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Blazers can’t handle biz without Dame, fall to Grizzlies, 108-103

By Matt George Moore

MEMPHIS, TN - MARCH 28: CJ McCollum
MEMPHIS, TN - MARCH 28: CJ McCollum /
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The Blazers didn’t have Damian Lillard (in Portland waiting for Baby Dame) or Maurice Harkless (coming off knee surgery). They also didn’t have a good enough game to beat one of the worst teams in basketball.

The Blazers (46-29; third in the Western Conference) lost to the Memphis Grizzlies (21-54) Wednesday, 108-103, in the second game of a back-to-back.

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Portland went 2-1 on this road trip, including wins against OKC and NOP, but they couldn’t put away the Grizzlies.

The Grizz win about as often as it snows in Memphis. And yet even without Lillard and Harkless, the Blazers were expected to head back to Portland with a win.

So much for expectations.

They lost despite 42 points from CJ McCollum and a break-out game against his former team from Wade Baldwin IV.

Blazers First Half

McCollum, who struggled through a 3-for-19 (seven points) shooting night against the Pelicans, got off to a much better start, hitting his first seven shots. He scored 16 points in the first quarter and 25 in the half.

Baldwin got some early action and hit his first shot. Zach Collins played six significant minutes in the first quarter, too; he scored five points on 2-for-3 shooting in the first.

In the second, Chandler Parsons lead the Grizzlies on a 9-2 run to pull within one, 34-33. They would tie the game at 37 not long after on a layup by Mario Chalmers.

Head coach Terry Stotts elected to let hot-shooting McCollum rest for much of the second quarter. And the second-team was in for long stretches of the game, which is a nice luxury to have as we approach the playoffs.

The Grizzlies were strong from three.

But it was almost all CJ in the first half.

Blazers Second Half

Generally speaking, the Blazers looked like they couldn’t wait to get on the plane back to Portland.

Baldwin really turned it on in the fourth quarter against his former team. He would finish with 15 points on 5/6 shooting.

But things took a bad turn:

And another bad turn:

Young Zach did his best:

But it wasn’t enough. Memphis pulled away, and Portland took the loss, 108-103.

Up next for Portland: Friday night at home against the Los Angeles Clippers (40-34; ninth in the Western Conference). Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. PDT.

Next: Pat Connaughton steadily losing minutes in rotation

Takeaways

No. 1

Maurice Harkless will have a reassessment on his knee in a couple of weeks. He had a “loose body” in his left knee and underwent an arthroscopy.

No. 2

As of press time, Lillard’s girlfriend had not yet delivered their son.

No. 3

#YGTMYFT