The game between the Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz tonight will begin the home stretch that determines Portland’s seeding in the race for the 2021 NBA Playoffs. The Blazers are neck-and-neck with the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks to settle the 5th-7th positions in the NBA’s Western Conference. Each team has three games remaining; any of them could conceivably end up in any seed.
This year the seeding battle holds extra importance because of the Play-In Tournament. The team that finishes 7th will not be guaranteed a spot in the post-season, but will have to earn it by walking a single-game elimination tightrope next week.