CHICAGO - NBA analyst Mark Jackson summed it best: "The operation was a success but the patient died."
The Memphis Grizzlies did everything in the checklist to avoid elimination against the Portland Trail Blazers during NBA bubble's play-in tournament for the final playoffs berth in the West conference early today.
They shot the ball well, 45 of 92 from the field (48.9 percent), 14 of 25 from 3-land (56 percent) and 18 of 22 from the charity stripe (81.8 percent).
They took advantage of a known weakness in the Blazers' armor - rebounding - and controlled the boards with a 49-39 haul that was highlighted by a 12-9 edge on the offensive glass.
And their star leader, Ja Morant, played the game of his young life with a career-high 35 points along with eight assists and four rebounds. He went 13-of-28 from the field despite playing with a fractured thumb on his shooting hand.

Many experts, this dumb writer included, feverishly argued that Memphis doesn't have sufficient manpower and firepower to combat the battle-tested Blazers, last year's West conference finalists.
Surprisingly, the Grizzlies did.
Jonas Valanciunas had 22 points and 17 boards. Dillon Brooks and Brandon Clarke combined for a blistering 8-of-10 from long distance and finished with 20 apiece. And Kyle Anderson added 10 points and nine dimes.
ALL OF THAT STILL WAS NOT ENOUGH.
Portland 126. Memphis 122.
With the score tied at 111 with 3:08 left to play, the previously energetic Grizzlies faded toward the finish line because they did not have the experience to overcome the pressure-soaked moments,
C.J. McCollum, whose sparkle is often obscured by the giant shadow of All-Star running mate Damian Lillard, found his moment to shine in the last 81 seconds of action when the air was filled with tension and all the chips were on the table.
In the space of 29 seconds, McCollum, who posted 29 points total, drilled a 26-foot triple and a 21-foot twinner that rescued his team from the peril of an upset.

And when Memphis continued to wage stubborn resistance after that, Carmelo Anthony, a 10-time All-Star whom the metrics-driven modern NBA had once deemed washed up, extinguished the little fire by sinking a titanic 3 with 21 ticks to go.
In those fateful last 3:08, meanwhile, Morant missed a driving lay-up, bungled a 7-foot two-pointer and coughed up his eighth turnover, which turned into a Portland basket that stretched Memphis' deficit to six late.
Morant, now the clear-cut Rookie of the Year, logged in 42 minutes in a stirring display of cerebral play making and mesmerizing showmanship.
He just couldn't deliver in the end. Perhaps it was fatigue, probably the stress, or maybe even both. But falling short when the lights were the brightest isn't a knock on this 21-year old kid.

Experience is learned and earned. It doesn't come with the athletic gifts the basketball gods bestowed him. Pain and suffering is a required ritual for success.
Lillard didn't assume his usual spot at crunch time, but his 31 points and 10 assists helped set the stage for McCollumn's heroics.
Jusuf Nurkic, who lost his grandmother hours before tip-off, turned his grief into the joy of a triumphant, spirited effort. His 22-point, 22-rebound output kept the Blazers afloat especially early in the fourth quarter when Memphis was up eight and eager to run the table.
"Nobody likes to lose," Morant told ESPN. "We know we right there. Just were two games away (from the playoffs)."
So near, yet so far.
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