No matter the outcome of Wednesday night’s game versus Utah, the Portland Trail Blazers had its first round opponent already set. Win or loss, the team would host the New Orleans Pelicans. Because of the win, though, Portland finishes as the Western Conference three seed and enters the postseason confident.
For many Blazers fans, playing New Orleans in the first round was a decent draw. DeMarcus Cousins’ injury in January crippled the team’s playoff chances. However, Anthony Davis performed at an MVP level to keep the Pelicans competitive in a tightly-packed Western Conference.