Remarkably, the Trail Blazers may be positioning themselves for a late-season surge that could carry them into the play-in tournament. No, really. And it would be a great story in an NBA season already full of them.

Anyway, ESPN’s Basketball Power Index currently projects Portland to finish with 37 wins — or just one behind the Suns and two behind the Mavericks.

Despite the injuries that have plagued Dallas, the Suns’ free fall over recent weeks, and Portland’s narrow loss in Boston on Wednesday, the Trail Blazers have impressed, going 15-7 over their past 22 games

During that stretch, Portland has also posted the second-best defensive rating in the NBA.

“They have their guys in the right roles now,” one Eastern Conference scout said, via Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “It’s not that they don’t believe in Shaedon Sharpe now that he’s their scorer off the bench, but that’s the best role for him right now with this current team… You go up and down the roster, and specifically with the young guys, that’s helped them a lot.”

In an ironic twist, Portland’s surge has seen them leapfrog the Suns into a play-in spot. A key factor in the turnaround has been the play of Toumani Camara, a player initially seen as a throw-in during the trade that sent Jusuf Nurkic to Phoenix and Deandre Ayton to Portland before last season.

Camara has become a standout on the perimeter, providing elite defense that’s been crucial to Portland’s recent success. Along with Camara’s contributions, players like Deni Avdija have also stepped up.

But perhaps most importantly, credit has to be given to coach Chauncey Billups for the team’s development and resilience.

“Chauncey has them playing really hard,” a Western Conference scout told Bontemps. “I keep waiting and watching for them to fall back, and they’re just not.”

With the Blazers showing no signs of slowing down, they’re proving to be a difficult opponent as the NBA season enters its final stretch — and yes, they may have the momentum to challenge for a postseason berth.