There’s value in losing Sunday for the Portland Trail Blazers, who host the San Antonio Spurs.
Now that the Blazers’ play-in hopes have been nearly all-but destroyed, they could potentially better their position in the NBA draft lottery by losing.
That might sound counterintuitive to the idea of sports, but blatant tanking in the NBA has been going on for years, and the Blazers have been masters at the practice since 2022.
The Blazers (34-44) enter Sunday with the ninth-worst record in the NBA, 1½ games ahead of the Spurs (32-45), who have the eighth-worst record.
A Blazers’ loss on Sunday would shrink that lead to a half-game with three remaining for the Blazers and four for the Spurs.
The Blazers cannot fall more than one spot. Toronto (28-50) has the seventh-worst record, six games behind the Blazers.
The difference in lottery odds between the eighth and ninth spots isn’t substantial, but does carry value.
The team with the ninth-worst record will have a 4.5% chance of landing the No. 1 pick in June’s NBA draft and a 20.2% chance of leaping into the top four.
The team at eight will have a 6.0% chance of landing the top pick and a 26.2% chance of selecting in the top four.
The Blazers have 10 players on their injured list. The Spurs have three, all starters, including De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama.
Prediction: Who cares? This will essentially be an exhibition game. But the Spurs have played well lately, winning at Denver and losing 114-113 to Cleveland. Harrison Barnes, Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell combined for 69 points at the Cavaliers.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS VS. SAN ANTONIO SPURS
What: Trail Blazers (34-44) vs. Spurs (32-45), 3 p.m., Sunday.
Where: Moda Center.
Radio: Rip City Radio (KPOJ 620 AM).
TV channel: KATU (Antenna: 2.2 in Portland. Xfinity: 302 and 1170. DirecTV: 688-1. KUNP (Antenna: 47.1. Xfinity: 16, 302, 1170. DirecTV: 47. Spectrum: 184).
How to Watch: Rip City TV Network. If you don’t have cable, you can still watch this game live for FREE with the help of an HDTV antenna on your local ABC affiliate (Charge 2.2 in Portland). These antennas are very easy to install and cost around $20. You can purchase one at your local Bi-Mart or Fred Meyer, or buy one online at Walmart or from Amazon and have it shipped quickly to your home. Here are some instructions on how to set up an HDTV antenna on your television or other display. You can find out more about which channel Rip City TV Network is on in your area by using the channel finder here
