Trailblazers Clinch Playoffs In The Bubble With Win Over Nets
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – APRIL 21: Damian Lillard #0 talks with CJ McCollum #3 of the Portland Trail Blazers during a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Round One Game Three of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on April 21, 2019 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. The Trail Blazers defeated the Thunder 111-98. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) – Damian Lillard sent Portland into the NBA’s first play-in series with 42 more points and a crucial steal, helping the Trail Blazers escape with a 134-133 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
The Trail Blazers secured the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference only after Brooklyn’s Caris LeVert missed a jumper just before time expired. Portland will play ninth-seeded Memphis on Saturday. If the Grizzlies win, the deciding game would be Sunday.
The winner of the play-in series gets the final spot in the West and a first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers.
