Grizzlies' injury-exception signing Douglas plays hero against Blazers
The Memphis Grizzlies continue to survive a seemingly devastating slew of injuries by getting contributions from both the likeliest and unlikeliest sources.
On Thursday night, when Marc Gasol once again carried them with 36 points and nine rebounds, it was point guard Toney Douglas - playing in just his third game since the Grizzlies signed him using a league-sanctioned injury exception - who nudged Memphis across the finish line against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Douglas scored the last six points of the game for the Grizzlies - including the game-winning free throws with a half-second remaining - to seal an 88-86 win after Memphis trailed by 13 points with seven minutes remaining.
He started with this pull-up jumper over the outstretched arm of Ed Davis, putting the Grizzlies up one with 34 seconds to play.
After the Blazers retook the lead, Douglas drove past Al-Farouq Aminu, drew a blocking foul on Damian Lillard, and casually drained both freebies.
Mason Plumlee split a pair to tie things up, before the Grizzlies, naturally, put the ball back in Douglas' hands for the final possession. He dribbled toward the right corner and briefly lost the handle, which baited Lillard into an ill-advised reach. Douglas went up for the shot just as Lillard stuck his arm out, the refs blew the whistle with 0.5 on the clock, and that was all she wrote.
Douglas, who scored only two combined points in his first two games after being plucked from the scrap heap, finished with 11 points and three assists in this one. He scored six and dished all three of his dimes in the final three minutes.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies continue to be the league's greatest escape artists. This was their fifth consecutive win - all of them coming by five points or less. They're now 10-0 in such games this season.
They're also the league's resident cockroaches. All five of those wins have come without starting point guard Mike Conley, and they're now 16-8 despite having a negative point differential.