Portland Trail Blazers held on to defeat Memphis Grizzlies
The Portland Trail Blazers converted crucial baskets down the stretch and held on to escape with an exhilirating 100-99 win over the Memphis Grizzlies despite playing without all-star guard
Brandon Roy on Tuesday 16 November at the FedEx Forum in Memphis.
Roy, who is the team’s primary scoring threat, missed the game with a knee injury, but the Blazers found an antidote to their injury woes as Wesley Matthews took over the scoring load, tallying
30 points on 11-for-19 shooting from the field.
“We all had to step up,” said Matthews, who scored 22 points in the first half. “I'm part of a team, so I'm just fulfilling my duty as a teammate to step up like everyone else did.”
The 24-year-old guard and former Marquette standout started for the first time this season, taking over Roy’s spot, and he responded to the challenge as he converted five of his 10 three-point
attempts, helping the Blazers snap their two-game losing skid.
“He did exactly what we needed,” said Portland head coach Nate McMillan. “He scrapped defensively. I thought he let the offense come to him. It was good to see him knock down some shots and
get to the basket.”
Andre Miller also had a share of the spotlight as he torched the Grizzlies down the stretch, scoring 13 of his 19 points in the final period, while LaMarcus Aldridge finished with 23 points
for Portland, who protected their lead for almost the entire game before the Grizzlies managed to tie the game in the final period.
“I was trying to get a little bit more assertive,” said Miller on his fourth-quarter explosion. “I had a lot of shots early, but I didn't take them. It was an idea of keeping guys involved,
and it fell our way.”
With the score tied at 93 with 1:22 left in the game, French forward Nicolas Batum scored on a layup and Miller followed it up with a steal that led to a turn-around jumper, giving the Blazers
a 97-93 advantage with 21.1 seconds left in the game. The Grizzlies struggled to score in the ensuing possessions and Miller sealed their win with three crucial free throws.
Rudy g*y paced the Grizzlies with his 20 points on 8-for-12 shooting to go with eight rebounds, while Zach Randolph and O.J Mayo added 19 and 17 points, respectively, but they could not execute
their offensive sets down the stretch, leading to their eighth loss in their 12 games this season.
“Everyone is taking away the inside with either zone or doubling up,” said Memphis head coach Lionel Hollins. “We just have to figure out how to attack better without forcing it inside, and
we've got to make shots. When we are on the perimeter, we have to make shots.”
The Grizzlies will try to bounce back when they travel to Washington to face John Wall and the Wizards on Friday 19 November, while the Blazers are going to host the Denver Nuggets on Thursday
18 November.
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