Grizzlies: Contributor score predictions @ tough Portland Trail Blazers

The Memphis Grizzlies lost a heartbreaker at the Los Angeles Lakers a couple of days ago. The game came down to a Ja Morant missed free-throw, which nobody will fault him for. The Grizzly point guard played his heart out, scoring 40 points against one of the most talented teams in the entire league.

Memphis will continue their road trip to Portland, where they take on the Trail Blazers in what is usually a pretty entertaining matchup. Last year, we saw Dillon Brooks and Damian Lillard jawing at each other, so despite the fact that Brooks is still benched with a broken hand, this one could get chippy.

The Blazers are 1-2 on the year, with some clear offensive issues. They scored 134 and 121 in their first two games but scored just 86 against a Clippers team that Memphis beat.

Can the Memphis Grizzlies move to 3-1 against the Portland Trail Blazers? Our contributors weigh in.

Jack Williams (Site Expert): There’s a lot of controversy as to who the Grizzlies’ biggest rival is — I think the Trail Blazers could have a say in that discussion. Four of five matchups dating back to the 2019-20 season have finished with a scoring margin of seven points or fewer, leading me to believe that we’ll get another close one. I think we’ll get another great Ja Morant-Damian Lillard matchup and another high-scoring game between these two teams. That said, I have to take the Grizzlies in a close one.

Final Score: Memphis Grizzlies 131, Portland Trail Blazers 127

Jacob Ellerbee: The Grizz are looking to bounce back after a very tough loss against the Lakers on Sunday. Their opponent: a struggling Portland Trail Blazers that just got smoked by 30 points against the Clippers. I’m looking forward to the Ja Morant and Damian Lillard matchup. Despite Dame’s slow start (17.0 ppg, 2-for-24 from three), these two alphas are going to do their best to one-up each other all game. No one in the NBA is playing better than Ja Morant right now, so I’m taking the Grizz in this one 117-111.

Final Score: Memphis Grizzlies 117, Portland Trail Blazers 111

Will Jones: The Grizzlies once again find themselves facing a team that needs a win. I think Lilliard has a big game after his slow start to the season and infamous Grizz killer CJ McCollum helps pour it on the Grizz. Overall, the depth of this Memphis roster paired with them feeling like they should’ve won the last one should help them pull out an offensive shoot-out led by Ja Morant, who will be continuing his monster start to the season with another 30+ point performance.

Final Score: Memphis Grizzlies 132, Portland Trail Blazers 124