NBA: With soft slate on horizon, Trail Blazers take aim at reeling Nets

The Portland Trail Blazers are aiming to rise into eighth place in the Western Conference, and their next six games could determine whether they reach that goal.

Portland starts a home-heavy stretch on Monday night against the visiting Brooklyn Nets. The Trail Blazers (35-37) closed a 3-2 road trip with a 128-112 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday.

Five of Portland’s next six games will be at home, all against teams that are out of playoff contention, including the struggling Nets (17-54). The only road game will be against the Los Angeles Clippers, the team Portland hopes to pass to secure the eighth spot. The Blazers are currently a half-game behind the Clippers.

Portland missed the chance to reach .500 with the loss in Denver, leaving interim coach Tiago Splitter slightly disappointed with the trip. The Blazers opened the road stretch with a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, then won against the Nets, Indiana Pacers, and Minnesota Timberwolves before falling in Denver.

“It could be better,” Splitter said. “I think that game in Philly, we should have been better. At the end of the day, it’s 3-2 and we got to take it and go take care of business at home. We have an important week in front of us.”

Against Denver, Deni Avdija scored 23 points and matched his career-best 14 assists, while Donovan Clingan added 18 points and 13 rebounds. Clingan has reached double-digit rebounds in nine consecutive games. Portland struggled to keep up in transition, giving up 27-9 in fast-break points.

“They put a lot of pressure on us in transition,” Splitter said. “We couldn't rebound as well as we wanted, and they were running against our defense and getting easy baskets.”

In a previous road game against the Nets last Monday, seven Trail Blazers scored in double figures during a 114-95 victory. Portland led 65-41 at halftime and cruised to the win, part of a Nets seven-game losing streak. Brooklyn dropped to 2-17 over its last 19 games after a 126-122 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

Rookie Ben Saraf scored a season-high 22 points against Sacramento and has reached double digits in five of his past six games. “Probably one of his best games at finishing at the rim,” Brooklyn coach Jordi Fernandez said. “I like how aggressive he was, five assists to two turnovers.”

Saraf had 15 points, four assists, and a season-high four steals in the recent loss to Portland. Ziaire Williams and Malachi Smith added 18 points apiece against the Kings. Smith’s total was a career-best, making 7 of 9 field-goal attempts in his fifth NBA game.

Fernandez praised the team’s improved ball handling, especially after committing 23 turnovers in a 121-92 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder two games earlier. Against the Kings, Brooklyn recorded only one turnover in the first half.

“Our 30 assists to only seven turnovers is very impressive,” Fernandez said. “So that’s definitely a step forward for us.”

-Field Level Media/Reuters