Blazers' potent size and sharp second-half shooting ignited a rout, overpowering a depleted Grizzlies squad and snapping Portland's losing streak.
Portland’s size, depth and second-half shot-making proved too much for a depleted Memphis group Friday night, as the Portland Trail Blazers pulled away for a 135-115 win over the Memphis Grizzlies at Moda Center.
Jerami Grant scored 23 points and Portland snapped a six-game losing streak, opening a two-game set by overwhelming Memphis after halftime. Eight Blazers finished in double figures, with Jrue Holiday adding 20 points and seven assists and Donovan Clingan controlling the paint with 13 points and 17 rebounds.
The night began much differently. Undersized and short-handed, Memphis played with urgency early, pushing pace and sharing the ball to build a lead that grew to 15 points in the opening half. Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo said the early stretch reflected the identity he wants his reshaped roster to carry.
“I loved how we started the game,” Iisalo said. “Just the energy, the enthusiasm, the competitive will from our whole team, and how we shared the ball.”
That advantage began to erode late in the second quarter as Portland leaned into its size. Grant’s dunk tied the game at 51, and his follow-up layup moments later gave the Blazers the lead. Portland went into halftime up 68-64 after consistently attacking the rim, scoring 36 points in the paint in the first half alone.
While the Blazers announced at halftime that Shaedon Sharpe would not return due to a sore left calf, the momentum never shifted back to Memphis. Grant buried a 3-pointer midway through the third quarter to stretch the lead to 94-77, igniting a decisive run.
Once Portland’s perimeter shots started falling, Memphis struggled to keep pace. The Blazers made six 3-pointers in the third quarter after hitting just five total before halftime, creating a gap the Grizzlies could not close.
“With this type of smaller group available, we have to do a better job on the ball,” Iisalo said. “You don’t have as much rim protection if someone gets by you. That’s definitely something we can do better.”
Memphis’ lack of size was unavoidable. The Grizzlies played without Ja Morant for the eighth straight game due to a left elbow injury and were adjusting to a sweeping trade that sent Jaren Jackson Jr., Jock Landale, John Konchar and Vince Williams Jr. to Utah earlier in the week. New additions Georges Niang, Kyle Anderson, Walter Clayton Jr. and Taylor Hendricks are still being integrated, with Anderson sidelined Friday due to illness.
Iisalo acknowledged the difficulty of navigating those changes on the fly.
“We had one practice yesterday with the new guys, with guys playing completely out of position,” he said. “There were some communication errors, but I loved how we competed and did everything we could.”
Cam Spencer led Memphis with 18 points off the bench, while GG Jackson II added 15. Scotty Pippen Jr., making his season debut after surgery on his left big toe, finished with 13 points and six assists in 22 minutes, starting in his first game of the season.
“I was just trying to get my rhythm back,” Pippen said. “Nothing emulates game shape, but it felt good going up and down the court.”
Pippen said conditioning and continuity will determine how quickly the group can stabilize.
“We had three new guys and some two-way guys playing different positions,” he said. “We just have to be more vocal and more mentally locked in because we know we’re playing with new lineups every time.”
Portland continued to pile on behind its frontcourt. Clingan and Robert Williams III repeatedly punished Memphis on the glass, a dynamic Iisalo said was difficult to counter.
“Even if you step up, you’ve got Clingan and Williams on the offensive boards,” he said. “That was a big challenge.”
Scoot Henderson also made his season debut for Portland after recovering from a left hamstring injury, tallying 11 points, nine assists and five rebounds in just over 21 minutes.
Memphis fell to 20-30 with the loss, while Portland improved to 24-28. The teams will meet again Saturday night at Moda Center, where the Grizzlies will look to build on the competitiveness they showed early and find solutions against a Blazers team that seized control once size and shooting tilted the game.