Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers had a tough task at hand last night as they needed to defeat the Brooklyn Nets in order to take the eighth seed and guarantee themselves a play-in game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Had they lost, the spot would have gone to the Phoenix Suns who went 8-0 during the seeding games.
Despite the Nets being depleted in terms of personnel, they put up an incredible fight which made it extremely hard on the Blazers. However, Lillard managed to score 42 points in a 134-133 victory. It was a win that went all the way down to the wire, and it showed just how clutch Lillard can be, especially with the Blazers down for the majority of the second half.
While speaking to The Athletic after the game, Lillard commented on how he felt when Caris LeVert missed the game-winning shot for the Nets down the stretch. Ultimately, his reaction was both short and sweet. "Shit, I was tired."
Ashley Landis-Pool/Getty Images
Now, the Blazers will have to face the Memphis Grizzlies in the play-in round. For those who don't know, the rules are simple. As the eighth seed, the Blazers just need to win one game to advance. However, if the Grizzlies win two in a row, they will be playoff-bound.
With this in mind, both teams will have to be at the top of their games if they want to advance and play the Lakers.
[Via]