Blazers beat Utah 102-93, will host Pelicans in first round of playoffs

The Portland Trail Blazers took care of the Jazz Wednesday at the Moda Center, clinching the West’s third seed and setting up a playoff matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans.

On a night in which the Blazers’ had already secured home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs …

… and we already knew who their first-round opponent would be …

… Portland still had the three seed to play for. And the third seed would be beneficial in a potential second-round playoff series. (More on that in our Takeaways section below.)

A win Wednesday would also help Portland gain confidence heading into the postseason.

Let’s get to it!

Jazz-Blazers First Quarter

Portland started quickly with an 8-2 run, including two threes from Damian Lillard.

CJ McCollum was also feeling the moment, showing off his moves.

The first quarter ended 28-21. Dame led the team with eight points and four rebounds. The Blazers shot 42 percent from the field and 44 percent from three — a good sign for a team that’s been cold from distance for a while.

Jazz-Blazers Second Quarter

A sloppy 7-2 run by Portland started the second quarter. There was nothing sloppy about this, though!

https://twitter.com/NBA/status/984270352464465920

After a Utah timeout, the game was very much a back-and-forth affair, featuring more sweet moves by CJ.

https://twitter.com/NBCSNorthwest/status/984272549168074752

The Jazz did eventually cut into Portland’s advantage, trimming the lead to 41-33 as Blazers head coach Terry Stotts called a timeout with four minutes to play in the first half. Wade Baldwin IV showed off his skills during the run, however, with this bucket off a turnover.

Portland would extend the lead to 14 points, leading 55-41 at the half. Dame led the way with 19 points, scoring 12 of the last 14 points for the Blazers.

Jazz-Blazers Third Quarter

A competitive first four minutes saw Portland extend their lead to 15 points, and Al-Farouq Aminu gave us more proof that he really likes to dunk.

https://twitter.com/NBA/status/984279824146554880

Jusuf Nurkic also joined in on the fun.

https://twitter.com/NBA/status/984282656190943232

Ed Davis also threw one down.

Portland would continue to extend their lead, taking an 80-59 edge into the fourth quarter.

Jazz-Blazers Fourth Quarter

Lillard was a force throughout the game, taking over and scoring his 30th point in the fourth quarter; it was his 100th career game with 30 points or more.

The Jazz cut into Portland’s lead, but the Blazers would hold on as time expired, defeating Utah 102-93 and claiming the Northwest Division crown.

Next: Portland Trail Blazers NBA Playoffs Gift Guide

The win also secured the third seed in the Western Conference.

Lillard had a double-double (36 points, 10 assists), leading his team to their 49th win of the season.

https://twitter.com/NBCSNorthwest/status/984294984697315328

Takeaways

1. The Blazers shot 46 percent from the field and 38 percent from distance, a great sign for a team that couldn’t buy a deep shot during their recent losing streak.
2. Portland will play the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the playoffs, a team without All-Star DeMarcus Cousins, out with a ruptured Achilles tendon. The Blazers beat the Pelicans without Cousins on March 27, 107-103.
3. Portland secured the third seed tonight, setting up a potential second-round matchup with Golden State. While a matchup with the Warriors is always a tall order, Portland did win the season series against Golden State. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though. First things first: Beat the Pelicans!

Up Next:

Your third-seeded Blazers will take on the sixth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans at the Moda Center (time and date to be determined).