Utah Jazz Clinch Playoff Berth After Portland Loses To Memphis

Apr 25, 2021, 4:37 PM | Updated: 4:37 pm

Utah Jazz forward Royce O'Neale celebrates (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)

(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)

KSL Sports

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Portland Trail Blazers lost to the Memphis Grizzlies 120-113 on Sunday, which helped the Utah Jazz clinch a playoff berth.

Now the Utah Jazz will play in the postseason for the fifth straight season. It will be the fifth time in seven seasons under head coach Quin Snyder.

The Jazz haven’t reached the second round of the playoffs since 2018 when they beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in six games when Donovan Mitchell was a rookie.

It comes as no surprise that the Jazz clinched a playoff berth as the team currently sits with the best record in the NBA at 44-16. They are trying to become the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for the first time since 1998 when they reached the NBA Finals.

🔓 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐒 𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃 🔒#TakeNote | @ZionsBank pic.twitter.com/wmFxaApOxN

— utahjazz (@utahjazz) April 25, 2021

In the Western Conference, the Jazz sit two games ahead of the Phoenix Suns, who lost to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday afternoon. The Los Angeles Clippers have one more win and one more loss than the Suns, sitting in third place. The Denver Nuggets are three games behind the Clippers and Suns in fourth place and are five games behind the Jazz.

Coming in at No. 5 in the west is the Los Angeles Lakers with a 35-25 record. They are nine games behind the Jazz, seven behind the Clippers and Suns, and four behind the Nuggets.

The Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers, Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors respectively round out the top 10 in the standings.

Utah is coming off of a disappointing 101-96 loss at home to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night. They will begin a three-game road trip with a rematch with the Timberwolves on Monday, April 26 at 6 p.m. MDT. Then they will travel to Sacramento on Wednesday, April 28 and Phoenix on Friday, April 30 before returning home for five straight games.

In the Portland/Memphis game, Ja Morant led the way with 28 points. Jonas Valanciunas added 21 points and 10 rebounds. For Portland, C.J. McCollum led them with 27 points. Damian Lillard chipped in 23 points.