Grizzlies Fall As Portland Avoids Elimination
Game 4
Playoff basketball is always entertaining, especially when it’s elimination time. Last night the Grizzlies headed to the floor with the opportunity to close out the series against Portland. Instead they would be met by a team that played with desperation. The Grizzlies would lose at their own game as Portland would win not on outside shots but on rebounds, second chance points and dominant paint play that gave them plenty of time on the free throw line.
The first quarter was, let’s face it, a little rough. The Grizzlies lacked energy and the smothering defense that had been evident in the previous games of this series just wasn’t there. The Grizzlies allowed the Trailblazers to shoot 46.2%, 14 of their 27 points coming in the paint and 9 from second chance points. The Grizzlies would only score 4 paint points and not grab a single offensive rebound. Marc and Zach would combine for 2/8 during the first quarter and the Grizzlies dominance down low was lacking. The Grizzlies would start to claw their way back in the second quarter but the third quarter would bring about the Grizzlies team that fans had seen so far this series.
The Grizzlies defense was back for the third. The Blazers would only shoot 25% during the third quarter. Memphis would out rebound Portland, taking away their second chance point opportunities, slowing their offense. Courtney Lee would show up big in the third, making 3/3 and 2/2 from the line. His 9 points paired with Zach finding his shot again would push the Grizzlies to a 27 point quarter. Heading into the 4th the Grizzlies lead by 7 points and had exerted their will back onto the game. Portland’s energy and desperation started to fade in the wake of the stifling Memphis defense. When Jeff Green hit the desperation 3 with 8:48 left in 4th quarter, I thought it was over. That would be Green’s only make in the 4th. The Grizzlies would commit 10 of their 20 fouls in the 4th, leading to 15 Blazer points on 17 free throws. To put that in perspective, the Blazers shot a total of 21 free throws for the entire game. The Blazers would only commit 4 fouls, leading to 2 Grizzlies points. The final minutes of the game saw whistle after whistle for the Blazers, while Memphis continued to fight through traffic. Zach would end the game without a single attempt at the line. Enough about free throw because that isn’t where games are won. Portland would out rebound Memphis by 10 in the 4th, coming up with 5 second chance points. The Grizzlies quit playing their brand of basketball and paid for it.
Despite a good performance from Nick Calathes who shot 4/5 from beyond the arc, Mike Conley’s presence was sorely missed but not by Damian Lillard. Lillard would lead the Blazers in scoring with 32 points, shooting 52%. He slashed, cut and dominated the lane. Lillard averaged 18 points per game in the first 3 games of the series. His team needed a win and he made sure it happened. Tomorrow night his impact will have to be limited. The Blazers also saw Myers Leonard make his impact on the game with a double double, earned mostly in the first half of the game. He shot 5/6 scoring 13 points off the bench and matching his points with 13 rebounds.
Memphis continues to see Courtney Lee step up as a major X-factor in this series. Memphis does well from the perimeter against the Trailblazers and during this series Lee has been a serious part of that. Last night he scored 19 points on 8/11 shooting. While his continued success is important for the Grizzlies the big men will need to find a way to make a greater impact in Game 5. Zach and Marc combined for 36% shooting during Game 4.
The Grizzlies will have another chance to close out this series tomorrow night in the Grindhouse. The third quarter of this game is a perfect depiction of what the Grizzlies need to do back at home tomorrow. The Grizzlies will need to keep the Blazers out of the paint, forcing them into contested outside shots. They will need to play tight defense without fouling and force contact on the opposite end of the court. I expect to see a whole lot of Memphis in the paint and spending their fair share of time on the free throw line. Marc and Zach will need to find their shot again and come out aggressively tomorrow night. Losing at your own game has to have a sting to it. I expected this to go to 5 and look forward to watching the Grizzlies get back to Grit and Grind basketball to close out this series.
Mike Conley will still be missing from the roster. Presently, there is no timetable set for his return.
Tickets will go on sale in about 45 minutes from the moment I hit publish on this article. Tickets can be purchased that the FedEx Forum box office, grizzlies.com or ticketmaster.com. Tip off with be at 8:30pm. Get your growl towels ready and let’s finish this thing!
*All stats taken from NBA.com*
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