The Trail Blazers embarked on their final road trip of the year hoping to secure homecourt advantage before heading back to Portland for their final game of the season. And though the trip didn’t start the way they would like, their chances of beginning the postseason at home have still improved dramatically since they left town Monday morning.
Despite starting the trip by losing to a team with one of the worst records in the NBA, the Trail Blazers can clinch the Northwest Division title — at least with a little help — if they can do something Thursday night that they’ve failed to do all season: beat the Houston Rockets.