Portland Trail BlazersOpen full analysis
Memphis GrizzliesOpen full analysis
Memphis dominated Portland 119–96 on December 7 at FedExForum, with Sac Aldama leading the Grizzlies with 22 points and Jalen Wells adding 16 in a wire-to-wire victory that fell well short of the 232.5-point Vegas total. The Grizzlies' defense was suffocating, holding the Trail Blazers to 39.8 percent shooting while forcing 25 turnovers and recording 18 steals; Memphis shot 44.9 percent and made 10 three-pointers to control the tempo. Portland's Jerami Grant scored 21 points and Deni Avdija contributed 17, but the Blazers never recovered from an abysmal first quarter that saw them score just 20 points. Memphis' fourth-quarter surge (27 points) sealed the blowout after a tightly contested second half, as the Grizzlies' 106.1 offensive rating and 90.6 defensive rating underscored their efficiency advantage. The 23-point margin reflected Memphis' 51 rebounds to Portland's 40 and 28 assists to 21. This victory reinforces Memphis' defensive identity and playoff positioning in a competitive Western Conference.
