Golden State’s stunner over Portland on Monday night was fun and all – welcome to the NBA, Eric Paschall! – but it changed nothing about the new reality in the Western Conference.



With Steph Curry and Klay Thompson down for most of this season and the Kevin Durant-less Warriors clearly out of the title-contending mix, this throne is vacant. And the unofficial list of teams that truly believes in its chances of playing through June is longer than it has been since Golden State’s rise began in 2014.



“Yeah, it is; it’s longer,” Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard said before his squad’s stunning loss. “And there’s a lot of things that play a part. Being able to be healthy, how well guys come together, who’s really in it mentally, who really wants to do it, and how long you can sustain it. We see it every year. Some teams are going to fade away. …Some teams just aren’t gonna want it that...