Trail Blazers at Grizzlies
The Portland Trail Blazers’ inability to win on the road is dropping them out of contention for the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference. The Trail Blazers will try to snap a three-game skid and end their five-game trip on a high note when they visit the second-place Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday. Portland began its trip with a win at Toronto but has since dropped three straight – the last two to sub-.500 teams – while allowing an average of 108 points.
The Trail Blazers’ 111-104 loss to the Orlando Magic on Friday dropped them to 16-17 on the road and pushed them 1 1/2 games behind third-place Houston in the West. The Grizzlies are 1 1/2 games ahead of Houston and three in front of Portland after snapping a three-game road losing streak with a 112-101 win at the Dallas Mavericks on Friday. The Grizzlies got point guard Mike Conley (ankle) back from a four-game absence in that win, and he managed 14 points in 26 minutes.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, CSN Northwest (Portland), SportSouth (Memphis)
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (44-23): Portland fell behind by 25 points in the third quarter at Washington on Monday before falling short, and squandered fourth-quarter lead at Miami and Orlando on the next two stops. The most consistent performer has been All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who posted a double-double at each of the first four stops on the trip and is averaging 28.3 points and 11 rebounds in those contests. Aldridge averaged 25.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in the first two games against Memphis this season but sat out a 98-92 loss to the Grizzlies on Feb. 22 with a thumb injury.
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (48-21): Memphis failed to reach 100 points in five straight games before turning things around while shooting 53.2 percent from the field against the Mavericks. Reinserting Conley into the lineup played a part in the efficiency, but the Grizzlies made another change in the rotation by replacing Jeff Green in the starting five with Tony Allen. Green poured in 15 points while leading the second unit, and Allen had 13 points and seven rebounds out of the starting spot.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Grizzlies have taken the first three meetings this season and eight of the last nine in the series.
2. Portland C Chris Kaman (shoulder) left Friday’s game and is day-to-day.
3. Memphis C Marc Gasol has recorded back-to-back double-doubles after going without double figures on the glass in his first eight games this month.