PORTLAND — For a few fleeting moments, the Portland Trail Blazers felt strong again.
Moments before Saturday’s game, Wesley Matthews strode onto the Moda Center court as the crowd chanted his name. Portland’s Iron Man wore the helmet of his on-court superhero alter ego.
An elaborate video presentation played on the scoreboard. It cast the Blazers as warriors in a post-apocalyptic landscape.
The message was clear. Despite being outmuscled and overmatched in the first two games of their playoff series against Memphis, the Blazers weren’t going down without a fight.
Then the arena lights came back on and woke the Blazers from their fantasy.
The mauling by the Grizzlies resumed shortly afterward.
Before and during Saturday’s 115-109 loss, the Blazers puffed up their chest and yelled.
But as much as Portland postured, it didn’t change the reality that Memphis is stronger, more physical and more able to assert its will on the game.
“Every time it looked like we were getting it going, they would slow it down and drop it into the post,” Blazers guard Damian Lillard said.
Memphis outscored Portland 48-30 in the paint, including 40-20 through three quarters. The Blazers had just five offensive rebounds and zero second-chance points.
And every time Portland clawed within single-digits, including within three points with less than three minutes to play, Memphis imposed its will. The Grizzlies worked the ball inside and muscled the Blazers back out of reach.
It was refreshing to see anger and emotion from the Blazers after two listless showings in Memphis. But there’s a big difference between talking tough and playing tough. By halftime, most of Portland’s yelling was directed at the officials.
But the referees aren’t the reason Portland now trails this series 3-0. Memphis has exploited the Blazers’ major weakness — their inability to trade body blows when the game turns into slugfest.
Memphis was like quicksand. The more the Blazers fought and flailed, the more trouble they got in.
Portland needed a superhero to save them. They needed Matthews.
The Blazers offseason could begin after Monday’s Game 4. Matthews is a free agent and, assuming he can be 80 percent of the player he was before his Achilles tendon ruptured, the Blazers should bring him back.
When Matthews went down, it was the coup-de-grace that finally felled a team that had absorbed injuries like a sponge.
Of course, it’s a risk to throw the money Matthews will command at any player coming off such a serious injury. If anything, the downward spiral at this season’s end should increase Matthews’ value, not lessen it.
To make noise in the Western Conference, Portland needs to become more physical, especially on defense. They need a steel chin that won’t crack in a slugfest.
The Blazers had a player who fit that profile on their bench Saturday.
Too bad he was wearing street clothes.
