The Portland Trail Blazers certainly made it interesting, but were able to survive a spirited effort from the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night—winning 104-101 to secure home court advantage in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Maurice Harkless was the hero, scoring the team’s final 12 points, including a game winning three-pointer at the buzzer. Harkless led Portland with 26 total points on the night, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope paced the Lakers with a game-high 32.
The Lakers, playing without virtually the entire core of their roster, hung right with Portland for the entire game, and actually held the lead for much of the fourth quarter.