Blazers' league-best offense faces Grizzlies' sixth-ranked defense

The Memphis Grizzlies (4-0), owners of the NBA's sixth-best defense, visit the Portland Trail Blazers (3-0) and the league's top offense on Thursday, October 29, in a game that turns on three-point defense. Tip-off is at 10:00 PM ET.

Portland scores 125.6 points per 100 possessions, first in the league, and has a 60.6% effective field goal percentage, second. The Blazers take almost half their shots from three, the second-highest rate, so Memphis must guard the arc all night.

The Grizzlies can test that. They allow a 50.3% effective field goal percentage, sixth in the league, and have a defensive rating of 105.5, also sixth.

Memphis has an edge on the glass. It grabs 32.4% of its misses, third in the league, while Portland's defensive rebound rate of 78% ranks second. That contest decides how many second chances the Grizzlies get.

Ty Jerome leads Memphis with 29.8 points and 6.3 assists a game, and Cameron Boozer adds 10.5 rebounds. For Portland, Deni Avdija scores 22.3 a game and Ja Morant hands out 6.3 assists.

Shaedon Sharpe is out for Portland. He plays 28.3 minutes a game, the most of anyone on the report. Four more Blazers are questionable: John Tonje, Chris Youngblood, Jayson Kent and Hansen Yang. Memphis lists no injuries.

Portland beat Phoenix 124-83 at home, then won at Sacramento and at the Lakers, the latest 136-129. Memphis beat Utah 110-105 in its most recent game.

Sportsbooks' prices give the Trail Blazers a 71% chance to win. Keel's projection, built from the players available, has Portland at 66%.