Damian Lillard looked up at the scoreboard and sighed.
Just one second earlier, the electronic buzzer signaling the end of the game had echoed throughout the arena.
121-100. The Portland Trail Blazers had suffered a crushing road loss!
Lillard remembered that at this time last year, against the same Grizzlies team, they had only lost by six points.
Then, in the very next game, he had answered back with a beautiful game-winner to tie the series at 1-1.
But this year, the situation was completely different.
They had been steamrolled right from Game 1.
"The game is over. The Grizzlies win by a massive 21-point margin, the largest gap of the playoffs so far this season! In fact, if the Grizzlies hadn't barely tried during garbage time, the Trail Blazers never would have cut the deficit to 21."
Hubie Breen was right. Twenty-one points was the result after the Trail Blazers had successfully narrowed the gap.
For most of the fourth quarter, the difference had actually been over 30.
Portland's backcourt duo had put up decent numbers. McCollum scored 30 points and went an efficient 4-for-6 from beyond the arc.
Lillard scored 34, shooting 46.2% from the field.
But aside from those two, the Trail Blazers had no third player in double figures. The Grizzlies' defense was simply beyond what Portland's other players could handle.
On the other side, besides Link's 32 points and Conley's 29, three other Grizzlies players had also scored in double figures.
Five players on the team had reached double digits. Portland's defense looked as flimsy as paper in front of the Grizzlies.
Lillard shook his head, then happened to see Link walking toward him.
"Sorry, Damian, but I told you already—I didn't want to battle you guys through six games again this year." Link opened