Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers are trying to to make the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference theirs.
Lillard was fantastic throughout his 45-point performance Thursday in a victory over the Denver Nuggets that moved Portland within a half-game of the Memphis Grizzlies.
With Memphis struggling to win a game inside the Orlando bubble, Portland could be locked in a showdown with the Phoenix Suns for the final spot in the 16-team playoff field.
The Suns produced their fourth win in a row Thursday over the Indiana Pacers, who were the last unbeaten team in Orlando from the Eastern Conference.
Sacramento also gained ground with a win over New Orleans, but it remains behind Portland and Phoenix with four games completed.
Milwaukee, Houston and the Los Angeles Clippers continued to get in prime shape for the postseason with victories in hard-fought battles with playoff qualifiers.
August 6 NBA Results, Stats, Top Highlights
Sacramento 140, New Orleans 125
Bogdan Bogdanovic (SAC): 35 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists
De’Aaron Fox (SAC): 30 PTS, 10 AST, 3 REB
Brandon Ingram (NO): 24 PTS, 3 REB, 3 AST
Zion Williamson (NO): 24 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST
Sacramento’s first win in the Orlando bubble pushed it ahead of New Orleans in the hunt for final Western Conference playoff position.
Bogdan Bogdanovic went off for a career-high 35 points, with 19 of them coming in the second quarter. He set a career best for three-pointers in a period by knocking down five in the second.
? @LeaderOfHorde pours in a CAREER-HIGH 35 points (6 threes) as the @SacramentoKings pick up a game on NOP! #WholeNewGame https://t.co/fqWH9GovpO
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