The Memphis Grizzlies have intently watched Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard lay waste to three opposing defenses over five days to the tune of 154 points, anticipating that the two teams could meet again at the NBA bubble.
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Memphis had hoped Brooklyn would defeat Portland on Thursday so that the Grizzlies could snatch back eighth place and then need only defeat Phoenix once, rather than face the task that awaits them this weekend. At the time, the game appeared to be huge because Portland trailed the eighth-place Grizzlies by 3 1/2 games and had to finish within four games in order to force a play-in series.
Two weeks later, it turns out that the win proved to be important because it stands as the separating factor between Portland being eighth rather than ninth heading into the play-in round, which begins Saturday morning. Memphis had a chance to secure the eighth seed had Portland lost Thursday night to Brooklyn. The Blazers won 134-133.
Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins, when asked if he had been pulling for the Nets to win, avoided the question as if the answer wasn’t a given.
“Obviously, if they had lost we’re the eighth seed,” Jenkins said Friday. “That would have been great. But it’s one of those things … we have to control our own destiny.”
That requires defeating the Blazers twice this weekend, rather than taking down Phoenix once had Portland lost to the Nets or the Grizzlies defeated Portland two weeks ago
How to watch
Date: Saturday, Aug. 14 | 2:30 p.m. ET
Location: Disney Wide World of Sports — Orlando, Florida
TV: ABC | Live stream: fuboTV (try for free)
Odds: Trail Blazers -6 | O/U: 232.5
What’s next?
The Portland Trail Blazers vs Memphis Grizzlies face off for the eighth-seed in the Western Conference standings will be a potential two-match series. Since the Trail Blazers currently occupy the eighth spot in the standings, a victory in the first match will end the series and see them qualify for the NBA playoffs.
However, if the Grizzlies beat them in the first game, the Trail Blazers will have another chance in a winner-take-all Game 2 of the NBA play-in series. Memphis will have to win both games in order to leapfrog Portland into the eighth spot.
The winner of the series will then take on the Los Angeles Lakers on August 19 in Game 1 of the first round of the NBA playoffs.
Portland Trail Blazers vs Memphis Grizzlies live schedule and timings
August 16
Portland Trail Blazers vs Memphis Grizzlies Game 1: 12:00 am IST
August 17
Portland Trail Blazers vs Memphis Grizzlies Game 2 (tentative): 2:00 am IST
Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard has been on absolute fire the last three times Portland has taken the floor, averaging an absurd 51 points in the last three games, all of which have been wins for the Blazers. Portland has seen great production from Carmelo Anthony and Gary Trent Jr., the latter of which has transformed himself into a solid wing defender who essentially locked up Luka Doncic in their game against the Mavericks. The only issue, however, is that CJ McCollum has reportedly played the last three games with a fracture in his lower back, limiting his contribution so much that he’s shooting just 17.6 percent from 3-point range. He’s managed to average 40 minutes in each of the last three games, however, it’s uncertain how much he’ll be able to continuously contribute in this play-in game, and in the playoffs if the Blazers advance.
Grizzlies: Memphis has been incredibly underwhelming in the bubble, so much so that it played itself right out of the No. 8 spot in the West. It doesn’t help that Jaren Jackson Jr. went down after three games with the Grizzlies with a torn meniscus, significantly hindering their chance for success. Without Jackson, this team is completely different, and Ja Morant will have to be relied upon heavily in order to have a shot at winning this contest. Morant’s averaging a double-double (19 points, nine assists), and Memphis has also seen solid production from Dillion Brooks (20 points per game), however, this team is going to need a lot more than just those two players to pull a win out here.
