While it's been a rough couple of days for Rip City with the season-ending injury to Jusuf Nurkic, the Trail Blazers have actually improved their chances of securing homecourt advantage in the first round with eight games to play. Thanks to winning five straight, including their first game without Nurkic versus a severely shorthanded Bulls team Wednesday night in Chicago, and the Rockets going 2-2 in their last four games, the Trail Blazers are now in sole possession of third in the West. But that lead is just half a game, the Jazz, Clippers and Thunder are all within striking distance and Portland is likely to face much tougher competition in all of their remaining games than they did Wednesday night, so the Trail Blazers, without both Nurkic and CJ McCollum (left knee muscle strain), will have their work cut out for them.
Playoff Race Update » Moving Up With McCollum And Nurkic Out
