The Portland Trail Blazers remain in an uphill climb when it comes to nabbing a Western Conference play-in spot.
But the gap has narrowed, and Portland looks to take another step forward when it hosts the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.
The Trail Blazers (31-39) are 3-1 on a seven-game homestand and have moved within two games of the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks in the battle for the final play-in spot.
Portland has just 12 games remaining but it’s chasing a Phoenix team that has been wildly inconsistent and a Dallas squad that has been ravaged by injuries.
In addition, the Trail Blazers are facing a team on Friday in the Nuggets (44-26) that will be without three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic (left ankle) for the third consecutive game.
Denver sharpshooter Jamal Murray (right ankle) also missed the past two contests but is listed as questionable for Friday.
Portland is coming off a solid 115-99 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night.
The Trail Blazers were electric on defense by forcing Memphis to miss 20 of its first 21 shots in the fourth quarter. The Grizzlies had five points over the first 11-plus minutes of the fourth quarter until scoring five more in garbage time.
“It shows that we’ve been really guarding after the All-Star break,” Portland guard Anfernee Simons said. “And we’ve been connecting on that end and also the offensive end, too.”
The Trail Blazers also owned a stunning 65-40 rebounding advantage.
“We had a huge, huge night on the glass,” Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. “… To me, that was where the game started and allowed us to kind of get a cushion.”
Forward Deni Avdija continued his strong play with 31 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists. He matched his season high on the boards and knocked down five 3-pointers.
Avdija scored 26 points in the first half en route to his third 30-point outing of the month.
“Deni, he was incredible in that first half,” Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “He really was. Just the force that he plays with. It has you on your heels.”
Denver is 2-1 against Portland this season and has won nine of the past 10 meetings.
The Nuggets enter Thursday’s play formally in fourth place in the West. They are three percentage points behind the Los Angeles Lakers, who host the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night.
Denver is 7-7 over its last 14 games and has split the first two contests of a four-game road trip. The Nuggets lost 120-108 to the Lakers on Wednesday.
Aaron Gordon stepped up for the second straight night with Jokic and Murray out. After scoring 38 points in a 114-105 road victory over the Golden State Warriors on Monday, he poured in 26 more against the Lakers and matched his season high of 11 rebounds.
Gordon is dealing with ankle and calf injuries and is listed as probable.
The physical woes are minor for Gordon, who is still dealing with the death of his older brother Drew last May.
Drew Gordon died in a vehicle accident in Portland at age 33. Drew Gordon was a former first-team All-Mountain West pick at New Mexico.
“I’ve had some great conversations with AG throughout the season and everything he’s dealing with as a young man in this world,” Denver coach Michael Malone said.
“With his family, with his brother, and trying to play through that and be there for everybody, that’s not easy. That’s a tall task on top of (telling him), âHey man, we need you to go out there and be our power forward, our rock.’ He is the most unselfish and selfless player in the NBA and I just have nothing but love and respect for Aaron Gordon and the journey he’s on, and us trying to help him get through that.”
