn’t receive any questions about the play-in following the win. That’s likely because he has steadfastly asserted he doesn’t lend any headspace to the play-in conversation. But the subject took up much of the postgame interviews with Simons and Avdija, the only two players who spoke.
Simons stands in comical contrast to his coach on the topic. He said recently he keeps a close eye on the teams directly above Portland in the play-in race, hoping to leapfrog them. He said the same Wednesday, giddy at the chance to play meaningful games down the home stretch of the season after the team had tapped out by spring the previous three years.
“The last couple years around this time have been like, ‘Alright, when’s the season gonna end,’” Simons said. “But now it’s a good feeling just going in there knowing at this point every game matters, and we need to lock in and do whatever it takes to win, no matter what it looks like.”
The Blazers team group chat isn’t popping off with regular chatter about the play-in race, according to Simons. There’s some talk here and there in the locker room, but they keep it to a minimum, Simons said, noting they want to avoid jinxes and stay focused on the task at hand: simply winning games.
Avdija said he pays some attention to the standings, but he mostly stays focused on the game in front of him. He likes that Billups doesn’t talk about the play-in with the team; he thinks focusing too much on the future can mess up your psyche. The way he sees it, the Blazers should be playing hard to win every night regardless of how close they are to a play-in spot.
Then a reporter asked Avdija if making the play-in would mean something to him, and the 6-foot-9 forward seemed almost offended by the question.
“Of course,” said Avdija, who finished with 31 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists. “I like to have achievements. I like to be in the playoffs. It’s part of who I am and my DNA and I think our team DNA. I think we’re winning players and I think we can do a lot of good stuff in this league. We’re still up and coming, but if we can get this experience of like a play-in or playoffs, I think it’s very, very beneficial for us.”
Depending on your fan/organizational philosophy regarding the Blazers, this play-in business could be a dream or a nightmare. That’s because making the play-in will not only mean far lower odds at a high draft pick this summer, but it could mean no first-round pick at all. The Blazers’ first-rounder is lottery-protected, meaning they only keep it if they don’t make the playoffs. So if Portland sneaks into the play-in and then jumps into the playoffs, that pick goes to the Chicago Bulls.
Whether you’re for Portland disregarding that pick in the name of a playoff push or vehemently against it, the debate is no longer some abstract thought exercise. The possibility of Portland making the play-in is very much alive.
These players are gunning for it. They might just get there.