dailyloe.com – Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant is returning to the NBA playoffs today. His last playoff game was on September 26, 2020. The seventh-seeded Blazers will face the second-seeded San Antonio Spurs in Game 1. This marks Portland’s first postseason appearance since 2021.
Grant last played a playoff game in the NBA Bubble during the coronavirus pandemic. He scored 20 points for the Denver Nuggets in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. That Western Conference finals game ended Denver’s 2020 postseason run. Grant has not played a playoff game since that date.
Two of Grant’s former teams have won NBA titles since his last playoff appearance. He expressed how much he missed the postseason atmosphere. Grant told Andscape on April 10 that he missed the playoffs so much. He said it had been a long time and was unbelievable.
Grant stated he could never get accustomed to being out of the playoffs. He made these comments prior to the Blazers clinching their playoff spot. The wait for postseason basketball is now over for the veteran forward. He is officially back in the playoffs with the Trail Blazers.
The young Blazers were expected to rebuild this season. They were looking forward to the loaded 2026 NBA draft. This was especially true with injured All-Star guard Damian Lillard out. The team’s playoff berth is considered a surprise.
Portland is perhaps the surprise team of the postseason. They are led by All-Star forward Deni Avdija. The Blazers won their play-in tournament game 114-110 against the Phoenix Suns. That victory secured their playoff position.
The Blazers finished the regular season with a 42-40 record. They won seven of their last ten games. A big home win against the Los Angeles Clippers on April 10 was crucial. That penultimate game helped Portland clinch the eighth seed.
Portland overcame an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit against the Suns. Deni Avdija scored 41 points in that play-in victory. The win secured the franchise’s first playoff berth in five years. The team now faces long-shot hopes against the Spurs.
San Antonio features NBA MVP candidate Victor Wembanyama. For Grant, the specific opponent is secondary. He is just happy to be back in the postseason. Grant said it had been a while of not playing very meaningful basketball.
Grant expressed his happiness at having another chance. He is excited to play when it matters most again. He also praised the versatility of his current Blazers team. Grant said they have a lot of guys that can do a lot of different things.
