Blazers tag Grizzlies in Memphis, 100-92

On the road, again! The Blazers took down the Grizzlies in a not-so-surprising gritty game.

For the second time this season, the Portland Trail Blazers and Memphis Grizzlies squared off. For the FIRST time this season, the game was in Memphis, as both teams battled for position in a stacked Western Conference.

The game started off in the Grizzlies’ favor, as they were up by one after the first.

However, Meyers Leonard (eight points, 4-4 from the field, four rebounds) helped Portland on a 24-5 run during the second quarter. That’s when Damian Lillard landed on Chandler Parsons‘ foot and hobbled off with an ankle sprain with the Blazers up 10.

He didn’t return for the rest of the half, as Portland found themselves leading 55-46 at the half. CJ McCollum has 16 points at halftime, and Tyreke Evans had 16 himself off the bench for Memphis.

Second Half

Lillard recovered quickly, and after testing his ankle was able to start the second half. After a Marc Gasol technical foul four minutes into the third quarter, Portland began slipping. They were outscored 25-17 in the third quarter, but increased their lead early in the fourth quarter and never looked back.

For the Blazers, McCollum led the way in scoring, finishing with 24 points and eight rebounds on 8-17 shooting, including 3-6 from deep.

Lillard added 21 points, three rebounds, and a team-high four assists. Jusuf Nurkić struggled again (10 points on 3-13 shooting), but Meyers Leonard and Noah Vonleh stepped up, combining for 19 points on 66% shooting.

Vonleh also had a near-career-high 18 rebounds, and many of them were legit, grown-man rebounds at that. Oh, and three blocks. Yeah…. he had a game.

Mario Chalmers shined in place of Mike Conley, dropping 21 points on 7-12 shooting, with six rebounds and six dimes as well. Evans finished the game with 20 points (just four coming in the second half) on 7-15 shooting from the floor. Gasol nearly had a triple double with 19 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists, but only shot 7-20 from the field.

The win puts Portland at 9-7, currently 5th in the Western Conference. Memphis falls to 7-9 and 8th in the West.

Three takeaways

1) Memphis is missing their leader.

Even though Chalmers was able to fill Conley’s spot scoring-wise, he was unable to lead the Grizzlies like Conley can. Memphis shot 9% worse from the free throw line than Portland, with one more attempt. They also only shot 26% from 3-point land, compared to Portland’s 40%, forcing them to try their luck inside.

The lack of outside shooting and hustle usually isn’t there for the Grizzlies when Conley is healthy. He embodies what the Memphis franchise instills, and that’s not easily replaceable. Chalmers did his job scoring-wise, but holes were there. And it was enough to both worry Grizzlies fans, and cost the team the game.

2) Vonleh should be the starting PF.

Was this a coming-out party for Vonleh? Or a one-time redemption game for when he was benched in favor of rookie Caleb Swanigan? Only time will tell. However, we can say that consistent play like this from Vonleh will solidify his starting role on the team. He finished with his first double-double of the season: 11 points on 50% shooting, and the aforementioned 18 rebounds.

With Al-Farouq Aminu, Swanigan, and even Moe Harkless getting placed as starting power forwards during Vonleh’s tenure with the team, it’s always been his spot to lose. He seems to be building a better resume with the team this year. His return from injury earlier this month has helped Portland maintain their great defensive numbers, and he becomes more valuable for the team with each win.

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3) Portland has a lot more grit than we expected.

Going into Memphis, at any point in the season, always feels like a playoff game. The baskets mean more, plays are more intense, and the tension is heightened. Known for their grind-out wins and pulling out of tightly-contested games, the Grizzlies were beat at their own game by the Blazers tonight.

The Blazers out-rebounded the Grizzlies 60-35, a rare occurrence for any Memphis opponent. McCollum also sunk a late-game jumper, illustrating his rise from the clutch-time blues he suffered earlier this season. Despite being gashed for 25 points in the third after their best player was shaken up, Portland strapped up and played scrappy basketball to pull off a win.

They continued the trend of being one of the best defensive teams in the league, controlling the boards and blocks the entire game. This is a pleasant surprise for Portland fans, and may lead the team to a much-needed push come playoff time.