NBA Power Rankings Week 20: Philadelphia 76ers streaking

NBA Power Rankings Week 20: Philadelphia 76ers streak in the penultimate week

PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 02: Ben Simmons #25 and Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers react in front of Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz at the Wells Fargo Center on December 2, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

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NBA, 76ers (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) /

11. Portland Trail Blazers

Last Week: Beat Boston Celtics 129-119, Lost to Atlanta Hawks 123-114, Beat Cleveland Cavaliers 141-105, Beat Los Angeles Lakers 106-101, Beat San Antonio Spurs 124-102

This Week: 5/10 vs. Houston Rockets, 5/12 at Utah Jazz, 5/13 at Phoenix Suns, 5/16 vs. Denver Nuggets

The Portland Trail Blazers took care of business last week, winning four out of five games to enter the final week of the season in sixth place with the tiebreaker over the Los Angeles Lakers. They are half a game behind the Dallas Mavericks and a game and a half ahead of the Lakers, meaning there is still plenty of work to be done.

Needless to say, the Blazers will be scoreboard watching every night, with only one easy game remaining on their slate. Back-to-back games in the middle of the week against the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns are as tough as it gets, with both teams still looking to lock in their seeds. The standings are likely to come down to the final day of the season in a game against the Denver Nuggets.

This week felt more like the Damian Lillard of old, rather than the one that has been limping through the last few weeks. Lillard went off for 31.8 points, 9.0 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game on shooting splits of .551/.500/.949. This level of excellence is tough to expect to sustain but for the Blazers to make it through the final three games and get into the postseason in a comfortable position this may just need to be a reality.