Portland @ Memphis preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 3, 2019 ) Memphis 89, Portland 116

The Portland Trail Blazers and host Memphis Grizzlies are separated by three games on the fringe of the Western Conference playoff race as they prepare to do battle Wednesday night in their final game before the All-Star break. The Grizzlies have vaulted themselves into the eighth spot in the West by virtue of a 14-4 surge, which includes a 106-99 win at Washington on Sunday.

Rookie Ja Morant recorded his first career triple-double with 27 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds in the victory as Memphis pushed its record back over .500. "I feel like we all here just have a chip on our shoulder," Morant told reporters. "Like I said before, they had us picked to win 26 games this year. That's a chip right there, and we just passed that tonight. But the chip won't leave." The Blazers lost their third straight road game with Tuesday's 138-117 setback at New Orleans, which posted the highest-scoring effort by a Portland opponent this season. Damian Lillard was held to 20 points - his lowest total in over a month - for the Blazers, who were outscored by 23 points in the second half.

TIME: 8 p.m. ET. TV: NBCS Northwest/Blazers Pass, FS Southeast

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (25-30): CJ McCollum also scored 20 points in Tuesday's loss and Carmelo Anthony added 18, but offense was not the issue against New Orleans, which shot 53.3 percent from the floor for the game and broke it open after the break. "Transition for the most part," coach Terry Stotts told reporters when asked what the issue was in a third quarter in which his team gave up 41 points. "Offensively I don't know what we shot in the quarter, but we gave up a lot in transition." Hassan Whiteside finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds for his eighth double-double in the last nine games.

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (27-26): Memphis survived Sunday's contest despite a 5-of-32 showing from the 3-point line and a 15-of-25 effort at the foul line. "It took some gutsy stuff out there," coach Taylor Jenkins told the media. "This is, I like to think, kind of a defining moment for our guys, having to kind of fight through one of the toughest offensive nights for us." Shooting guard Dillon Brooks missed all eight of his 3-point tries and is 2-of-17 from long range in February after shooting 45.5 percent in January.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Memphis is shooting 23.8 percent from beyond the arc over its last five games, even with a 12-of-25 effort at Dallas last Wednesday thrown in.

2. Blazers SF Trevor Ariza is 10-of-13 from the floor over his last two games.

3. The teams split four meetings last season with the home team winning each time.

PREDICTION: Grizzlies 115, Trail Blazers 108