PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (11-17) VS. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (17-11)
Wednesday, December 15, 7:00 p.m. (Pacific) • Moda Center
Portland, Oregon
SERIES HISTORY
ALL TIME: Trail Blazers lead, 53-42
PORTLAND HOME: Trail Blazers lead, 29-19
MEMPHIS HOME: Trail Blazers lead, 24-23
LAST PORTLAND WIN: 116-96, 10/27/21 (Por.)
LAST MEMPHIS WIN: 120-113, 4/25/21 (Mem.)
CURRENT WIN STREAK: Two (Por.)
SERIES NOTES
• Wednesday's game is the second of four meetings between the Trail Blazers and the Grizzlies during the 2021-22 season. Portland leads the season series, 1-0
• LAST MEETING: Portland beat Memphis at Moda Center on Oct. 27, 116-96. The Trail Blazers were led by CJ McCollum, who finished with 25 points (8-21 FG, 4-9 3-PT, 5-6 FT), six rebounds and two assists. Desmond Bane led the charge for Memphis with 19 points (7-12 FG, 4-7 3-PT, 1-1 FT), three rebounds and one assist.
• Damian Lillard recorded a double-double of 20 points (6-22 FG, 4-11 3-PT, 4-4 FT) and 10 assists to go with three rebounds against Memphis on Oct. 27. He has scored 20-plus points and made at least two three-pointers in nine straight games against the Grizzlies.
• Anfernee Simons recorded 17 points (6-10 FG, 5-7 3-PT), three rebounds, two assists and two steals in 28 minutes off the bench against the Grizzlies on Oct. 27.
• Jusuf Nurkic recorded 17 points (6-8 FG, 0-1 3-PT, 5-8 FT), eight rebounds, three steals and one block against the Grizzlies on Oct. 27.
• Dillon Brooks missed the game against Portland on Oct. 27 while recovering from a left hand fracture. In three games against the Trail Blazers in 2020-21, Brooks averaged 20.3 points (48.9% FG, 40.0% 3-PT, 91.7% FT), 4.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.00 steal.
• Jaren Jackson Jr. had seven points (3-13 FG, 1-7 3-PT), two rebounds and four assists in 18 minutes against Portland on Oct. 27. He has scored 13 or more points in five of his seven career games against the Trail Blazers.
• CONNECTION: Portland guard Norman Powell and Memphis forward Kyle Anderson were teammates at UCLA for two seasons from 2012-14.
NEWS AND NOTES
RESERVE SNIPERS: Anfernee Simons (26 points, 6-12 3-PT) and Ben McLemore (15 points, 5-6 3-PT) combined to make 11 three-pointers off the bench against Minnesota on Dec. 12. They became the first pair of Portland teammates to each make at least five three-pointers off the bench in the same game in franchise history.
30 AND 10: Damian Lillard had 31 points and 10 assists against the Suns on Dec. 14, marking his 39th career game with at least 30 points and 10 assists. Only James Harden (93), Russell Westbrook (72) and LeBron James (51) have recorded more games of at least 30 points and 10 assists since Lillard entered the NBA in 2012.
HE'S HERE, HE'S THERE, HE'S EVERYWHERE: Robert Covington had season highs of five steals and four blocks against the Timberwolves on Dec. 12. It was the seventh time in team history that a player had at least five steals and four blocks and just the third time it has happened off the bench.
MAXIMUM NORM: Norman Powell scored 26 points (8-23 FG, 1-7 3-PT, 9-11 FT) at Golden State on Dec. 8, marking his second straight game with 20-plus points and his eighth such contest this season. Powell is one of five players in the NBA that is averaging at least 17.0 points while shooting better than 46.0% from the field and 40.0% from the three-point line (Towns/Wiggins/Valanciunas/John Collins).
BIG HALF FOR LITTLE: In the first half at Golden State on Dec. 8, Nassir Little scored 18 points (5-5 FG, 2-2 3-PT, 6-10 FT) to go with six rebounds, one assist and one block in 22 minutes. He left the game three minutes into the second half with a left calf cramp. His 18 points for the game marked the second-highest scoring output of his career.
LAST FIVE GAMES
Game #28 - Phoenix 111, Portland 107 (OT) — December 14, 2021, Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
The Trail Blazers fell to the Suns, 111-107, in Portland's first game decided in overtime this season ... Damian Lillard led the Trail Blazers with a double-double of 31 points (11-31 FG, 5-16 3-PT, 4-5 FT) and 10 assists to go with two rebounds and one block ... Norman Powell added 23 points (9-17 FG, 3-7 3-PT, 2-3 FT), six rebounds and two steals ... Jusuf Nurkic logged his 11th double-double of the season, finishing with 17 points (7-11 FG, 0-1, 3-5 FT), 13 rebounds, five assists and one steal in 39 minutes ... Larry Nance Jr. chipped in nine points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals in his second start of the season ... Deandre Ayton led the Suns with 28 points (12-17 FG, 4-5 FT), 13 rebounds, one assist and two steals ... Chris Paul had a double-double of 24 points (10-19 FG, 1-1 3-PT, 3-4 FT) and 14 assists to go with eight rebounds and three steals in 41 minutes.
Game #27 - Minnesota 116, Portland 111 — December 12, 2021, Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
The Trail Blazers lost their fifth straight game, a 116-111 defeat at the hands of the Timberwolves ... Anfernee Simons led the Trail Blazers with 26 points (9-20 FG, 6-12 3-PT, 2-3 FT) in 33 minutes off the bench to go with one rebound and three assists ... After missing five games with an abdominal injury, Damian Lillard returned to record 24 points (5-17 FG, 3-14 3-PT, 11-15 FT), 11 rebounds and six assists in 37 minutes ... Ben McLemore had 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting from deep in 15 minutes off the bench ... Larry Nance Jr. started his first game of the season and finished with eight points and 12 rebounds ... Robert Covington had three points, five rebounds, three assists, five steals and four blocks in 34 minutes ... Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 24 points (7-13 FG, 2-7 3-PT, 8-9 FT), four rebounds and three assists ... Karl-Anthony Towns had 23 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.
Game #26 - Golden State 104, Portland 94 — December 8, 2021, Chase Center, San Francisco, California
Portland fell to 0-2 against the Warriors this season after losing at Chase Center, 104-94 ... Norman Powell led the shorthanded Trail Blazers with 26 points (8-23 FG, 1-7 3-PT, 9-11 FT), five assists and one steal in 43 minutes ... Nassir Little had a season-high 18 points (5-8 FG, 2-4 3-PT, 6-10 FT) to go with six rebounds, one assist and one block in 26 minutes before leaving the game in the third quarter with a left calf cramp ... Little scored all 18 of his points in 22 first half minutes ... Jusuf Nurkić logged a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds to go with six assists before fouling out in 28 minutes ... Dennis Smith Jr. recorded 12 points, six rebounds, five assists, one steal and two blocks ... Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 22 points (8-19 FG, 6-17 3-PT), two rebounds, two assists and one steal in 33 minutes ... Jordan Poole had 20 points, three rebounds and two assists.
Game #25 - LA Clippers 102, Portland 90 — December 6, 2021, Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
The Trail Blazers dropped their third straight home game, falling to the Clippers at Moda Center, 102-90 ... Jusuf Nurkić scored a season-high 31 points (12-19 FG, 1-2 3-PT, 6-10 FT) to go with five rebounds, one assist and one block in 30 minutes ... It was the fourth time in his career that Nurkić scored 30-plus points ... Norman Powell had 29 points (10-24 FG, 2-8 3-PT, 7-8 FT), five rebounds and one assist in 44 minutes ... Dennis Smith Jr. played 39 minutes in his second straight start, scoring 13 points to go with six rebounds, seven assists, one block and one steal ... Robert Covington had a season-high 10 rebounds to go with two points, one assist, three steals and two blocks ... The Clippers were led by Paul George who finished with 21 points (9-18 FG, 0-3 3-PT, 3-5 FT), eight rebounds, four assists and four steals in 39 minutes ... Marcus Morris Sr. had 17 points, two rebounds and four assists.
Game #24 - Boston 145, Portland 117 — December 4, 2021, Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
The Celtics raced to a 38-23 lead at the end of the first quarter and did not look back, defeating the Trail Blazers in Portland, 145-117 ... Boston shot 56.3% from the field and 56.8% from the three-point-line, connecting on 21 three-pointers ... CJ McCollum led Portland with 24 points (8-21 FG, 3-9 3-PT, 5-7 FT), one rebound, six assists and one steal ... In his first start of the season, Dennis Smith Jr. scored a season-high 21 points (7-14 FG, 1-3 3-PT, 6-8 FT) to go with four rebounds, six assists and three steals ... Jusuf Nurkić had 18 points and five rebounds in 20 minutes ... Cody Zeller led the Portland reserves with 10 points and eight rebounds ... Jayson Tatum and Dennis Schroder led the Celtics with 31 points each ... Enes Freedom had nine points and 15 rebounds in 22 minutes for Boston ... Payton Pritchard scored 19 points (6-12 FG, 5-10 3-PT) in 18 minutes off the bench for the Celtics.
INJURY NOTES
The Trail Blazers, playing on the second of a back-to-back, have yet to release an injury report.
For the Grizzlies, Brandon Clarke (right knee; soreness), Sam Merrill (left ankle; sprain), Ja Morant (left knee; sprain + health and safety protocols) and Ziare Williams (left ankle; sprain) are out.
BROADCAST NOTES
Wednesday’s game can be seen locally on ROOT SPORTS with Kevin Calabro, Lamar Hurd and Brooke Olzendam calling the action. On the radio side, Travis Demers, Michael Holton and Jay Allen will have the call on Rip City Radio 620 AM and on all of the stations of the Deschutes Brewery Trail Blazers Radio Network.
ARENA NOTES
The Trail Blazers and Rose Quarter are requiring all guests ages 12 and up attending any event at the Rose Quarter, including Winterhawks games, to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or provide proof of either a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of the event or a negative lab-based rapid test taken within 48 hours of the event. At-home tests will not be accepted.
Kids under age 12 can come to events without proof of vaccination or proof of a negative test unless sitting within 15 feet of the court and benches at a Trail Blazers game. All guests must wear a mask at all times while on the Rose Quarter campus.
Click here for more information on Moda Center’s health and safety protocols.