Blazers fall to Grizzlies in heartbreaker, 98-97
With Daman Lillard and Jusuf Nurkic stifled by the Grizzlies’ stars, the Blazers lose control at home and take their fifth loss in the early season.
On the Blazers’ first possession, things looked promising. Jusuf Nurkic got to the rim, and while it careened out, Noah Vonleh was there for the putback.
The tandem seemed like it was going to be unstoppable, even against a defensive frontcourt like Memphis.
That hope was as short-lived as the Blazers’ early lead.
With 10:53 to go in the first quarter, Nurkic fouled Marc Gasol on a fadeway jumper.
A mere 17 seconds later, Nurk was whistled while trying to stop a fast break.
Replay would reveal (at least to the fans) that his second foul may not have been warranted. Nevertheless, it was a bad time for a risky play. In total, Nurk played 20 minutes tonight, less than half the game. He tallied six points (3/9 FG) with five rebounds and no assists.
In contrast, Vonleh got 22 minutes of run, with six points (3/4 FG) and 10 rebounds. Ed Davis, while scoreless, also pulled down 10 rebounds in 24 minutes.
Davis appeared to make a commanding block to end the quarter, but was whistled for a foul. After two free throws, the Grizzlies led 23 – 21.
The Blazers showed lots of hustle in the 2nd quarter but never quite gained control over Memphis.
Shabazz Napier made a backwards circus shot, but hesitated on an open three and opted for a bad pass, resulting in a turnover. Damian Lillard wasn’t afraid to shoot, but his first made field goal didn’t come until a few minutes before halftime.
Lillard finished with 12 points, six assists, and five rebounds. He missed all five of his attempts from long range, but went 4/4 from the line.
The Blazers ended the second quarter with a three point lead of 50 – 47. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t get much better than that.
Second half
Portland led by as much as eight early in the third, but a drive by Conley tied it up at 57 with over six minutes to go. The Blazers wouldn’t hold a significant lead for the rest of the game.
The fourth quarter was a stop-and-go mess. CJ McCollum led the effort to take back control of the game, but Memphis’ defense prevented any significant runs.
With 12.9 seconds left, the Blazers were fighting a one-point deficit of 97 – 98. Memphis lost the ball out of bounds, and upon review, possession was given back to Portland.
CJ had been the hot hand all night, and he took the final possession. After creating space between himself and Dillon Brooks, he opted for a long step-back two… and hit the front of the rim.
CJ recovered his own miss in the corner, but couldn’t get a shot off. Game over.
McCollum led all scorers tonight with 36 points. Evan Turner, Davis, Pat Connaughton and Shabazz Napier all had fairly solid nights. But without more production from Portland’s other starters, it wasn’t enough to counter the Grizzlies’ stifling defense.
Three Takeaways
Games have 48 minutes. Be patient, Jusuf. Nurkic picked up his second foul at 10:36 in the first quarter, swatting at James Ennis on the fast break. Games aren’t won in the first quarter, and Nurkic needs to be on the floor if the Blazers hope to defend against legitimate competition, especially with Aminu sidelined with injury. There’s too much risk and too little reward to justify swiping at the ball at that point in the game.
McCollum needs to share. CJ shouldn’t be expected to distribute the ball like Damian. Still, Evan Turner is getting more assists this season while playing nearly eight fewer minutes per game. Tonight, McCollum had 36 points (14/26 FG) to go with one assist and two boards. He needs to be running the offense, not just getting his own.
Nurkic lost a LOT of weight. If he gets hit at all, he is falling DOWN. Look, there’s nothing wrong with making sure the refs know you got hit, Nurk… but let’s not take this any further into over-selling the action. We’re not the Clippers, ya know.
Next Game
The Blazers host the Brooklyn Nets on Friday at 7pm Pacific.
Next: Harkless talks about 3pt contract incentive with Jason Quick