Trail Blazers Rally Past Suns in Play-In Thriller, Secure No. 7 Seed
The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Phoenix Suns 114-110 in the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament on Tuesday night. The Trail Blazers overcame an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to secure the victory. With the win, Portland earned the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and will face the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. Phoenix will host the winner of the game between the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors on Friday, with the winner of that contest earning the No. 8 seed and a first-round matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Game Recap
The game was decided in the final seconds. With 32 seconds remaining, Phoenix's Jordan Goodwin made a layup to give the Suns a 110-109 lead.
On the ensuing possession, Portland's Deni Avdija made a layup while being fouled and converted the subsequent free throw with 16.1 seconds left, giving the Trail Blazers a 112-110 lead.
On Phoenix's final possession, a three-point attempt by Jalen Green missed. Jordan Goodwin secured the offensive rebound but was stripped of the ball by Portland's Matisse Thybulle, securing the win for the Trail Blazers.
Key Performance
- Deni Avdija scored a game-high 41 points for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Playoff Implications
- Portland Trail Blazers: Secured the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference. They will face the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
- Phoenix Suns: Will host the winner of the Play-In game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors on Friday, April 14.
- The winner of the Friday game between the Clippers and Warriors will earn the No. 8 seed and face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs.
- The loser of the Friday game will be eliminated from postseason contention.