The Portland Trail Blazers made it two in a row with another win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night, this one with a final score of 122-115. With an even shorter Portland rotation, the Blazers stumbled through much of this game before turning on the burners in the fourth quarter to come away with the win.
The Blazers were led in scoring by Jerami Grant’s 29 points, 21 of which came in the first half. He was supplemented by Jrue Holiday with 21 points and Donovan Clingan’s monster 20-point,
19-rebound game.
The Grizzlies were led by explosive performances by a pair of bench contributors. Olivier-Maxence Prosper scored 25 points in as many minutes and Javon Small put in 22 points in 27 minutes. However, just 54 points from the starting lineup was not enough firepower to overcome the Blazers.
Here are some key takeaways from the game:
Donovan Clingan
Man, Donovan Clingan can rebound. He recorded his NBA-leading 13th game with 15 or more rebounds in this contest with 19 boards, 8 of which were offensive. Obviously being the tallest player on the court by at least five inches all night helps, but that level of pure domination on the glass is incredible to watch.
Clingan’s efforts on the glass contributed heavily to a 14-5 offensive rebound advantage and 24-4 second chance point advantage, both in favor of the Blazers. That ability to create extra opportunities for Portland led him to having a game-high +19 in a game decided by just 7 points.
Third-Quarter Grizzlies
After being locked in a tie game heading into halftime, the Grizzlies came out wanting to put pressure on the Blazers. Still being knotted up nearing the midway point in the quarter, Memphis opened up a double-digit lead with a quick 19-8 run. It seemed like they might be able to put away a tired Portland team heading into their 8th quarter in just over 24 hours.
However, that quickly changed with the:
Fourth Quarter Blazers
The Grizzlies could not account for Portland’s burst of energy late in the game. With just seven minutes remaining and the Blazers down seven, the game exploded. Vit Krejci, Toumani Camara, and Caleb Love hit back-to-back-to-back threes. Love secured a steal and a layup to cap off an 11-3 run in just two minutes of gametime. That run put Portland in the lead, which they would not relinquish for the rest of the game.
Memphis pushed back and kept the game close until a pair of threes from Grant buried them with two minutes left.
Shooting From Deep
The Blazers made 21 of 51 attempts from behind the arc, good for 41.2% shooting. That marks the second straight game Portland has cashed in on upwards of 40% of their attempts from deep. The Blazers have only eclipsed that number in nine games this season.
So far this season, Portland has made just 33.9% of their three pointers, putting them dead last in the NBA. When their shot is falling, they’re a very good team, as shown in performances like down the stretch tonight. When it isn’t they really struggle. The addition of Krejci, who made 2-5 from downtown, should help that percentage creep up in the remaining part of the season.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper
Prosper led the Grizzlies with 25 points in the contest, setting a new career-high in the process. He also shattered his career-high in three pointers made with an absurd 7-8 clip from deep.
Prosper went head-to-head with Jerami Grant in the first half, making all five of his shots for 15 points. His contributions were a major reason why Memphis was able to keep the game tied despite Grant’s 21 points.
Up Next
The Blazers have a day off before the Philadelphia 76ers come to town on Monday at 7:00 p.m. PST.
