Roy scores

game-high

21 points

JOE FREEMAN

There were no TNT video cameras and no accompanying national television audience. There was just one team in the playoff race, so there was no playoff-like atmosphere Saturday night at the Rose Garden.

And unlike Thursday's matchup against Phoenix, it all added up to very little hype --which, as Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan said minutes before Saturday night's tipoff against the Memphis Grizzlies, was exactly the scenario he was looking for.

"We're on a mission here," McMillan said. "So until it's accomplished, your approach should be the same regardless of who we play. The cameras are not here tonight. TNT is not here. But the game, for us, is just as important . . . go out and be about business."

The Blazers' mission became easier Saturday night because they were able to avoid a letdown during an impressive, if imperfect, 86-66 victory over the woeful Grizzlies before a sellout crowd of 20,680.

The victory, coupled with Phoenix's overtime loss at Utah, lowered the Blazers' magic number to four with nine games left, so any combination of Blazers wins and Suns losses will give Portland its first playoff berth since 2003. The earliest the Blazers (46-27) can clinch is April 3 at Oklahoma City.

It also moved the Blazers into fifth place in the Western Conference standings, 11/2 games behind Denver and Houston. As the countdown to the season finale continues --we're at nine games and 18 days --every game is bigger than the last. Which leads back to McMillan's pregame message: It doesn't matter if the Blazers are facing a playoff contender or a lottery hopeful --his team heard him loud and clear.

"We were business tonight," Brandon Roy said. "We just played a solid game from start to finish. We didn't give (Memphis) any moments of hope (that) they could win the game. We were just solid throughout the entire game and I think that (hurt) their spirits early. I think that's good. That's how we have to approach teams that don't have as much to play for."

And the foundation for the victory, which came thanks a 50-28 rebounding advantage and one of the team's best defensive performances of the season, was established by LaMarcus Aldridge.

Just as he did in the Blazers' victory two weeks ago at Memphis, Aldridge set a tone early for the Blazers. But unlike the previous meeting --when he drained his first six field goal attempts to ignite the offense --he did so with defense and energy Saturday night.

He was active and aggressive from the first possession, chasing loose balls, blocking shots, collecting steals and seemingly urging the Blazers to hop on his back. He had just four first-quarter points on 2 of 6 shooting, but his tenacious defense made up for it, helping the Blazers build a 25-16 lead. It was just the kind of performance that coaxed a smile from McMillan, who has long been preaching to Aldridge that he can make a difference on defense even if his offense isn't there.

"Since the first time he's told me that, I've always kept it in my head," Aldridge said. "I know I can get steals or block shots or I can stop my man from scoring, which would make it better for us. I didn't even know I was 2 for 6 because I was getting blocks and rebounding and getting steals."

The Blazers' defense would only become more stout from there, and by game's end --after they had built leads as large as 24 points --they would establish a season low for points allowed. They came close to holding the Grizzlies to the fewest points in Blazers franchise history (in 1997, the Denver Nuggets scored 63).

The Grizzlies finished with 28 field goals, missed all eight of their three-point attempts, did not attempt a free throw in the first half, and their leading scorer (rookie O.J. Mayo) had just 12 points. The Blazers' defense was especially stingy in the third quarter, when they allowed 11 points and held Memphis to 4 of 18 shooting. The Grizzlies (18-54) entered the fourth quarter with 47 points.

"They play really good help defense," Memphis forward Rudy Gay said. "They force you to do things you don't normally do. They force you to take bad shots."

There was also a little bit of Blazers offense. Roy finished with a game-high 21 points on 7 of 13 shooting and Aldridge, after shaking off his uninspiring start, added 18 points on 8 of 16 shooting. But they two of three Blazers to reach double figures in scoring (Greg Oden had 12 points) as 10 different players scored.

Instead, this victory was about perhaps the most maligned aspect of this blossoming Blazers team: Defense. And it started with Aldridge, who finished with two blocked shots, two steals and seven rebounds --and one admiring coach.

"He had a lot of bounce to him, a lot of energy to him," McMillan said of Aldridge. " 'He's definitely playing with a lot of confidence right now and it's a good time to have that."

Notes:

The victory lifted the Blazers' home success to near-record status as it improved their home record to 30-7. That makes this Blazers team the third in franchise history to register 30 wins at the Rose Garden in one season. They can become the first to win 31 on Tuesday, when the Utah Jazz visit. . . . The Blazers are a season-high 19 games over .500. . . . They won their sixth consecutive game against the Grizzlies. . . . The Blazers improved to 19-4 against teams playing the second game of a back-to-back. Joe Freeman: 503-294-5183;

joefreeman@news.oregonian.com

To read his Behind the Beat blog,

go to http://blog.oregonlive.com/

behindblazersbeat/

-- Joe Freeman: 503-294-5183;

joefreeman@news.oregonian.com

To read his Behind the Beat blog,

go to http://blog.oregonlive.com/

behindblazersbeat/