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No margin for error: What’s ahead for the surging Portland Trail Blazers?

By Matt George Moore

Portland Trail Blazers CJ McCollum Evan Turner (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)
Portland Trail Blazers CJ McCollum Evan Turner (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Now that the Trail Blazers have won their 10th game in a row, we thought it might be a swell idea to take a peak at the calendar to see what’s up around the bend for the hottest team in basketball.

The Trail Blazers (41-26; third in the Western Conference) beat the Miami Heat 115-99 Monday. It was Portland’s tenth win in a row, and their 12th victory in their last 13 games. The players are healthy and the team’s stock is rising.

In short, few teams in the Association are playing better right now than the Portland Trail Blazers.

But what’s ahead? What dangers lie in wait for Rip City? Let’s take a quick look at the upcoming schedule, shall we?

Cavaliers vs. Blazers: Thursday, March 15

The Cleveland Cavaliers come to town Thursday for a 7 p.m. tip-off at the Moda Center. The Cavs, led by all-world star LeBron James have had a tumultuous season, with roster turnovers and locker room drama. But they’ve still managed to put together a decent season; they’re currently 38-28 (fourth in the Eastern Conference).

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Cleveland is battling injuries, however. Kevin Love fractured his hand and won’t play for several more weeks. Plus, Rodney Hood, Cedi Osman and Tristan Thompson are all hurt, and their playing status remains uncertain.

The Cavs have lost two in a row, getting swept out of Los Angeles by the Clippers (Friday) and the Lakers (Sunday). They’ll play Phoenix Tuesday before heading to Portland.

I’m thinking this will be win No. 11 in a row for Portland. But any team with the best player in the world is a challenge. And the Cavs beat the Blazers 127-110 in their only other meeting this season in early January, so the Blazers certainly can’t rest on their laurels.

Pistons vs. Blazers: Saturday, March 17

The Detroit Pistons also beat the Trail Blazers in their first meeting. That was back in February, not long after they acquired Blake Griffin. And it was the last game of a terrible 0-3 road trip for the Blazers. (They also got spanked by the Raptors. And they lost a heartbreaker in Boston after blowing a 16-point lead.)

But even though that wasn’t so very long ago, the Trail Blazers are not the same team as they were then. For one thing, the defense has been stifling late in games. And they’ve been able to hold onto leads late by tightening the screws on opposing teams’ offenses.

For this 7 p.m. St. Patrick’s Day match-up, the Pistons (30-36) will arrive at the Moda Center on the outside of the Eastern Conference playoff race looking in. Detroit is in ninth place in the conference, five full games behind the eighth-seeded Heat. And the Pistons have lost 10 of their last 13.

Detroit is also fighting the injury bugaboo. They’ve got five players listed on the injury report. They play Tuesday at Utah and Thursday at Denver before heading to Portland.

Blazers vs. Clippers: Sunday, March 18

One day after they play the Pistons, the Trail Blazers head to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers (39-27) Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Head coach Doc Rivers has performed a minor miracle this season with LAC. He’s somehow coached them to the seventh spot in the crowded Western Conference.

LAC has a full schedule prior to their Sunday meeting with Portland. They play three road games: against the Bulls on Tuesday, the Rockets on Thursday, and the Thunder on Friday.

The Clippers have won four of five and seven of their last 10, though. And Portland and LAC have split their first two meetings — with each team winning on the other’s home floor. The Blazers and Clippers will play one more time (on March 30) after they meet up on Sunday.

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Can the Blazers continue rolling? Not to be a glass-half-empty kinda guy, but it’s important to remember that, despite Portland’s glorious winning streak, they’re still just four games ahead of the San Antonio Spurs, who sit in the 10th spot — and out of the playoffs. For now.

And we haven’t even brought up next week’s Blazers schedule, which includes games against Houston, Boston and OKC.

Simply put: The Blazers can’t afford to let up. Not now. And not for the rest of the season. The stakes are that high. And the Western Conference is still that close.