The Memphis Grizzlies took care of business at the Grindhouse. They showed no mercy to the banged up Portland Trail Blazers, and came away with two double-digit wins. Mike Conley, injured foot and all, has shone in the first two games as he and the Grizzlies backcourt have supplied enough offense, while their excellent defense has silenced any Blazer not named LaMarcus Aldridge.
The Blazers now have an uphill battle ahead of them as they return home for Games 3 and 4. But can they make their terrific homecourt advantage count and make this a more competitive series? Get ready for Game 3 with our preview below.
Saturday is stuffed with Game 3’s galore. Get primed for the other three with our preview of the Hawks vs. Nets, the Bulls vs. Bucks and the Warriors vs. Pelicans.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Memphis Grizzlies vs. Portland Trail Blazers Game 3 Preview
Series Scores & Schedule
Game 1 — April 19 Portland Trail Blazers 86 at Memphis Grizzlies 100
Game 2 — April 22, 8:00 PM ET, Portland Trail Blazers 82 at Memphis Grizzlies 97
Game 3 — April 25, 10:30 PM ET, Memphis Grizzlies at Portland Trail Blazers – view all NBA lines
Game 4 — April 27, 10:30 PM ET, Memphis Grizzlies at Portland Trail Blazers
Game 5* — April 29, Time TBD, Portland Trail Blazers at Memphis Grizzlies
Game 6* — May 1, Time TBD, Memphis Grizzlies at Portland Trail Blazers
Game 7* — May 3, Time TBD, Portland Trail Blazers at Memphis Grizzlies
* If necessary
Betting on the Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies simply ground the Blazers’ offense to a halt at the Grindhouse. They held Portland to a pitiful 36 percent shooting, including 30 percent from three, in the first two games of this series and came away with convincing 14- and 15-point wins.
[sc:NBA240banner ]With Tony Allen finally playing and wreaking havoc on that end of the floor (he’s got four steals and four blocks in two games), the Grizz have been able to play the trademark defense that made them the West’s No. 2 seed for most of the regular season.
The other big story for the Grizzlies thus far in this series has been their terrific guard play. After Mike Conley and Beno Udrih combined for 36 points in Game 1, it was Courtney Lee’s turn to tag team with Conley in Game 2. The Grizzlies’ starting backcourt scored 36 points on 14-of-22 (63 percent) shooting with Udrih (10 points) slowed by a sprained ankle.
The guards have compensated for the fact that the Grizzlies’ fearsome frontline of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol has struggled shooting the ball through the first two games. The two combined for 25 points on 9-of-31 from the field in Game 2.
With Damian Lillard living up to his title as one of the worst point guard defenders in the league and the Blazers missing Wes Matthews’ defense, expect the Grizzlies guards to continue being very productive.
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Betting on the Portland Trail Blazers
Poor LaMarcus Aldridge. The Blazers All-Star is giving it his all against the Grizzlies, averaging 28 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks through the first two games. Unfortunately, no other Blazer is playing quite at that level.
Damian Lillard is having a terrible series on both ends of the floor. He’s averaging 16 points on just 27 percent shooting (1-of-11 from beyond the arc) and playing his trademark terrible defense. Meanwhile, CJ McCollum, who’s playing through a sprained ankle, hasn’t shot much better. He’s gone just 4-of-21 (19 percent) from the floor through two games, and Nicolas Batum is 10-of-27.
The Blazers will hope that the extra day’s rest and the shift back home to Portland can fix their broken shots. Lillard, in particular, will need to rediscover the playoff heroics that saw him average 23 points on 44 percent shooting in last year’s postseason.
They will also be hoping that extra day is enough for Chris Kaman’s ankle and Arron Afflalo’s shoulder to heal up. Both missed Game 2 due to those injuries, which left the Blazer bench very bare. Portland’s reserves have been outscored, 65-37, in the first two games.
The shorthanded Blazers will have the rabid support of their home crowd to help give them a lift. The Blazers went 33-9 at home during the regular season (No. 4 in the entire NBA), but have gone 14-6 (10-10 against the spread) in their last 20 at the Moda Center.
Writer’s Prediction
The Grizzlies get another solid performance from their defense as they win 91-85 on the road.
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