In a first quarter with no shortage of ugly basketball against the Los Angeles Lakers, a lone fragment of hope checked in with 6:55 left. When the dust settled and the horn sounded, the Trail Blazers had 28 points. Jerami Grant had nearly a third of them. That fervor continued into the second quarter; with Shaedon Sharpe struggling, Grant took up the mantle and continued to push, scoring three quick ones to begin the next frame. The pace never really let up for Grant, who finished with 22 points in 28 minutes.
It’s time for General Manager Joe Cronin to step up and do something his predecessor, Neil Olshey, never dared: sell high.