Grizzlies 111, Trail Blazers 106: What We Saw

In their last home game before the first of three six-game road trips this season, the Trail Blazers picked up their second loss of the year to Memphis. Turnovers were the story, as they've been for a lot of the season, but there was a lot more that happened on Friday night. Here are the sights, sounds and observations from the Moda Center, including the Jersey of the Night.

• Justise Winslow, a Houston native, entered the arena wearing an Alex Bregman jersey. Bregman hit a two-run double a couple hours later to help the Astros tie the World Series up against the Phillies at 2-2.
• Winslow also picked the Blazers' warmup music, and he paid tribute to Takeoff, the Migos member who was tragically shot and killed earlier this week, by playing "Last Memory."
• Before tip, Chauncey Billups and Damian Lillard took the court together to give a pair of short speeches about the impact of Bill Russell on their lives and on the NBA. There were several Russell tribute videos throughout the night, a part of the league's broader get-out-the-vote effort. This was Portland's last home game before Tuesday's midterm elections; Election Day is now an NBA holiday, with no games scheduled.

• Members of the Portland Thorns, who just won the NWSL championship a few days ago, were in the building and got huge cheers when they were introduced.

• With Lillard still out, Billups continued to tinker with the rotation. Winslow became the de facto backup point guard for a lot of the first half. Results were mixed.
• In the second half, Billups rode Keon Johnson in that role and trusted him down the stretch in the Blazers' comeback. Johnson made a couple of nice defensive plays and very nearly hit a go-ahead three after they came back from 17 points down in the fourth quarter. Johnson has so far been the odd man out in Billups' nine-man rotation when everyone is healthy, but he's played well when he's had to slot in replacing Lillard.
• Speaking of Lillard, there hasn't been any official word on when he'll play again, but I'd be shocked if it's not on this road trip.
• A fan came as close to making the halfcourt shot for a new Toyota as anyone can come while missing it. A seriously impressive attempt.
• For some reason, when I was on the Bulls beat several years ago, I used to get hit by T-shirts from the cannon all the time. It's never happened in Portland, until last night. (I gave it to a kid sitting near me.)
• Jusuf Nurkic hit a career-high three three-pointers Friday night, all wide open. Anfernee Simons, asked after the game to grade Nurkic as a shooter: "If they give it to him and he gets time, most of the time he's gonna knock it down. Watching him shoot in practice, he has a good, natural shot. If he gets a wide-open three, I don't have a problem with him shooting it at all."
• Ja Morant is approaching Stephen Curry levels of visiting-player popularity. He is by far the leader so far this season in number of jerseys for players on the opposing team I've seen in the crowd, and got a decent-sized cheer in pregame introductions. After the game, there was a good-sized crowd waiting for him by the tunnel. I walked in a little after him and overheard a kid saying he was never going to wash his hand after Morant touched it. For the post-Steph generation, he's that dude.

Jersey of the Night