The Trail Blazers were able to snap a six-game losing streak over the weekend, beating the Wizards 127-118 at home. Washington is easily as bad as Portland at this late point in the season, so it figured to be a good game between two hobbled, and bad teams. But no one could have predicted that newly acquired guard, Josh Hart, was going to take matters into his own hands and put up 44 points.
Fans are talking about this team tanking, and Hart obviously isn’t hearing any of that.
“I definitely wish I got 50,” Hart told reporters after the game. “I’m not sure when I’ll have another night like this.” He’s probably being gracious about dominating on both ends of the floor. Hart is the antithesis of what a certain fan group want out of this Trail Blazers team late in the season; confident, shooting well and aggressive at the hoop.
Many were hoping Portland could limp into draft selection with a too big to comprehend losing record. Unfortunately for them, the Blazers are just one game out from the Pelicans to snag a play-in game spot. That’s what we technically call the playoffs! Hard to imagine these Trail Blazers could be a playoff team after Damian Lillard’s season ending injury and roster blow up.
What’s more, the remaining games for Portland are completely winnable against teams like the Rockets, Spurs, Thunder and even Pelicans. If you were hoping for a tank, this squad doesn’t want to hear it.