Jazz at Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers seem destined to be the No. 4 seed for the
Western Conference playoffs as odds of moving up are slim entering
Saturday’s home game against the Utah Jazz. Portland is 2 1/2 games
behind the No. 3 San Antonio Spurs with three games remaining, and the
Spurs have won their last 10 games.
Utah lost to the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday for only its second loss in the last seven games. The Jazz had a chance to force overtime in Friday’s loss but Gordon Hayward missed a tying free-throw attempt with one-tenth of a second remaining. Portland has lost two of its last three games and both defeats were by double digits — 11 to the Golden State Warriors and 10 to the Brooklyn Nets. The Trail Blazers are 32-8 at home and have won four of their last five on the home floor.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Utah), KGW (Portland)
ABOUT THE JAZZ (36-43): Hayward was fouled by Memphis center Marc Gasol while attempting a 3-pointer and made the first two free throws before missing the third. “Of course there’s pressure,” Hayward told reporters. “It’s to tie game, send it to overtime, I just missed it. You take away the experience of it. (Memphis) is a playoff team and they know how to win games. It teaches us a lesson for sure.” Hayward broke out of slump by scoring 27 points after totaling nine points on 3-of-14 shooting over the previous two games.
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (51-28): Portland will be without shooting guard Arron Afflalo for at least part of its first-round playoff series, if not all of it. Afflalo injured his right shoulder during Thursday’s loss to Golden State and he underwent an MRI exam Friday that indicated he suffered a strain. The loss of Afflalo will lead to more playing time for C.J. McCollum, who is averaging 15.8 points and shooting 56.5 percent from the field in six games this month.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Portland is 2-1 against Utah this season and has won six of the past seven meetings.
2. Jazz C Rudy Gobert had 14 points and 14 rebounds Friday for his eighth double-double in 10 games.
3. Trail Blazers backup PG Steve Blake is 1-of-13 from the field over the last three games.