Seeding games power ranking: OKC Thunder defense bolsters their position

AUGUST 09: Terrance Ferguson #23, Darius Bazley #7, Chris Paul #3, Devon Hall #14, and Luguentz Dort #5 of the OKC Thunder celebrate after defeating the Washington Wizards (Photo by Kim Klement - Pool/Getty Images)
AUGUST 09: Terrance Ferguson #23, Darius Bazley #7, Chris Paul #3, Devon Hall #14, and Luguentz Dort #5 of the OKC Thunder celebrate after defeating the Washington Wizards (Photo by Kim Klement - Pool/Getty Images) /
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OKC Thunder, NBA Power Rankings Week 14
OKC Thunder, NBA Power Rankings Week 14: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers celebrates after making a basket while being fouled in the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

Portland Trail Blazers:

The Blazers had to win and knew it. Their strength of seeding games schedule was ranked fifth in difficulty with a cumulative opponent win total of 311.

Even the games that were against teams not ranked in the upper tier required focus as the Grizzlies were equally invested in winning.

Damian Lillard was a beast earning the Seeding Games MVP. Patrick Beverley and Paul George decided to poke the bear when Dame missed two free throws. Not one for talk as much as action, he followed up that loss with 51, 61, and 42 points to get the berth in the play-in tournament that they won on Saturday to clinch the eighth seed.

Of his 43 trips to the line in the three games following the two missed free throws — he hit 41.  The two games they lost were by nine points total and mostly due to free throws at end game.

Seeding Game Results:

Blazers 140 – Grizzlies 135
Celtics 128 – Blazers 124
Blazers 110 – Rockets102
Blazers  125 – Nuggets 115
Clippers 122 – Blazers 117
Blazers  124 – 76ers 121
Blazers 134 – Mavericks 131
Blazers 134 – Nets 133