Trail Blazers defeat the Memphis Grizzlies to snap a nine-game losing run.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69667106/1233725069.0.jpg)
This season, the Portland Trail Blazers have lost 208 games due to injury. They have suffered more than their fair share of injuries. In the NBA, that is the second-most.
However, they are no match for the Memphis Grizzlies, who came into their home game against the Blazers on Friday night leading the NBA in games lost due to injury with 335.
Thus, despite the absence of Deandre Ayton, Malcolm Brogdon, Shaedon Sharpe, and Scoot Henderson, the Blazers capitalised on the similarly desperate Grizzlies to win 122-92 and snap a nine-game losing run.
The Blazers scored 69 points off the bench and had six players in double figures.
The coach of the Blazers, Chauncey Billups, said, “We did it together.” To sort of get that monkey off your back, as it were, is a nice thing. We’ve been playing really hard, and I believe our performance has been good. Simply said, it’s been a while since we were able to emerge victorious. Thus, it is advantageous for us for it to occur.
In the third quarter, Portland shot 78.9% (15 of 19) and made 5 of 7 three-pointers, blowing up the contest. The Blazers led 91-82 going into the fourth quarter as a result of that.
The Blazers were down on Anfernee Simons (seven points) and Jerami Grant (10 points) after their poor performances.
Starting in Ayton’s place at centre, Duop Reath scored 18 points, including 12 in the crucial third quarter.
Backup forward Jabari Walker led the squad in scoring with 19 points (10 in the fourth) and 10 rebounds. Dalano Banton scored 19 points after coming off the bench as well. Starting guard Kris Murray scored a career-high 14 points, but backup Matisse Thybulle only managed 13.
Billups remarked, “So many guys, they all contributed in the game.”
The Blazers scored 66 points in the paint as opposed to 42 for the Grizzlies, and Portland scored 27 points off of 23 Memphis turnovers.
Portland Trail Blazers center Duop Reath (26) handles the ball against Memphis Grizzlies forward Lamar Stevens (24) in the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 1, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill) APAP Blazers (16-42) ended their longest losing streak of the season at nine games while the Grizzlies (20-40) have now lost 13 of their last 15. The game’s only significance can be found in the overall standings. The loss bumped the Blazers, who have the fifth-worst record in the NBA, to within three games of Memphis, which has the sixth-worst record.
