--Memphis made its first seven shots of the second quarter, shot .500 from the field in the first half and still trailed 48-36 at intermission -- in part because the Grizzlies didn't attempt a free throw in the first half
"What that told me, they weren't aggressive attacking (the basket)," Portland coach Nate McMillan said. "We were getting stops and rebounding." --Portland -- the league's top rebounding team -- won the battle of the boards 50-28, grabbing a season-high 21 off the offensive glass. The Blazers had a 28-8 advantage in second-chance points.
"That's our strength," said Brandon Roy, who led the Blazers with 21 points and added eight rebounds and four assists despite sitting out the fourth quarter. "We gave them one shot. That was the key to the game. They didn't get many attempts from the field."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Right now, it's about taking care of business for us. For Memphis, there is nothing left for them." -- Portland guard Rudy Fernandez, on the task at hand for the playoff-bound Blazers.
