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Warriors look to secure final playoff berth

Apr 18, 2007 - 3:11 PM Golden State (41-40) at Portland (32-49) 10:00 pm EDT

PORTLAND, Oregon (Ticker) -- The Golden State Warriors can smell their first playoff berth in 13 years. But they aren't looking past their next opponent.

The Warriors look to secure their first playoff berth since the 1993-94 season Wednesday as they close the regular season against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Golden State remained one game ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers (40-41) for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference with a 111-82 victory over Dallas on Tuesday.

But despite their lead, the Warriors may need to win because Los Angeles holds the tiebreaker due to a better division record. The Clippers host New Orleans on Wednesday night.

Golden State also is in a virtual tie with the seventh-place Los Angeles Lakers (41-40) but the Lakers won all four games in the series this season - earning them the tiebreaker.

"I think we'll approach (Wednesday's) game just like we've been approaching every game for the last month or so," Warriors swingman Stephen Jackson said after Tuesday's game. "One game at a time. We never expected to win tonight and to just automatically be in the playoffs."

Warriors star guard Baron Davis agreed that his squad is in the midst of a one-game season.

"It's win or go home," Davis said. "Who would have thought we'd be in this position at the beginning of the year? But we are on a mission and the mission is not over. If we win (Wednesday), then that's when the mission starts. We have a lot of talent on this team and a lot of unselfish players, and the most important thing is (Wednesday) night."

The Trail Blazers are coming off Monday's 130-93 drubbing at Utah.

Portland has lost nine of its last 12 games and continues to play without leading scorer and rebounder Zach Randolph and star rookie LaMarcus Aldridge.

The teams have split two games this season.