Portland @ Memphis preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 20, 2017 ) Portland 100, Memphis 92

The red-hot Portland Trail Blazers look to continue their winning ways against one of the worst teams in the NBA when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. The Trail Blazers, who are third in the Western Conference standings, will be seeking their 16th victory in 18 games against a team that possesses the second-worst record in the league.

All-Star Damian Lillard poured in 41 points in Tuesday's 107-103 victory at New Orleans, but he will miss the game against Memphis due to the birth of his son. "You always hear about him with the great players, but I've seen him at a crazy different level," Trail Blazers swingman Evan Turner told reporters after Lillard's latest stellar performance. "In situations like this, in must-wins and things, he always steps up. It's unreal." Memphis is coming off a rare high note as it stunned Minnesota 101-93 on Monday for just its second victory in 25 games, but center Marc Gasol wasn't all that impressed. "I don't know how you can be happy with 19 or 20 wins," Gasol told reporters. "Now it's next game, this game is over. It's how you carry it on for the next home game against the Blazers and how you build on it. Because if you think it's that bad, this game doesn't mean anything."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCS Northwest (Portland), FS Southeast (Memphis)

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (46-28): Portland is seeking its eighth consecutive road victory and looking for CJ McCollum to bounce back from a dreadful performance against the Pelicans in which he scored seven points on 3-of-19 shooting. Jusuf Nurkic played well against New Orleans, recording 21 points and 10 rebounds while also standing out on the defensive end by matching his season best of four blocked shots. Not having Lillard will hurt as the three-time All-Star has scored 20 or more points in 19 straight games, the longest stretch by a Portland player since Clyde Drexler did it in 27 consecutive contests during the 1987-88 campaign.

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (20-54): Leading scorer Tyreke Evans (personal reasons) has missed the last two games, and Wayne Selden took advantage of the opportunity to play more by scoring 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting against the Timberwolves. The 20-point effort was just the third of the season for Selden, who has scored 16 or more in five of his last six games. "Our biggest thing is coming out and playing hard every night and competing," Selden told reporters after Monday's strong outing. "Playing unselfish, I think. If we do that every night, we have a good chance. It's just getting the little things, I feel like."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Gasol averaged 17.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and three blocks as the Grizzlies split this season's first two meetings with the Trail Blazers.

2. Portland SF Maurice Harkless (left knee) was a late scratch against New Orleans, and the team announced he will undergo arthroscopic surgery on Wednesday.

3. The victory over Minnesota marked the first time Memphis has won in 22 games without Evans in the lineup this season.

PREDICTION: Trail Blazers 112, Grizzlies 105