The Memphis Grizzlies (4-3) travel to Portland to face the Trail Blazers (5-1) in the first matchup of the 2022-23 NBA season between these two teams.
The Blazers, having been off since winning a home game against Houston Oct. 28, will face the Grizzlies without the services of superstar guard Damian Lillard. The 32-year-old is currently sidelined with a calf injury and likely will be back at some point during their upcoming six-game road trip, according to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report.
The Grizzlies themselves have had their fair share of injuries. Let’s take a look at the current injury report.
Memphis Grizzlies vs Portland Trail Blazers injury report
For the Grizzlies
Steven Adams -Questionable (jaw)
Desmond Bane – Questionable (right ankle)
Jake LaRavia – Questionable (non-covid illness)
Ziaire Williams – Out (right patellar tendinitis)
Danny Green – Out (left knee surgery recovery)
Jaren Jackson Jr. – Out (right foot surgery recovery)
For the Blazers
Josh Hart – Questionable (concussion)
Damian Lillard – Out (calf)
Gary Payton II – Out (abdomen, conditioning)
Trendon Watford – Out (hip)
Olivier Sarr – Out (right wrist)
The injury report will be finalized at 5 PM central time on Nov. 2.
What uniforms are the Grizzlies wearing on Nov. 2 at Portland?
The Grizzlies are wearing their white Association Edition jerseys and the Blazers are wearing their red Statement Edition jerseys for this Nov. 2 matchup at the Moda Center.
Memphis Grizzlies Starting Lineup vs Trail Blazers
Here’s the starting lineup you can expect to see Taylor Jenkins utilize for the game if Bane and Adams are ruled out:
PG: Ja Morant
SG: John Konchar
SF: Dillon Brooks
PF: Santi Aldama
C: Brandon Clarke
Memphis Grizzlies vs Portland Trail Blazers Prediction for Nov. 2
The Grizzlies need to get off to a strong start against the confident and scrappy Blazers tonight. They need to rectify the atrocious play from Monday’s blowout loss to Utah and demonstrate that the poor defense, shooting and poor effort was an anomaly and not the start of a downward trend.
It’s easy to make excuses with the team having to play without Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr., but also having to rely on several first and second-year players to steady the ship.
With the Blazers not having played a game in four full days, this is the perfect opportunity for the Memphis Grizzlies to try and catch Portland out of sync by playing hard and playing fast.
Prediction: Memphis 117, Portland 115
What channel is the Memphis Grizzlies game on?
The Grizzlies game is scheduled to begin at 9 PM CT. In the Memphis market, fans can watch the game on Bally Sports Southeast. For everyone else, you’ll be able to see the game on ESPN upon conclusion of the Boston Celtics at Cleveland Cavaliers, which is scheduled to begin at 6:30 PM CT.
Grizzlies Next Game and Schedule
The Memphis Grizzlies will return home for three consecutive road games after the contest against Portland. Here’s how the quick, three-game home stand shakes out:
- Nov. 4 vs Charlotte Hornets
- Nov. 6 vs Washington Wizards
- Nov. 7 vs Boston Celtics
The Grizzlies won’t see the Portland Trail Blazers again until Feb. 1, 2023 in Memphis.