Jazz Vs. Blazers: Portland Jockeying For NBA Playoff Position In Utah

With the regular season winding down, Thursday night's matchup between the Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz means little in the standings, with the Blazers already safely in the playoffs and the Jazz safely out. But the Blazers do have motivation to bring home a win, and can improve their seeding with a strong finish ahead of the postseason. As it stands now, the Blazers are the No. 7 seed in the West, set to face the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round. Portland and the Memphis Grizzlies currently hold the same record, with Memphis holding the edge for that all-important No. 6 seed.

The Blazers got started on the right foot on Thursday night, jumping out to a lead at the end of the first quarter. The Blazers were attacking from all angles as all five starters scored, with Brandon Roy coming in to give the team a lift off the bench in the first quarter. Roy was a perfect 3-3 from the field, scoring a team-high seven points in the first quarter. Nicolas Batum added six points, with Gerald Wallace, Wesley Matthews and LaMarcus Aldridge each adding four points.

Devin Harris paced the Jazz with five points in the first quarter. Paul Milsap had three points and a team-high five rebounds in the first frame. Gordon Hayward chipped in two points and two rebounds as Utah struggled to score early.