If you're a Blazers fan, everything is now clear moving forward.
The Portland Trail Blazers officially locked in the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference on Sunday night with their win over the Sacramento Kings, and now the play-in tournament is the only thing standing between them and the playoffs.
Because they’re the No. 8 seed, the Blazers will be on the road in the first round of the play-in tournament, taking on the Phoenix Suns in Phoenix on Tuesday, April 14. If Portland wins that game, it would clinch the No. 7 seed in the playoffs and set up a first-round series against the San Antonio Spurs. That series would then begin on Sunday, April 19, in San Antonio, with the Blazers opening on the road as the lower seed.
If the Blazers lose to Phoenix, they would then face the winner of the Golden State Warriors and LA Clippers game, which takes place on Wednesday night. That elimination game would be on Friday, April 17. If Portland wins that game, it would claim the No. 8 seed and move on to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs, with that series also beginning on Sunday, April 19. If the Blazers lose that Friday game, they would be eliminated and their offseason would officially begin.
So at this point, the realistic opponents, the possible paths, and the schedule are all fully clear for Portland. There is still some speculation in terms of which exact opponent comes next, depending on how the play-in plays out, but the framework is set. Everything is mapped out, and if you’re a fan, now is the time to really be locked in over the next couple of weeks.
There's much less speculation and much more reality at this point in the NBA season.