Mar
22
Playoff Picture: March 22nd
By sarahhecht Posted in: playoffs
It’s time to go to work again.
The Trail Blazers are back in Rose Garden this evening taking on the Washington Wizards. With an incredibly tough schedule starting after tonight’s game it’s crucial to get a win on our home floor.
Portland needs to come out focused and ready to work. We can’t allow for a let-down against the Wizards like we did earlier in the season. I’m confident we’ll stay on course as we’ve been honing our mental focus in recent games, clearly demonstrated by the demolition of Cleveland last week.
What are your predictions for the Trail Blazers tonight?
Last night's scores and effects:
The
Utah Jazz were defeated by the 
Memphis Grizzlies 85-103 in Memphis. This was a big win for Memphis, as all games from this point forward are. The Grizz are still in the 8th seed and are now a full game ahead of the Houston Rockets in 9th place. The loss for the Jazz leaves them in 11th place.
The
Golden State Warriors lost to the 
San Antonio Spurs 96-111 in San Antonio. This one wasn’t a surprise. The Spurs remain in 1st in the Western Conference.
The
Toronto Raptors were crushed by the 
Denver Nuggets 90-123 in Denver. The Raptors couldn’t pull off another big road win in Denver. The Nuggets prevailed and now have a game and a half lead over the Trail Blazers.
Tonight’s games with Western Conference potential playoff teams:
Washington Wizards (17-51) vs. 
Portland Trail Blazers (40-30) A win for the Trail Blazers keeps us in 6th place in the West. A loss will drop Portland to 7th behind the New Orleans Hornets.
Phoenix Suns (35-33) vs. 
Los Angeles Lakers (50-20) The Suns need to pull off a win to move closer to the last playoff spot. They currently sit in 10th place. The Lakers will remain in 2nd in the West with a win or a loss.
Here are the playoff match-ups as of today:
(Tables courtesy of NBA.com)