In the final days of the regular season, the Memphis Grizzlies can put aside any hopes of passing the Denver Nuggets, who are currently in first place.
The Grizzlies’ greatest challenge is wrapping up the No. They can get closer to being the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed when they play the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night.
With four games remaining, Memphis (49-29) leads the Sacramento Kings, who are in third place, by two games. When the Grizzlies lost to the host Chicago Bulls on Sunday, 128-107, they fell three games behind the Nuggets.
Memphis had a 23-point lead at one point, but the Bulls increased their intensity of play in the second half and defeated them 75-39.
The Grizzlies were 13-of-25 from 3-point range and serious two turnovers in the prevailing first half. Memphis was 6-of-18 from long range in the second half and committed 16 turnovers.
After winning 10 of their previous 11, the Grizzlies suffered their second defeat in three games.
In the game against Chicago, Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 31 points and hit five 3-pointers, a season high. In his last eight games, he had scored 30 points three times.
Desmond Bane recorded his sixth 20-point performance in a row by scoring 21 points. Ja Morant contributed 17 focuses, 10 bounce back and 10 helps for his seventh triple-twofold of the mission.
The challenge with Portland is the last home round of the customary season for Memphis. The groups split two matchups recently with the street group winning each time.
Despite a disappointing season, the Trail Blazers (33-45) did manage a solid road victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, winning 107-105.
Given that Portland continues to play without four starters, including star Damian Lillard, and has signed three players in less than a week to add some reinforcements, the victory was impressive.
One of the new pickups, monitor Skylar Mays, contributed 13 focuses and nine aids his second game with the group.
With fellow guards Damian Lillard (calf) and Anfernee Simons (foot) out, rookie Shaedon Sharpe continues to show that he is a big scorer.
Sharpe topped 20 for the sixth time in the last seven games with 27 points. During this stretch, he is scoring 24.7 points on average.
Sharpe also had six assists and six rebounds in a strong performance on the whole.
Forward Jerami Grant (quadriceps) and center Jusuf Nurkic (knee) are the other Portland starters who are out with injuries. Keon Johnson, a guard, and Cam Reddish, a forward, are both out for the Trail Blazers with injuries to their fingers.
