When the Portland Trail Blazers embarked on a five game road trek on the 23rd of February, things were not looking well. The team had fumbled away four of five inside the Rose Garden, and although their road trip schedule was littered with a few of the NBA’s finest lightweights (New Jersey, Minnesota), Portland needed to start winning again, and maybe gain back some confidence along the way.
Mission accomplished.
After trailing by 14 in the first half to the Grizzlies, the Blazers battled back and toppled Memphis 103-93 last night. The Blazers offense struggled to score 41 points in the first half, then casually dropped the same number of points in the third quarter alone (their highest output of the year). The lead was trimmed to one, thanks to the doughy delight of former Blazer Zach Randolph, but some more late game heroics from Nicolas Batum helped Portland pull away in the end.
The Blazers finished their road trip with a 4-1 record and a comfortable four game cushion in the playoff hunt. Next up: Tomorrow at home against the Indiana Pacers. We’ll be there to live blog the game and any possible Larry Bird sightings.