Two weeks ago, the idea of the Portland Trail Blazers even flirting with the postseason seemed unreasonable.
But after winning five of their last eight games, the Blazers find themselves tied with Sacramento for 10th in the Western Conference and just four and a half games out of sixth place. The top six teams in each conference qualify for the NBA playoffs while teams in seventh through 10th participate in the play-in rounds.
Being within five games of sixth given all that has happened with the Blazers (18-25) shows how weak the bottom third of West is. The No. 10 team in the Eastern Conference is Boston (23-22).
Nevertheless, should the Blazers continue receiving strong performances from Anfernee Simons and Jusuf Nurkic, staying in the hunt for a play-in spot should remain in play. Also, the Blazers will get back Norman Powell soon and CJ McCollum will likely round into form after missing roughly six weeks with a collapsed lung.
Then there are the prospects of Damian Lillard returning to action at some point after undergoing abdominal surgery. He will be reevaluated in about five weeks.
So, yes, the postseason still remains quite possible for the Blazers.
“I definitely expect we have a talent and the group that regardless what’s going on with us, to be in that conversation,” Nurkic said.
Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, when asked about his team’s chances of getting into the postseason, said he is more concerned right now with other aspects of the team.
“All I care about is this playing the right way,” Billups said following the team’s 98-88 win at Orlando on Monday. “I think when we play the right way, we give ourselves a chance. So, I would certainly hope so. But we’ll see. We’ll see. I think we have struggled so badly on the road that anytime we can book some wins and gain some confidence it’s a big deal for us. It’s a really big deal for us. So, that’s not something I’m really concerned with. Right now, I want to just keep us advancing. Keep us playing much better. And I’m loving, loving how we’re playing right now.”
The Blazers, 4-14 on the road this season, won at the Magic a couple of days after winning at Washington, which was without Bradley Beal.
The competition level, however, increases the rest of this road trip starting with Miami on Wednesday. The Heat won 115-109 at Portland on Jan. 5 while playing without Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. Both are back and the Heat have won four out of five since their victory at the Moda Center.
Miami will be without Kyle Lowry (personal reasons).
The Trade deadline is on Feb. 10. The Blazers could make moves that help them for this season or set the table for next season thus hurting their chances of making a postseason run in 2022. But for now, the players are performing as if they expect to still be playing in late April.
“I mean, that’s why we play,” Nurkic said. “I don’t play to just play the game. Since I’ve been here, we made the playoffs every year.”
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS AT MIAMI HEAT
What: Trail Blazers (18-25) at Heat (28-16), 4:30 p.m. Wednesday
Where: FTX Arena, Miami, Fla.
Radio: Rip City Radio (KPOJ 620 AM).
TV channel: Root Sports (in Portland: Comcast 734/34; DirecTV 687).
Watch the game live online: You can watch this game live for FREE with fuboTV (free trial). You can also get this game on DirecTV Stream’s “CHOICE” package (promotional offers), if you are out of fuboTV trials, or simply prefer that platform and their pricing plans. If you already have a cable or satellite provider that carries Root Sports and want to watch online, you can watch this game live on Root Sports Live.
ODDS
Moneyline: POR +280 | MIA -360
Spread: MIA -9 | Over/Under: 215.5
INJURIES
Blazers: Dennis Smith Jr. (right ankle; sprain) is probable; CJ Elleby (right ankle; sprain) is questionable; Norman Powell (personal reasons) is doubtful; Damian Lillard (core muscle recovery), Larry Nance Jr. (right knee inflammation) and Cody Zeller (right patellar fracture) are out for Wednesday’s game at Miami.
Heat: Kyle Lowry (personal reasons), Markief Morris (return to competition reconditioning), KZ Okpala (right wrist; sprain), Victor Oladipo (right knee; injury recovery) and Chris Silva (ineligible to play) are out.
NEXT UP
The Blazers’ trip resumes Friday at Boston and then concludes Sunday at Toronto. Portland will then return home for two games, Jan. 25 against Minnesota and Jan. 26 against Dallas, before starting a four-game trip on Jan. 28 at Houston.
-- Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook).
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