The Portland Trail Blazers lost to the visiting Denver Nuggets 106-105 at Moda Center on Wednesday, suffering their third straight loss in a row and the fifth loss out of the past six games.

Three of the team losses against the Boston Celtics, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Nuggets respectively, were all by just one point. That has made the Trail Blazers' recent sluggish performance more painful.

Everyone knows who to look for if the Trail Blazers need someone to take a win-or-go-home shot – Damian Lillard. That's why teams always try their best to deflect Lillard's shooting if they fail to keep him from receiving the ball. Taking that into consideration, perhaps it's understandable that Norman Powell took the last shot for Rip City.

At least, coach Terry Stotts could have called a timeout and try to come up with a better-designed plan for the last five seconds, or Powell could have dished the ball to C.J. McCollum, who could not have been more open.

Of course, the above discussion would not have happened if the Trail Blazers had not allowed the game to go into clutch time in the first place, which has happened way too often this season.

The Nuggets continued to solidify their position as No. 4 in the Western Conference. They are now 38-20, trailing the Clippers by 2.5 games and leading the Los Angeles Lakers by three games. With only 14 games to go, the Nuggets are unlikely to move anywhere on the table.

Nikola Jokic is getting closer to his first MVP award after dropping 25 points, five rebounds and nine assists on Wednesday night. So far, he has been No. 1 in points, rebounds, assists, steals, field goal rate and minutes on the court per game of the Nuggets. If there is still one bit of hope for the team to make any surprise in the playoffs, it must come from "The Joker."

Other games on Wednesday (away teams come first):

Phoenix Suns 116-113 Philadelphia 76ers

Chris Paul carried the Suns to edge over the 76ers at Wells Fargo Center with 28 points, eight assists and no turnover at all. The 35-year-guard has delivered 67 assists in the recent seven games while committing only three turnovers. The team could not have won six of the seven games without Paul's remarkable orchestrating job.

Meanwhile, Paul did more than just passing against the 76ers. When Devin Booker was not in his best form, the Suns needed someone else to stand out and score. Paul became their go-to guy. He claimed 18 points in the first three quarters to keep the Suns in the lead and put down another 10 points plus five assists in Q4, ruining the efforts of Joel Embiid, who got 38 points, 17 rebounds and four assists.

Brooklyn Nets 103-114 Toronto Raptors

This is not the first time the Nets lost a game they should have won, neither is it fair to criticize Kyrie Irving's ability to lead the team on his own. Everyone should be less concerned about how many stars the Nets have collected and more about the fact that they only sent nine guys to the court on Wednesday. Depth matters in the postseason.

Golden State Warriors 114-118 Washington Wizards

Stephen Curry's crazy performance in April finally broke off at Capital One Arena, where he went 2-14 around the 3-point line. On the other side of the floor, Russell Westbrook got his 27th triple-double this season, shooting 5-17 on the field is not pretty either. Fortunately for the Wizards, they could still count on Bradley Beal to score game-high 29 points to get their sixth consecutive win.

Atlanta Hawks 127-137 New York Knicks

The NBA's biggest joke for the past five years, the Knicks are finally giving their fans some hope this season. They beat the Hawks at home, claiming their eighth win in a row. The last time they got eight straight wins was in March 2014. They did not enter the playoffs that year as No. 9 in the East. No. 8 were the Hawks, by the way.

Things look different this season. After Wednesday's win, the Knicks surpassed the Hawks to rise to No. 4 in the East, only after the 76ers, the Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks, above the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics.

They have Julius Randle to thank. The 26-year-old big man has averaged 23.9 points, 10.5 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game. He had 40 points, 11 rebounds and six assists after shooting 11-21 on the field, 6-8 in triples and 12-13 at the free throw line. Randle became the first player in Knicks history to get at least 40+10+5 at 50+/40+/90+percent.

As for the Hawks, they are probably  more worried about Trae Young's sprained left ankle than their fallen ranking. According to coach Nate McMillan, X-rays were negative.

Chicago Bulls 105-121 Cleveland Cavaliers

Oklahoma City Thunder 116-122 Indiana Pacers

Utah Jazz 112-89 Houston Rockets

Detroit Pistons 117-127 Dallas Mavericks

Miami Heat 107-87 San Antonio Spurs

Memphis Grizzlies 105-117 Los Angeles Clippers

Minnesota Timberwolves 125-128 Sacramento Kings