Portland is in that large group of Western Conference teams that could either make the playoffs or even be left without a spot. play-in, To be precise, only San Antonio and Houston are out of contention, so any game matters to the rest.
The battle between the Blazers and the Hawks was live last night with exactly the same intensity. The Oregonian needed a win to continue his quest for a Top 10 spot on his coast, and it showed. Damian Lillard led the way with 42 points for a team that led most of the night but had a heart-stopping finish after Atlanta fell to only one point with just over a minute remaining. Luckily for the local fans, Chauncey Billups’ boys kept their composure and knew how to settle the match to a tight 129-125.
Beyond the final result in Portland’s favor, we live a real duel of the bases. We already said that Lillard was really good with 42 points, but DeJuonte Murray was not far behind, scoring a career-high 40 for the Hawks. The two made it clear what they are: two All-Stars.
Anfernie Simmons was essential in defining the match. the young man guard He finished with 21 points, including a treble in the final minute that proved decisive for the win at home. Blazers players admit that they thought the ball would not reach them.
“I didn’t really expect the ball, but I was ready for it. They don’t usually defend me like that. D’Andre Hunter raised his assists and I got a really easy 3 to hit. Seemed easy, was as easy as it was,” he stresses about an action in which Lillard clearly saw that he had to find his mate. “He helped the whole game. It was an easy decision,” he says.
Although there are still 32 games to go, Portland can’t afford to lose. If you want to complete the course with the satisfaction of having at least one team play-inHe needs to win games with some regularity – of course, that’s thought (and desired) by those around him in the standings as well.
Atlanta leads from 6th place
The Hawks were Eastern Conference finalists in 2021, but have maintained a more than erratic line since then. They missed out on the playoffs for the first time in 2022 and this season they aim to become a team play-inAnd it is that with the loss against Portland they are already three games away from sixth place, which is currently occupied by the Miami Heat with a balance of 28-23.
(Photo by Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
