Grizzlies: 10-13

Game Details: FedEx Forum, Memphis, TN. 5:00 PM. TV: CSN. Radio: KXTG (95.5 FM)

Projected Portland Starting Lineup: PG Andre Miller (#24, 6′2″, Utah), SG Brandon Roy (#7, 6′6″, Washington), SF Wesley Matthews (#2, 6′5″, Marquette), PF LaMarcus Aldridge (#12, 6′11″, Texas), C Marcus Camby (#23, 6′11″, UMass)

Projected Memphis Starting Lineup: PG Mike Conley (#11, 6′1″, Ohio State), SG Xavier Henry (#13, 6′6″, Memphis), SF Rudy Gay (#22, 6′8″, Connecticut), PF Zach Randolph (#50, 6′9″, Michigan State), C Marc Gasol (#33, 7′1″, Spain)

Yesterday’s loss to the Spurs was something of a reality check for the Blazers. They had rattled off a fairly impressive string of four wins, including one over Orlando. But the Spurs showed them what happens when a should-be contender still searching for its rhythm faces a locked-in title favorite. They were simply outplayed and outcoached by a superior team, and you can’t get too mad at that. Today, they try to rebound against the Memphis Grizzlies, a team they’ve already beaten once this year but one that can be dangerous if you let them.

Both teams will field slightly different starting lineups from the last contest. The last time these teams played, Brandon Roy was sidelined with knee troubles and Wesley Matthews made his first start of the season. That game served as something of a coming-out party for him, as he scored a career-high 30 points. His recent success has been rewarded with a continuing spot in the starting lineup, except now it’s at the expense of Nicolas Batum. Roy is back, and the other night’s match against Phoenix proved that he’s still capable of playing at his normal high level. This could be the difference tonight for the Blazers–they pulled out a win against Memphis a couple of weeks ago, but it was definitely of the too-close-for-comfort variety. Having a closer like Roy on the floor could prove huge. The Grizzlies, on the other hand, have moved rookie Xavier Henry into their starting lineup in place of O.J. Mayo, who has struggled mightily in the shooting department and is now the subject of much trade speculation.

The good news for the Blazers is that the Grizzlies don’t play much defense. If Portland’s shots fall, there’s no reason they shouldn’t run away with this game. Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol are rebounding threats on both ends of the floor, and having Joel Przybilla back in the rotation should help the Blazers keep up with them. Defense will be key, with Rudy Gay and Randolph likely demanding the most attention. Randolph in particular is a major threat in the paint, so look LaMarcus Aldridge, Marcus Camby, and Przybilla to step up their intensity tonight. The Blazers have had a lot of back-to-backs on the early part of their schedule, and if they haven’t had the kind of phenomenal success so far this year that they had on the second halves of them last season, they’ve at least been holding their own. A win tonight would ensure nothing less than a split of their current four-game road trip, which wraps up in Dallas on Wednesday.

Magic: 15-6

Game Details: Rose Garden, Portland, OR. 7:30 PM. TV: TNT. Radio: KXTG (95.5 FM)

Projected Portland Starting Lineup: PG Andre Miller (#24, 6′2″, Utah), SG Brandon Roy (#7, 6′6″, Washington), SF Wesley Matthews (#2, 6′5″, Marquette), PF LaMarcus Aldridge (#12, 6′11″, Texas), C Marcus Camby (#23, 6′11″, UMass)

Projected Orlando Starting Lineup: PG Jameer Nelson (#14, 6’0″, St. Joseph’s), SG Vince Carter (#15, 6’6″, North Carolina), SF Quentin Richardson (#5, 6’6″, DePaul), PF Rashard Lewis (#9, 6’10″, Alief Elsik), C Dwight Howard (#12, 6’11″, Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy)

Tuesday’s win over the Suns was the Blazers’ most satisfying in a while–with the exception of one down stretch in the third quarter, Portland showed up for all 48 minutes (an increasingly rare occurrence) and played a smart, team-oriented game highlighted by an astonishing 32-of-33 team performance from the foul line and some crucial defensive stops in the fourth quarter. It was a refreshing change of pace following the six-game losing streak and 15-points-closer-than-it-had-any-right-to-be win over the Clippers. Tonight, the Blazers face one of the top teams in the east, one that features the most dominant center the NBA has seen since Shaq in his prime and that is only one season removed from a trip to the Finals.

It goes without saying that Dwight Howard is the toughest test any team’s bigs will face all year, and all we can do is be thankful Joel Przybilla is back in the team’s rotation. Marcus Camby has been oddly underused the last few games, and he will need to stay out of foul trouble tonight, because Howard will feast on the Blazers if they don’t have big bodies to throw at him. The Blazers’ best strategy is to limit Howard’s rebounding as much as possible, because the rest of the team matches up fairly well against Portland.

Rose Garden crowds look for anything to amp up the intensity, and Andre Miller’s return from a one-game suspension for shoving Blake Griffin certainly qualifies. Look for Miller to have a big game tonight, especially in light of his uncharacteristic public comments in response to the suspension. Patty Mills will probably get the lion’s share of the backup point-guard minutes after his solid performance against the Suns. Jameer Nelson is no Steve Nash, but he’s a terrific passer and can be dangerous from deep if left open. Vince Carter still has the potential to go off on any given night, and will probably be the focal point for the Wesley Matthews/Nicolas Batum defensive tandem.

Given Orlando’s pedigree and the force of nature that is Dwight Howard, it would be silly and presumptuous to expect a win tonight, but out of the league’s title contenders, the Blazers certainly match up better against the Magic than they do the Lakers or Celtics. If they play the kind of team-focused game they played against Phoenix and make smart defensive plays, they could pull out what would be a huge third straight win at home.

Blazers: 8-11

Clippers: 4-16

Game Details: Rose Garden, Portland, OR. 6:00 PM. TV: CSN. Radio: KXTG (95.5 FM)

Projected Portland Starting Lineup: PG Andre Miller (#24, 6′2″, Utah), SG Brandon Roy (#7, 6′6″, Washington), SF Wesley Matthews (#2, 6′5″, Marquette), PF LaMarcus Aldridge (#12, 6′11″, Texas), C Marcus Camby (#23, 6′11″, UMass)

Projected Los Angeles Starting Lineup: PG Eric Bledsoe (#12, 6’1″, Kentucky), SG Eric Gordon (#10, 6’3″, Indiana), SF Al-Farouq Aminu (#3, 6’9″, Wake Forest), PF Blake Griffin (#32, 6’10″, Oklahoma), C DeAndre Jordan (#9, 6’11″, Texas A&M)

On the bright side, things can’t get much worse for Portland than they are now. The Blazers have lost six games in a row, five of which they blew late, including a few to pretty bad teams. They haven’t won a game since November 19, when they beat the Nuggets at home. The four-game road trip they just completed may well be the low point of the post-Jail Blazers era. The “fire Nate McMillan” talk is starting to become something a little more tangible than just a few disgruntled fans. There is legitimate concern right now as to whether the Blazers will even make the playoffs.

Friday’s abomination of a game against the Wizards was notable only for the return of Joel Przybilla, who played well in limited minutes, taking charges, going after rebounds and loose balls, and providing some much-needed (to put it mildly) added presence in the middle. The Vanilla Gorilla is sure to get a monstrous ovation from the home fans tonight, which could be the lift the Blazers need. Przybilla will also be crucial tonight, as the Blazers are going to need everything they’ve got against Blake Griffin. The 2009 No. 1 overall pick has been nothing short of beastly through the first quarter of the regular season, making a strong case for himself as Rookie of the Year. He made his NBA debut against Portland, and although the Blazers won that game, Griffin posted an impressive 20-and-14 line and had a couple of highlight-reel dunks. He’s only gotten more confident since then, and will likely be the main thing the Blazers have to worry about tonight. Third-year guard Eric Gordon has also played well for the Clippers, scoring at least 20 points in each of his last seven games. He will likely be Wesley Matthews’ defensive assignment tonight. Other than that, the Clippers are nothing to write home about, and their rotation issues concerning Baron Davis and, to a lesser extent, Chris Kaman, make them somewhat vulnerable.

This is a winnable game for Portland, but they can’t make the kinds of mistakes they’ve been making lately. Players besides Brandon Roy and Wesley Matthews need to step up offensively, and the team’s turnovers need to be cut drastically. Patty Mills played the first non-garbage-time minutes of his pro career on the road trip, and despite a few too many turnovers, he mostly acquitted himself fine. There’s a good chance we’ll see more of him tonight. Przybilla played well in his return on Friday, and should be key in the Blazers’ defensive effort, which has been lackluster of late. A win tonight wouldn’t tell us a lot, given the opponent, but it would certainly be a much-needed step in the right direction after one of the worst two-week stretches in the Blazers’ recent history.