In 'First Playoff Game,' Trail Blazers Pass the Test

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📍PORTLAND, Ore. — Next week, the Trail Blazers will play their first postseason game in five years.

Notice I didn't say their first "playoff" game, because the NBA classifies the play-in as its own thing that exists in between the regular season and playoffs. Looking up stats from those games is a nightmare.

If they win their first play-in game (probably in Phoenix on Tuesday), then they'll play their first actual playoff games since 2021's first-round loss to Denver.

But the morning of Friday's win over the Clippers, which all but locked up the eighth seed (assuming they can beat a Kings team whose commitment to losing is so strong that head coach Doug Christie got investigated for a suspect intentional foul this week), acting head coach Tiago Splitter told his team that this was actually their "first playoff game."

If it is, they showed they're ready. As ready as they'll ever be, at least.

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