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After an ugly defeat in Memphis last week, the Blazers evened the score with the Grizzlies Wednesday night, winning in Portland. Memphis kept the game close for a while, but couldn’t threaten the Blazers after they made a run to open the fourth quarter. Here were a few essentials from Portland’s third straight win.
- Damian lights up the third. Again. Lillard scored 15 points, including some incredible shots that somehow rattled in. He single-handedly put the Blazers back into the lead.
- The “good bench” make another appearance. After Memphis took an early first-quarter lead, Portland’s second unit took over. Rinse and repeat in the late third and early fourth quarters. If this bench can continue this play, Portland’s looking good.
- Remember when Marc Gasol was relevant? Gasol was invisible most of the night, deferring on offense while taking a back seat on defense. Memphis made a small late run when Gasol took on more duties, but it was far too late to matter. His scoring reached double-digits on what was essentially a garbage time three-pointer, the first one he made in six attempts.
What’s Next
A Friday night date with the Utah Jazz.