Thursday night features a surprising matchup between two of the last three unbeaten teams in the NBA as the Memphis Grizzlies travel to face the Portland Trail Blazers. The contest marks Portland guard Ja Morant’s first game against his former franchise after the Grizzlies traded him during the summer. According to DraftKings Sportsbook odds reported by CBS Sports Headlines, Portland enters the matchup as a 7.5-point home favorite with an Over/Under set at 232.5 total points.
Portland’s New Look and High-Powered Offense
Portland owner Tom Condon generated criticism for penny-pinching moves and letting coach Tiago Splitter leave for the Chicago Bulls after a playoff appearance last season. Condon subsequently hired former Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori on a deal where only the first season is guaranteed, giving the franchise full leverage with team options for the second and third years. Despite the front office turnover, the Blazers have opened a season 3-0 for only the second time in the last 15 seasons, powered by an exciting roster that includes Morant and franchise icon Damian Lillard.
Acquired in June for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, Morant has fit in seamlessly as a team player, averaging 16.3 points on 58.8% shooting and 6.3 assists per game. Lillard, who missed all of last season due to injury, is contributing 21.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists nightly. Alongside backups Jrue Holiday and Scott Henderson, forward Deni Avdija paces the team with 22.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game.
Portland currently leads the NBA in scoring at 129.3 points per contest, along with made field goals per game at 45.7 and an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.24. The team is 2-0 in clutch-time games this year and is priced at +2800 to win the Western Conference, following a 136-129 victory against the previously unbeaten Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.
Memphis Seeks to Continue Surprising Start
While Portland’s strong start is not entirely unexpected, the Grizzlies sitting at 4-0 during a rebuilding phase following the trades of Morant and Jaren Jackson is a surprise. It marks only the second time in franchise history that Memphis has opened a season with four consecutive victories. Coach Tuomas Iisalo has emerged as an early candidate for Coach of the Year.
Journeyman guard Ty Jerome has driven the Memphis offense, earning reigning Western Conference Player of the Week honors and emerging as an early leader for the NBA Most Improved Player award. Jerome has raised his career scoring average of 9.7 points to 29.8 points per game while leading the league in second-half scoring at 19.0 points and fourth-quarter scoring at 10.0 points. The team’s future is otherwise centered around rookie Cameron Boozer, second-year player Cedric Coward, and third-year center Zach Edey.
Memphis has benefited from playing four opponents who are well under .500 and capitalized on opponent injuries, such as Monday’s 110-105 win in Utah where Jazz stars Jackson and Lauri Markkanen exited in the first half. The Grizzlies have led at halftime in all four games and shot 39.1% from beyond the arc while holding opponents to 32.4%.
Portland won three of four matchups in the head-to-head series last season and has claimed the last three home games against Memphis. Thursday’s game concludes a four-game road trip for the Grizzlies, a span they have not completely swept since November 2013, with a SportsLine projection favoring the Blazers by a score of 117-111.
