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The Portland Trail Blazers emerged victorious in an OT thriller versus the Memphis Grizzlies. Jaren Jackson Jr's 33 point performance went in vain as the game marked the return of Bosnian centre and key player Jusuf Nurkic for the Portland Trail Blazers. C.J. McCollum had a stat line of 33 points and 6 rebounds and star point guard Damian Lillard contributed with 29 points and 9 assists. Veteran forward Carmelo Anthony hit a few clutch shots to keep the Portland Trail Blazers in the game.
The Memphis Grizzlies would be lamenting over lost chances to win the game in regulation time. The Memphis Grizzlies are still in contention for the NBA playoffs and this loss might strike a big blow to their hopes of doing so.
Ja Morant comes alive in the second half for the Memphis Grizzlies, back court gets the job done for the Portland Trail Blazers
NBA Rookie of the Year contender Ja Morant had a slow start to the game. However, he elevated his performance in the second half and made some scintillating plays in the second half of the game against the Portland Trail Blazers. He finished with 22 points and a game high 11 assists. Another Memphis Grizzlies rookie Brandon Clarke chipped in with a useful contribution of the bench and finished with 15 points.
The Portland Trail Blazers have relied on the back court partnership of star guards Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum this NBA season. Damian Lillard is being considered as a lock for the All-NBA team. However, his close friend and teammate CJ McCollum finished the game as the highest scorer and hit some clutch shots down the stretch.
The Portland Trail Blazers also got useful contributions from forward Carmelo Anthony who scored 21 points in a tight game. Jusuf Nurkic made a much awaited NBA return after missing time due to a nasty injury last season. He scored 18 points, grabbed 9 rebounds and dished 5 assists against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Also read: Philadelphia 76ers vs Indiana Pacers Prediction and Match Preview - 1st August 2020
In their next NBA game, the Memphis Grizzlies will be facing Gregg Popovich's San Antonio Spurs who are without their star power forward LaMarcus Alridge who is out due to injury. The Memphis Grizzlies will be looking to win their rest of the games in order to finish in the playoff spot. On the other hand, the Portland Trail Blazers will be facing eastern conference heavy weights Boston Celtics in their next match in the NBA bubble.
