The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 116-97 in the penultimate game of the regular season, marking their most significant victory in at least five years. The victory lifts the Blazers to eighth place in the Western Conference and moves them closer to their first playoff berth since 2021. Deni Avdija, Donovan Clingan and Kris Murray all contributed significantly to the victory. The team now needs to beat the Sacramento Kings in the season finale to clinch the eighth seed and secure a date against the seventh-seeded Phoenix Suns in the play-in tournament.