Portland Trail Blazers: 3 takeaways from Game 4 vs. Pelicans

After a first round playoff sweep, the 2017-18 Portland Trail Blazers season is over. What are a few takeaways from this Game 4 loss?

The Portland Trail Blazers could not avoid the broom on Saturday afternoon. They fell to the New Orleans Pelicans 131-123 in Game 4 of their first round series. The Pelicans completed a 4-0 sweep of the Blazers and will now await the winner of the series between the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs.

The opening half of Game 4 was competitive and chippy with 13 lead changes, 11 ties, five technical fouls and a Flagrant 1 being handed out. At intermission, New Orleans held a slight 58-56 lead.

The Pels broke out in the third quarter, outscoring the Blazers 42-31 in that frame and jumping to a 100-87 lead. Portland attempted to rally in the fourth, cutting its deficit to one point with 5:08 left in regulation. However, the Pelicans responded, closing out the game on a 19-12 run en route to the victory.

This is New Orleans’ first playoff series win since 2008. Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers have now lost 10 consecutive playoff games. Their last win came on May 7, 2016, in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals.

With their Game 4 loss, the Blazers’ 2017-18 season is officially in the books. Here are a few takeaways from their final game.