The Portland Trail Blazers snapped out of their recent funk in emphatic fashion Friday night, putting together one of their most complete performances of the season in a 135-115 blowout win over the Memphis Grizzlies. The victory ended a six-game skid and pushed Portland to 24-28 on the season - just enough to keep them clinging to the 10th seed in the Western Conference playoff picture.
But while the scoreboard was kind, the injury report wasn’t.
The night took a turn at halftime when the team announced that Shaedon Sharpe would not return due to soreness in his left calf. He logged just 14 minutes before exiting, contributing two points (both from the line), two rebounds, and two assists.
He missed both of his field goal attempts and didn’t look quite like himself before the early exit. Sidy Cissoko stepped into the starting lineup to begin the third quarter in Sharpe’s place.
No update yet on the severity of the injury, but it’s a tough blow for Portland if Sharpe is sidelined for any stretch. The 22-year-old has been one of the Blazers’ most consistent offensive threats this season, averaging 21.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. He’s been logging 30 minutes a night and shooting 45.6% from the field - not to mention he’s fresh off signing a four-year, $90 million extension last October.
Should he miss time, expect more minutes to open up for Cissoko, Vit Krejci, and Blake Wesley - all of whom have carved out roles in the Blazers’ rotation already.
Now, back to the good news: Portland’s offense came alive after a sluggish start. The Blazers trailed by 11 at the end of the first quarter and were down as many as 15 early, but they flipped the script before halftime, taking a 68-64 lead into the break.
From there, it was all Blazers. Portland outscored Memphis 67-51 in the second half, including a dominant 38-23 third quarter that effectively put the game away.
Jerami Grant led the charge with 23 points, continuing his steady veteran presence. Jrue Holiday added 20 points and dished out seven assists, keeping the offense humming. In total, eight Blazers finished in double figures - a testament to the team’s balanced attack.
One of the most encouraging signs? The return of Scoot Henderson, who made his season debut after recovering from a left hamstring injury.
The rookie played just over 21 minutes and made the most of them, stuffing the stat sheet with 11 points, nine assists, five rebounds, and a steal. He also had five turnovers and four fouls - signs of rust, sure, but also of a player getting his legs back under him.
And then there was Donovan Clingan, who owned the paint. The big man pulled down 17 rebounds - seven of them on the offensive glass - and chipped in 13 points. His work on the boards helped Portland rack up 13 second-chance points, a key edge against a Memphis team that’s been struggling with size and depth.
The Blazers won’t have much time to celebrate this one. They’ll run it back against the Grizzlies on Saturday night in Portland, then host the 76ers on Monday. But if they can channel the energy and execution they showed in this win - even without Sharpe - they’ll be a tough out.