NBA scores 2017: Trail Blazers won’t give up No. 8 seed to Nuggets without a fight

Portland looks like they may hang onto the final spot in the West after all.

Apr 7, 2017, 12:00 PM UTC

NBA: Denver Nuggets at Portland Trail Blazers

Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports

When Jusuf Nurkic went down with injury, it seemed clear that the good times that Portland had enjoyed might be slowing down. After winning nine out of 10 games, the Trail Blazers did lose twice in a back-to-back earlier this week. But even without Nurkic, who had been a lynchpin for their success since the All-Star break, Portland grabbed a win against Minnesota on Thursday that puts them in better position to retain what’s currently a No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.

Portland clings to a 1.5-game lead over the Denver Nuggets now, and it’s clear Denver will have to earn the spot in the first week and a half or so before the postseason begins in earnest. In the 105-98 win, Portland saw Allen Crabbe come off the bench in an absolutely blazing performance, nailing eight three-pointers on 10 attempts to lead the team in scoring with 25 points.

Portland plays Utah, San Antonio and New Orleans to close out the season, all at home. For Denver, it’s the Pelicans and Thunder at home before a final roadtrip to Dallas and Oklahoma City. Either way, the teams are setting up what will probably be a four-game sweep against a fully operational Golden State Warriors team that has Kevin Durant back and (hopefully) healthy. But there are benefits to making the postseason even if you don’t win, and both teams are looking ahead to that.

More from Thursday

The Celtics lost again, so it’s just about guaranteed that Cleveland will be the No. 1 seed in the East. A couple more wins (with four left) should lock up the spot for the Cavaliers, who looked like they were in real jeopardy of losing the spot for a moment before finding their footing again. But Cleveland crushed Boston on Wednesday, and they look like that team we expect to make the finals again.
Nikola Mirotic’s second half surge continued as he dropped 22 points in a win against Philadelphia on Thursday. It came on the heels of a 21-point outing in his last game, and since the All-Star break, Mirotic is averaging nearly 15 points on 48-percent shooting from the field and 41-percent from behind the arc. It feels like Mirotic always has these second-half, post-All Star-break surges, so make of it what you will. Still, he has been a big part of Chicago’s push back into the playoffs after damn near falling out of them completely.
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Not Delly! NOOOOO.