Mar 23, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) reaches in to knock the ball away from Dallas Mavericks guard Raymond Felton (2) during the fourth quarter at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. The Blazers won the game 109-103. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports

The Trail Blazers are maintaining a slight cushion in the Western Conference Standings

The Trail Blazers unlikely push for the playoffs is beginning to look like a reality. They returned home to Portland last night and came out with a nice victory over the Dallas Mavericks. The win moves the Trail Blazers a game and a half ahead of both Dallas and Utah. They also have closed the gap between themselves and Memphis, now the Grizzlies lead only sits at four games.

The teams from Texas (Mavericks, Rockets) are looking like they will be the two teams fighting for the final spot. Dallas has gone 2-8 in their last ten and Houston looks like they are on the verge of implosion. This bodes well for a Trail Blazers team that plays seven of their last ten games at home. With the collapse of other teams in the race the Trail Blazers will now shift their focus to jockeying for a favorable first round match up.

Portland currently sits in the sixth spot in the Western Conference, which will have them meeting the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs. While facing off against Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook will be no walk in the park, it would certainly beat facing off against the top two teams in the conference. The Spurs and Warriors are both having historically great seasons and that will likely continue into the postseason. Facing the Thunder would at least improve the Trail Blazers’ chances of pulling off an upset.

Portland now heads to LA to face the Clippers tonight. Look for C.J. McCollum to get a little revenge on Doc Rivers for the paper work mishap from earlier this season. This could be a preview to the best possible outcome for the Trail Blazers’ first round match up. It is a long shot for Portland to overtake the 5th spot from Memphis, but in a season full of surprises it might happen.