Grizzlies at Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers are battling the Houston Rockets for the third seed in the Western Conference. The Trail Blazers look to take another step toward securing that spot when they host the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.
Portland has won 16 of its last 21 games after registering a 132-122 road victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday. Rodney Hood was inserted into the starting shooting guard position normally held by injured CJ McCollum (knee) and scored 21 points, his second-highest output with the club since being acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Grizzlies have dropped six of their past nine contests and opened a three-game road swing by being trounced 113-96 by the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. Point guard Mike Conley sat out that game with an ankle injury but hopes to return against Portland as he scored a career-best 40 in a 120-111 home win over the Trail Blazers on March 5.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Memphis), NBCS Northwest (Portland)
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (31-46): Center Jonas Valanciunas is done for the season after suffering a Grade 2 sprain of his right ankle during the loss to the Clippers. Valanciunas averaged 19.9 points and 10.7 rebounds in 19 games for the Grizzlies after being acquired from Toronto in February in the Marc Gasol trade and had recorded five straight double-doubles prior to the injury. "It's really tough to see this happen at the end of the season," Memphis coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters. "It's a setback for our players and our fans. Injuries have made it frustrating but our guys still have no quit in them."
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (49-28): Reserve swingman Evan Turner stood out with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against the Timberwolves to record his first triple-double in exactly four years, that one coming as a member of the Boston Celtics. Turner made all five of his field-goal attempts in 25 minutes of action while playing arguably his best game of the campaign. "I just do what I'm asked. Whatever my minutes are, just go with the flow," Turner told reporters. "Play defense. I've been distributing. That's pretty much it. I got the most minutes I've got in a while and I made shots so I'm just going with the flow. I just ride the wave and the most important thing is winning and closing the game."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Grizzlies are 2-1 against the Trail Blazers this season but Portland prevailed 99-92 on Dec. 19 in the previous meeting in the Rose City.
2. Trail Blazers C Enes Kanter had 20 points, 11 rebounds and a season-best four blocked shots in the win over Minnesota.
3. Memphis PG Delon Wright matched his career best of 25 points in last month's win over Portland.