Blazers overcome injuries (again) to make playoffs

The perpetually promising Portland Trail Blazers are back in the NBA playoffs despite another season of untimely injuries.

Portland claimed its playoff berth on Tuesday night with a whimper: Houston's loss to Sacramento clinched a spot for the Blazers, who were then routed 108-87 by the Golden State Warriors.

It is Portland's 29th postseason in the franchise's 41-year history, and the team's third straight overall.

The Blazers currently sit in sixth place in the Western Conference, but the standings are still tight with four games to go. Portland, New Orleans and Memphis are all still jockeying for seeding among the final playoff spots.

Last season the Blazers won 50 games and finished sixth in the conference, despite being beset by injuries. In all, Portland players missed a combined 311 regular-season games because of injury, second only to the Golden State Warriors and most among playoff teams.

Only two players, guard Andre Miller and forward Martell Webster, were healthy for all 82 games and the team used 16 different starting lineups.

Portland lost All-Star Brandon Roy just two days before the opening game of the playoff series last year against Phoenix because of a torn meniscus in his knee that required surgery.

Although Roy would make a remarkable comeback, Portland was still eliminated by the Suns in the first round. Phoenix players paid tribute to the resilient Blazers by staying on the court to applaud them after the deciding game.

The Blazers got off to a rough start again this year. Centers Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla were still sitting out with injuries from the season before. And forward Rudy Fernandez was homesick for Spain.

Przybilla would eventually return to the lineup, and Fernandez settled down after forming a friendship with teammate Patty Mills, but in December the Blazers got word that Oden was done for another season. This time he needed microfracture surgery on his left knee.

It also became increasingly clear that Roy's knees, which he has said are devoid of cartilage between the bones, were giving him trouble. Roy had arthroscopic surgery in January and to date has missed 34 games.

Portland again leads the league in games missed because of injury with 225, according to data compiled by STATS LLC, well in front of the Milwaukee Bucks with 211 games missed.

Through it all, Portland managed to stay competitive — so much so that the team and coach Nate McMillan were being praised for how much they've accomplished in the face of hard luck.

Much of the credit goes to LaMarcus Aldridge, who is having a breakout season in Roy's absence. He has averaged 21.9 points and 8.7 rebounds this season, with 33 double-doubles. He's scored more than 20 points 35 times this season, and more than 30 points 10 times.

Aldridge has been helped by a supporting case that includes steady veteran Miller and shooter Wesley Matthews, who joined the Blazers this season after playing as a rookie for the Utah Jazz.

Portland also improved with the addition of forward Gerald Wallace, acquired in a trade with Charlotte just minutes before the deadline. Known as Crash, Wallace is averaging 15.1 points and 7.5 rebounds in 20 games with the Blazers.

Portland's most recent starting lineup, with Aldridge, Matthews, Wallace, Miller and center Marcus Camby, is its 10th this season.

While the Blazers have certainly mastered the idea that they can still win in the face of injury, they haven't been able to get past the first round in the past two seasons.

McMillan was asked what was key for his players in that regard.

"The mental challenge," he answered.

"Coming with that sense of urgency but being able to be in a calm state of mind and understand where you are and being able to get to that next level of play," he explained. "With this challenge of coming down the stretch and getting into the playoffs, we have to raise our level of play."

In the meantime, Portland will have to deal with yet one more injury. Camby banged his head on the floor in a collision with David Lee during the loss to the Warriors on Tuesday night.

The team reports he has a neck strain and won't be in the lineup for Thursday night's game against the Utah Jazz.

The Blazers return home Friday to host the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, before closing out the season with a games against Memphis and at Golden State.

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