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Blazers need wins to avoid Lakers in first round of playoffs

With L.A. closing in on top seed, Portland must avoid No. 8 spot

By Matt Calkins
Published: April 3, 2011, 12:00am

Before the Trail Blazers can play the Mavericks, they have to beat the Mavericks.

Yes, that seems like a non-sequitur, but that doesn’t make it any less true.

The Lakers are beginning to separate themselves from Dallas in the Western Conference standings and find themselves within a game and a half of the Spurs for the top seed. So if the Blazers want to avoid meeting the reigning NBA champions in the first round of the playoffs, their mission has become as clear as it is simple: Win.

Portland (44-32) is currently in sixth place in the Western Conference, but could finish as low as eighth.

A half game back in seventh place are the surging Memphis Grizzlies, while the New Orleans Hornets, who own the tiebreaker over Portland, sit a half game back of Memphis in the eighth spot.

For a while, it was difficult to discern what the more palatable match-up would be for the Blazers, who at one point seemed as if they may benefit from losing a couple of games.

Dallas and the Lakers were locked in battle for the No. 2 spot, and San Antonio sat comfortably in front.

So while no player or coach would admit it, dropping a couple of positions and drawing the ailing Spurs or postseason-challenged Mavericks appeared enviable when compared to meeting Los Angeles, which poses countless matchup problems for Portland.

But now a sixth seed seems crucial. So how do the Blazers get it?

Start by beating Dallas tonight.

This will mark the finale of a brutal six-game stretch that pitted Portland against four of the Western Conference’s top seven teams — including the Spurs and Thunder twice each.

A .500 record over that stretch likely would have satisfied the Blazers. But after knocking off San Antonio twice and locking down Oklahoma City on Friday, the Blazers have a chance go 4-2 in that span and establish themselves as a legitimate playoff contender.

And while Portland is 1-2 against Dallas this year, it did win its most recent match-up in mid-March at the Rose Garden.

Brandon Roy went retro that night, scoring 21 points in 27 minutes, including 10 in a row. Since then, however, he has been quiet, cracking double digits just once while failing to make a field goal in two separate games.

LaMarcus Aldridge, on the other hand, has been far more consistent, and looks to be as dominant as he was last month against the Mavericks (53-23), in which he scored a game-high 30 points.

Portland (44-32) is 27-10 at home this year, but that might not mean so much against Dallas, which is 27-11 on the road.

Aldridge is averaging 22.1 points per game for the Blazers. Dirk Nowitzki leads the Mavericks with 23.3 points per game, and is shooting .522 from the field and .411 from beyond the 3-point line.

Matt Calkins can be contacted at 360-735-4528 or matt.calkins@columbian.com

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