In 2020, the Portland Trail Blazers put on a brilliant performance to clinch the NBA’s final playoff spot. Led by Trail Blazers stars Damian Lillard’s 31 points and CJ McCollum’s 29 points, Portland defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 126-122 in the Play-In Game to secure a spot in the playoffs. The Play-In Game was added to the restarted season because of the coronavirus pandemic. Portland finished eighth in the West, Memphis was ninth, and the Grizzlies needed to sweep a two-game matchup to advance. The Blazers were matched up with the no. 1 seed Lakers in the first round and lost the series in 5 games. The Blazers faced another first round exit in the 2021 NBA playoffs against the Denver Nuggets.
In recent years, the Trailblazers have done a great job making the playoffs and maintained the longest active playoff streak (eight consecutive years). However, the team has failed to remain consistent in their playoff performances. Since their streak began in the 2014 playoffs, the Trailblazers have seen 5 first round exits and only one trip to the NBA Western Conference Finals in 2019.
