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--> --> Grizzlies beat Blazers in Memphis debut MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - The town better known for Elvis Presley, the blues and barbecue had waited more than three decades for a big league team to call its own. The NBA's Grizzlies didn't disappoint. Michael Dickerson led five Grizzlies in double figures Tuesday night as Memphis debuted with a 99-95 exhibition victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in their new hometown. Coach Sidney Lowe couldn't have been more impressed. "It did not feel like an exhibition game. The crowd was so into the game, and that got the adrenaline going in our players. We want them to be the loudest fans in the NBA. Tonight they really showed their support," he said. The Grizzlies did their best to hold up their end as Lowe played four of his five starters at least 30 minutes each, including Dickerson and Jason Williams for 35 each. Williams got the fans going with 19 points and 11 assists highlighted by a couple of alley-oop passes to Stromile Swift for dunks and some behind-the-back passes. "I think the whole team is pretty happy with the turnout we had," Williams said. "I think they did a great job. They did all they could do, and we did all we could do by getting them a win." They needed to make a good impression with their first game to boost ticket sales. A crowd of 14,250 showed up Tuesday night, about 3,000 less than capacity at The Pyramid, which is serving as their temporary home until a new $250 million arena is built. The Grizzlies started quickly, scoring the first nine points. Swift, who finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds, had the honors of the franchise's first bucket in Memphis off a jumper seconds into the game. He also grabbed the first rebound. But Portland exposed Memphis' weak bench by erasing an 11-point lead with a 24-1 run that started in the first and included the first 13 points in the second quarter. The Trail Blazers extended that lead to 46-27 on a bucket by Rasheed Wallace midway through the second and led 54-48 at halftime. The Grizzlies trailed 78-74 after three, and Nick Anderson's 3-pointer with 11:09 left in the fourth at 80-78 gave Memphis its first lead since the first period. Memphis scored the first nine points in the quarter and never trailed again with the fans cheering and standing. Derek Anderson led Portland with 20 points. Damon Stoudamire had 16 and Shawn Kemp, playing his first game since leaving the team in April for drug rehabilitation, added 10 in a reserve role. Rasheed Wallace finished with 11, and Ruben Patterson had 14. The loss spoiled Portland coach Maurice Cheeks' debut. But he said he isn't concerned over a team that won 50 games last season. "We had a couple of defensive lapses, but this is our first preseason game. Obviously, everything is not going to be the way we want it," Cheeks said. The Trail Blazers were impressed with what they saw in the NBA's newest city. "It's going to take some time for this team to build up a reputation to get the fans out," said Scottie Pippen. "They're starting to work that way." Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing