The Portland Trail Blazers begin a four-game trip Sunday at Minnesota with the fifth-worst record in the NBA and no real reason to relinquish that position before the season ends.
The Orlando Magic (33-44) have won six of their last 10 games while the Blazers have lost nine of their last 10. These contrasting trends allowed Portland to fall below the Magic with five games remaining.
The Magic play Detroit (16-61) on Sunday. Should they win, the Blazers could win one more game the rest of the season and still finish with the fifth-worst record. Right now all they must do to remain where they are is not win again, which shouldn’t be that difficult given the Blazers’ remaining schedule and current lineup.
The team with the fifth-worst record will have a 10.5% chance of winning the NBA draft lottery. The team with the sixth-worst record will have a 9% chance.
The Timberwolves (39-39) will definitely be determined to win on Sunday. They will enter the day in ninth place, a half game behind the eighth-place Los Angeles Lakers (39-38) and a game behind the seventh-place New Orleans Pelicans (40-38).
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS AT MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
What: Trail Blazers (32-45) at Timberwolves (39-39), 12:30 p.m. Sunday.
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis.
Radio: Rip City Radio (KPOJ 620 AM).
TV channel: Root Sports Plus (in Portland: Comcast 1253, DirecTV 687-1).
Watch the game live online: You can watch this game live for FREE with fuboTV (free trial). You can also get this game on DirecTV Stream’s “CHOICE” package (promotional offers), if you are out of fuboTV trials, or simply prefer that platform and their pricing plans. If you already have a cable or satellite provider that carries Root Sports and want to watch online, you can watch this game live on Root Sports Live.
ODDS (Oregon Lottery/DraftKings)
Moneyline: POR +1000 | MINN -1800
Spread: POR +16 | Over/Under: NA
INJURIES
Blazers: Trendon Watford (right ankle sprain) and Jeenathan Williams (new to team) are probable. Cam Reddish (lumbar soreness) is questionable. Nassir Little (right ankle sprain), Keon Johnson (right finger fracture), Damian Lillard (right calf tightness), Jusuf Nurkic (right knee soreness), Anfernee Simons (right foot soreness), Jerami Grant (left quad contusion), Justise Winslow (left ankle sprain) and Ibou Badji (left knee soreness) are out.
Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards (illness), Jaylen Nowell (left knee), Austin Rivers (illness) and Karl-Anthony Towns (right calf strain) are questionable. Naz Reid (left scaphoid fracture) is out.
NEXT UP
The Blazers play the Memphis Grizzlies (49-28) at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
— Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook). Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts