Shaedon Sharpe's hoarse voice, caused by a cold, didn't diminish his sense of humor. Despite battling the cold, Sharpe delivered a pair of crucial free throws and a game-saving block that forced the Portland Trail Blazers into overtime, where they emerged victorious over the Memphis Grizzlies with a score of 115-113 in their In-Season Tournament opener on Friday night, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Even while dealing with his illness, Sharpe managed to contribute 22 points and logged the most minutes on the team with 46.
Jerami Grant led the Blazers with 26 points, which included a pivotal 3-pointer during overtime, and he also secured eight rebounds, marking Portland's third consecutive win.
Malcolm Brogdon showcased his skills with 24 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds, and three steals. Desmond Bane had a standout performance for the Grizzlies with 33 points and eight rebounds, but it wasn't enough as they suffered their sixth consecutive loss at the start of the season.
Memphis was in the lead with a score of 100-90 when David Roddy's dunk occurred with 3:21 remaining in regulation, but Portland mounted a comeback, narrowing the gap to 102-100 after Brogdon made two free throws.
Sharpe then tied the game with a pair of free throws with only 8.3 seconds left and proceeded to block Luke Kennard's corner attempt, forcing the game into overtime tied at 102.
Sharpe's step-back 3-pointer gave the Blazers a 109-106 lead with 1:17 left in OT, and Grant's 3-pointer with 39.1 seconds remaining extended the lead to 112-108.
Both the Grizzlies and the Trail Blazers are part of West Group A in the new tournament, alongside the Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, and Phoenix Suns. These tournament games count toward the regular season records, except for the final, scheduled to take place in Las Vegas in December. The Blazers will host the Grizzlies again on Sunday for a regular game.
Portland (3-3) played without rookie guard Scoot Henderson due to a right ankle sprain and was already missing guard Anfernee Simons, who underwent a procedure to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb earlier in the week. Simons is expected to be sidelined for up to six weeks.
Memphis currently stands as the only winless team in the NBA, facing its worst start to the season since the 2002-03 team began 0-13.
Bismack Biyombo, recently signed by Memphis, had a brief debut late in the third quarter. A 12-year NBA veteran, Biyombo had played for the Suns in the previous two seasons.
The Grizzlies continued to miss Ja Morant, who was suspended for the first 25 games of the season for conduct detrimental to the league after an incident involving a gun on social media.
After the Blazers held a 33-26 lead in the first half, the Grizzlies responded with a 13-0 run to go up 39-33 in the second quarter, capped by Bane's 3-pointer. Another basket by Bane extended the lead to 44-35.
Portland managed to close the gap with a 10-0 run, and Sharpe's 3-pointer allowed the Blazers to regain the lead at 52-51. They entered halftime with a narrow lead of 54-53.
The Grizzlies had a slight edge of 77-76 at the start of the fourth quarter following a back-and-forth third period.
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: The next In-Season Tournament game is scheduled for November 10 at home against the Utah Jazz.
Trail Blazers: The next In-Season Tournament game is slated for November 14 in Utah.