MANILA – Portland Trail Blazers formalized its entry to the Western Conference playoffs after a 132-116 beating of the Denver Nuggets this season of the National Basketball Association (NBA) on Sunday night at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.
CJ McCollum drained five triples and finished with 24 points, Damian Lillard ended with double-double 22 points and 10 assists, while Jusuf Nurkic had 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Trail Blazers.
Norman Powell and Enes Kanter dropped 19 and 14 markers for Portland, respectively, while Carmelo Anthony and Anfernee Simons have 10 markers each.
The Trail Blazers were blazing at the opening with three-point conversions from McCollum, Lillard, and Powell for a 43-22 lead. Inside hits by Nurkic and Kanter stretched the gap to 72-55 at the half.
Portland continued its onslaught in the second half behind Lillard, McCollum, Powell, and Nurkic as the lead grew to its largest at 111-84 early in the fourth quarter.
The Trail Blazers ended the elimination by occupying the fifth spot in the West with a 42-30 win-loss slate and will face the Los Angeles Clippers (47-25), which sits on the fourth spot, during the first round of the playoffs.
With a 42-30 win-loss slate, Dallas Mavericks dropped to the sixth spot after suffering defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves. They will face the Denver Nuggets (47-25), now on the third spot at the start of the playoffs.
Defending champions Los Angeles Lakers, also with 42-30 win-loss, finished the eliminations as the number seven team and was relegated to the play-in tournament for the last two West Conference playoffs seat.
The Lakers will battle the Golden State Warriors in the play-in tourney on Wednesday with the winner clinching the number seven playoff seat. The loser will be relegated in a do-or-die game for the 8th and last playoffs spot.
Meanwhile, Utah Jazz (52-20) secured the top seat in the Western Conference after a 121-99 beating of the Sacramento Kings. Filipino-American guard Jordan Clarkson drilled 33 points to lead the Jazz.
Phoenix Suns (51-21), on the other hand, finished as the number two team in the West after scoring a 123-121 escape over San Antonio Spurs. E’Twaun Moore led the shorthanded Suns with 22 points.
BOX SCORE:
PORTLAND 132 – McCollum 24, Lillard 22, Nurkic 20, Powell 19, Kanter 14, Anthony 10, Simons 10, Little 4, Covington 3, Jones 2, Giles 2, Elleby 2.
DENVER 116 – Howard 23, Jokić 21, Millsap 12, Green 11, Porter 9, McGee 9, Morris 8, Nnaji 6, Cancar 4, Bol 3, Gordon 2, Campazzo 2, Harrison 2.
QUARTERSCORES:
43-22, 72-55, 107-84, 132-116./PN
