Portland Beat Memphis To Win The Play-In Series And Secure A Playoff Berth

The NBA, in its effort to figure out a way to keep things fair for the teams in the race for the 8-seed prior to its COVID-19 hiatus, decided to institute a potential play-in series for the final postseason spot. The Eastern Conference didn’t need this, the Western Conference did, and as a result, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Memphis Grizzlies squared off on Saturday afternoon to fight for the right to take on the Los Angeles Lakers in a seven-game series.

The two teams played a tight game, and by the time the dust settled, a second was not necessary. The Blazers picked up a 126-122 victory, sending the upstart Grizzlies home and officially punching their ticket to the playoffs.

After an early feeling-out period by the two teams, Portland began asserting itself about halfway through the game’s first frame. After falling behind early 11-8, the Blazers went on a 22-3 run and took a 31-19 lead into the second. Memphis struggled to get much of anything going from the field, shooting 29.2 percent and hitting one of its five threes. Portland, meanwhile, had as balanced of an attack as they’ve had all bubble — Carmelo Anthony and C.J. McCollum both scored six points, while Damian Lillard and Mario Hezonja each chipped in five.

The Grizzlies started clawing their way back at the start of the second thanks to an 8-2 run in which every point was scored by Jonas Valanciunas, including the first six in the frame. They eventually took the lead while Lillard was on the bench, but for the remainder of the half, it was another Blazer who asserted himself on the game and guided the team to a 58-52 lead at the half.

Nurkic, playing with a heavy heart following the passing of his grandmother due to COVID-19, was magnificent. He went for 15 points and 17 rebounds while pitching in a pair of steals and a pair of assists for good measure. He was +19 in 21 minutes of work during the first half. Lillard pitched in 13 points, while Anthony and McCollum both had 10. For Memphis, Valanciunas’ 16 points and 11 boards led the way, while Morant had 11 points.

Memphis’ offense came alive in the third period. The team dropped 42 points on their opponents in the frame, giving them a 94-89 lead heading into the third, thanks in large part to the play of Morant. While he didn’t always look in control during the first half, his 10 points and seven assists in the quarter were massive for the Grizzlies.

Of course, the fourth quarter of Blazers games in the Bubble have been must-watch, thanks in large part to the play of the Bubble’s seeding games MVP. Lillard has seemingly willed his team to wins late in games, which played a gigantic role in getting Portland jumping Memphis into the 8-seed and needing only one win to make the postseason. That, ultimately, wasn’t quite the case, as his backcourt mate was the one who got the team over the hump.

The Grizzlies fought, but were never quite able to get enough separation between themselves and the Blazers to fend them off entirely. Portland kept coming close to taking the lead, and within 30 seconds late in the fourth, McCollum hit a three, followed by Nurkic cleaning up and offensive rebound, scoring, and converting an and-one to put them up by three.

McCollum, despite his broken back, then connected on a pair of jumpers, extending their lead to six with just over a minute to go.

Memphis kept doing what they could, but the exclamation point came via Anthony. Lillard found him standing alone in the corner, and Anthony — who was 0-for-5 from deep up until this point — went full Olympic Melo, knocking down a gigantic triple that decided the game.

A quick triple by Dillon Brooks cracked the door just a bit, and while Gary Trent Jr. only connected on the first of two free throws in the aftermath, the Blazers came down with the offensive rebound, Anthony went to the line, and made them both. A late three by Morant was a consolation, but it was too little, too late.

Lillard’s 31 points and 10 boards lead the team, while McCollum pitched in 29, including a number of huge buckets down the stretch. Nurkic did a little bit of everything — 22 points, 21 rebounds, six assists — while Anthony scored 21. For Memphis, Morant’s 35 was a career-high, and for good measure, he pitched in eight assists. Valanciunas had 22 points and 17 boards, while Brooks and Brandon Clarke both had 20.

With the win, Portland gets an extra day off before its showdown with Los Angeles. That series will begin on Tuesday, Aug. 18, with a 9 p.m. EST tip on TNT.