The Memphis Grizzlies came to the Rose Garden on April 3 for a Western Conference meeting with the reeling Portland Trail Blazers. With both Nicolas Batum and LaMarcus Aldridge out of the lineup for Portland, the Blazers—a team not known for its depth off the bench—started three rookies against a Memphis squad that is headed for the playoffs at the end of the month.
Grizzlies roar through Portland
The Memphis Grizzlies came to the Rose Garden on April 3 for a Western Conference meeting with the reeling Portland Trail Blazers. With both Nicolas Batum and LaMarcus Aldridge out of the lineup for Portland, the Blazers—a team not known for its depth off the bench—started three rookies against a Memphis squad that is headed for the playoffs at the end of the month.
Portland seemed doomed from the start without the 35 points that the two-time All-Star Aldridge and versatile Batum bring each game. Unable to benefit from their ability to draw coverage, the Blazers were blanketed by the Grizzlies defense, which shut down the home team to come away with a 94-76 win and wrap up the season series against Portland 3-1.
The Blazers were overpowered in the first quarter, searching for answers and largely coming up empty and at one point deciding to run with five rookies on the court at once.
“It was fun for me, to be out there with young guys,” first-year point guard Damian Lillard said after the game. “I felt like it was a chance for us to kind of put on a show, if that’s what you want to call it. Just show we can play with five rookies out here and we can play together and make things happen.”
The Blazers had some success as they attempted to learn on the job, but were unable to slow down a hot Grizzlies team that shot 68 percent from the field in the first quarter. Meyers
Leonard, who has been tasked with picking up the slack for the absent Aldridge as of late, racked up two early fouls, which only added to Portland’s troubles.
Despite falling behind further in the second, the Blazers had their moments, including an Eric Maynor alley-oop to J.J. Hickson that brought the crowd to its feet. Those moments were scarce, however, and Portland went into the locker room at halftime down 57-46.
The third quarter was more of the same, with Portland falling behind by 16 points and Leonard picking up his fourth foul. The shining light for Blazer fans was Hickson, who during one sequence sank a jump shot, got a rebound at the other end and followed it with a layup. Another Hickson rebound on Memphis’ next possession and a bucket by Leonard forced Memphis into a timeout.
Hickson finished the game with 17 points and nine rebounds, while Lillard contributed 17 points and six assists.
In the fourth quarter, the exhausted and overmatched Blazers couldn’t make a dent in the Memphis lead, falling behind by as many as 19 points. Mike Conley of the Grizzlies finished with 20 points to lead his team in scoring, and Zach Randolph had 17 points and eight rebounds. The Blazers’ Wesley Matthews was stoic in defeat.
“It’s our job—we have got to be men,” Matthews said. “It’s not the season we wanted, we’re not playing the way we want to, but we have to suck it up and play anyway…It’s a blessing we get to play this game.”
The lottery-bound Blazers have five games left on the schedule and will continue to compete even though the postseason is now out of reach.
“You sit in the locker room and look at guys, look at the guy next to you—that’s what it’s all about,” Hickson said. “It’s [about] playing for us, not giving in and finishing the season strong to have some momentum for next year.”
Portland hosts two Western Conference rivals in the coming week, with home games against the Los Angeles Lakers tomorrow and the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 12.
