Grizzlies at Trail Blazers
Playoff positioning is at a premium when the Memphis Grizzlies continue their season-long five-game trip at Portland on Sunday. The Grizzlies' three-game winning streak came to an end with a painful 100-93 loss to Golden State on Friday that left them alone in the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, percentage points up on Dallas and a half-game behind seventh-place Phoenix. Zach Randolph scored 21 points in the loss, dropping Memphis for just the third time in its last 12 games.
Portland is 2-0 since welcoming back leading scorer and rebounder LaMarcus Aldridge from a back injury after dropping its previous three games and sits a game up on the sixth-place Warriors. Aldridge had just two field goals in 10 attempts but collected 13 rebounds and a season-high four steals in a 91-74 victory at Chicago on Friday as the Trail Blazers capped their own five-game road trip with a 2-3 mark. The Grizzlies have won five straight meetings, including a 109-99 victory at Memphis on March 11.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, NBATV, SportSouth (Memphis), KGW (Portland)
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (43-29): Memphis shot 50.6 percent and committed just nine turnovers at Golden State on Friday, but one of the best rebounding teams in the league was bested on the glass by a 43-33 margin and just two of the team's 41 field goals came from beyond the arc - both by Mike Conley. Also, the Grizzlies missed their final seven shots to allow the Warriors to close the game on a 14-0 run, stealing a much-needed win from Randolph and his mates. "To be up five with two or three minutes left in the game, not able to execute, not able to get stops was really frustrating," said Randolph, who is averaging 20.5 points and 11 rebounds in two games versus Portland this season.
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (47-27): Aldridge's four steals contributed to Portland's best defensive effort of the season in terms of opponents' points. "Everybody's got on the same page and, during these last two games, we've really defended and done everything together," Damian Lillard, who was one of six Blazers in double figures with 16 points, told reporters. That was not the case the last time Portland and Memphis met, as the Grizzlies managed a season-high 56 percent mark from the floor.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Lillard scored 32 points and handed seven assists in the previous meeting.
2. Portland is tied for first in the NBA with 9.5 3-pointers per game while Memphis is last at 4.9.
3. Grizzlies G Tony Allen has two points on 1-of-12 shooting in 34 minutes over his last two games.