What a difference a week makes. Last Monday the team seemed to be in shambles. After losing five in a row including four at home, the question wasn’t where the Portland Trail Blazers would be seeded for the playoffs but rather whether they might drop out of the post-season altogether. Now, after winning four in a row on the road and some friendly results elsewhere, the Blazers are in position to avoid the play-in, and a fifth seed is within reach.
The Atlanta Hawks are also hoping to avoid the play-in, currently sitting in the fifth seed. As in the West, the battle to avoid the play-in is very close, with fourth through seventh separated by just two games in the win column.