The Memphis Grizzlies were unable to slow down the hot-shooting Portland Trail Blazers as they fell 140-135 (OT) on Friday afternoon at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando.
The Grizzlies struggled on the defensive end in the first quarter as Portland shot 62.0 percent from the floor in the opening period. CJ McCollum got off to a strong start with eight of the Blazers 35 first quarter points. Jonas Valanciunas got things going early for Memphis, scoring 12 points and grabbing three rebounds in the first. Portland outscored Memphis 14-6 in paint points to give them a 35-30 edge after one quarter of play.