The Portland Trail Blazers lost for the first time this season on Thursday night, falling to the undefeated Memphis Grizzlies 124-103 at the Moda Center.
The game was tight throughout the first half. The teams were tied 25-25 after a quarter and 58-58 at halftime. Neither team established a double-digit lead at any points until the Grizzlies started to pull away late in the third quarter.
The Grizzlies (5-0) used a balanced attack. Eight players scored in double figures, led by Cameron Boozer and Isaiah
Stewart with 18 points apiece. Deni Avdija led the Blazers (3-1) with 24 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Ja Morant had 14 points against his former team, but left the game in the fourth quarter with a hamstring issue.
Here are some instant reactions to tonight’s game.
Big Man Battle
Donovan Clingan had his first impactful game of the season. He finished with 11 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks and a technical foul for talking trash to Grizzlies center Zach Edey.
Clingan’s rivalry with Edey goes back to college when Clingan’s UConn team beat Edey’s Purdue Boilermakers for a national championship in 2024. The Blazers drafted Clingan two spots ahead of Edey a few months later. And for most of the game, Clingan mostly got the better of Edey again.
But starting in the middle of the third quarter, Edey and the Grizzlies took control as the Grizzlies outscored the Blazers 66-45 in the second half.
Backup Bigs
The Blazers really missed Robert Williams III, who sat out the game for left knee injury management. Brandon Carlsen got the backup center minutes in the first half. He got a quick basket, but ended up committing three turnovers in less than eight minutes on the floor. The Blazers were outscored by 12 points in that time.
Micah Potter got a chance in the third quarter, but it didn’t go much better. The Grizzlies attacked the basket with Clingan on the bench. For a few possessions in the third quarter, Coach Micah Nori even tried a lineup with Avdija and Sidy Cissoko as the biggest players on the floor. A quick Edey bucket put an end to that experiment.
Williams is likely to rest for a game whenever the Blazers play back-to-back. It’ll be interesting to see how they manage those games.
Shooting Struggles
The Blazers offense kept pace with the Grizzlies for most of the game, but eventually the shooting woes were too much. The Blazers finished the game 12-of-49 from behind the three-point line and just 17-of-26 from the free throw line.
Box Score
Up Next
The Blazers visit the Utah Jazz for a Halloween afternoon game. Tip is scheduled for Noon Pacific.
