On a disappointing night in Portland, the Trail Blazers endured a demoralizing 132-87 defeat against the Memphis Grizzlies at the Moda Center. The match was marked by a significant absence of key Memphis players, Ja Morant and Desmond Bane, who were both sidelined due to injuries. Yet, the Grizzlies' depleted lineup hardly presented an advantage for the struggling Blazers.
The Blazers fell behind by 19 points in the first quarter and trailed by as many as 25 points in the second quarter, setting the tone for a lopsided contest. As the game progressed, the Grizzlies extended their dominance, leading by an overwhelming 35 points in the third quarter. Portland's performance on the night was epitomized by their paltry shooting from beyond the arc, hitting just 4 of 42 attempts for a meager 9.5% success rate. Such inefficiency rendered Portland’s offensive output a woeful 80.9 points per 100 possessions, the lowest mark of the NBA season.
Portland's season record dropped to 3-8 following the loss, marking their third consecutive defeat. This dip in form prompted a frank and stinging critique from head coach Chauncey Billups. "It was just f---ing embarrassing, to be honest with you," Billups stated bluntly. His comments pierced through any sugarcoating, illustrating the depth of his discontent. "We were soft as hell the whole game. Nobody really fought. It was just embarrassing."
Billups did not shy away from expressing his disappointment with the entire team's effort. "I'm not just going to pinpoint one or two guys; they all were terrible. But for the most part, everybody, they all sucked," he remarked. Billups' harsh assessment was compounded by the lack of resilience displayed by his players, as he further lamented, “We've lost by more points than this, but it's how. It's how. It's just you're laying down and just kind of caving in and giving in.”
Beyond critiquing effort, Billups shouldered the burden of responsibility as the leader of the team. "At the end of the day, that's on me. I'm the leader of this. This is our team, but I'm the head of this. So, to me, I take that very personally," he reflected, indicating his commitment to rally the team out of its current predicament.
For the Blazers, this blowout loss was not just another notch in the loss column. Billups stressed the psychological impact on his players, urging introspection after the lackluster performance. "I told 'em that anybody that sleeps well tonight, you're a loser. It’s just that simple. You sleep well after this one, you’re a loser," he candidly stated, confronting the team's apparent passive mindset during the game.
The Portland Trail Blazers will have little time to dwell on this defeat as they face back-to-back games against the Minnesota Timberwolves, commencing with the NBA Cup on Tuesday. As the schedule intensifies, the Blazers must regroup and reignite the fighting spirit Chauncey Billups knows they possess. Despite the night's outcome, Billups remains optimistic that this subpar performance is an anomaly, noting, “I really don't know where that came from, to be honest with you. We scrap. That's what we do. We don't win all our games -- not even close -- but we fight. We don't lay down. And today they laid down.”