The Memphis Grizzlies moved to within one win of advancing to the second round of the NBA Playoffs with a narrow victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday. The Grizzlies now set their sights on a possible series sweep when the two sides square off again in Game 4 this coming Monday.
Who will prevail in this Western Conference clash? Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this pivotal game and while you are at it, you can check out our previews of Atlanta vs. Brooklyn and Chicago vs. Milwaukee.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Memphis Grizzlies vs. Portland Trail Blazers Preview
Series Scores & Schedule
Game 1 — April 19 – Portland Trail Blazers 86 at Memphis Grizzlies 100
Game 2 — April 22 – Portland Trail Blazers 82 at Memphis Grizzlies 97
Game 3 — April 25 – Memphis Grizzlies 115 at Portland Trail Blazers 109
Game 4 — April 27, 10:30 PM ET, Memphis Grizzlies (+3) at Portland Trail Blazers (-3); total: 193.0 – view all NBA lines
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
There is just no stopping the Memphis Grizzlies.
[sc:NBA240banner ]The Grizzlies hacked out a highly-emotional 115-109 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday to grab a commanding 3-0 series lead in their Western Conference First Round showdown. It’s the first time in their franchise history that the Grizzlies have nabbed a 3-0 edge in a playoff series.
Much has been said about Memphis’ defense and the role it will play in the Grizzlies’ pursuit of the NBA title this season but it was their offense that took center stage in the victory last night. All nine players who suited up for the Grizzlies in Game 3 had at least five points. A total of five players scored in double-figures for Memphis.
Leading the way for the Grizzlies was Spanish big man Marc Gasol. He scored 25 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out four assists in another impressive all-around performance. He’s having an exceptional series, averaging 18.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists in the three games thus far.
The victory came at a huge price, however, for the Grizzlies. Veteran guard Mike Conley departed late in the third quarter after taking an errant C.J. McCollum elbow to the face. He had 14 points and four assists in Game 3. The injury to Conley couldn’t have come at a worse time for head coach David Joerger. The Grizzlies are already without the services of Beno Udrih who suffered an ankle injury in Game 2 and didn’t play on Saturday.
Fortunately for Memphis, backup guard Nick Calathes stepped up big time for them in Game 3. He had 13 points, four rebounds and three assists in 27 minutes of action in that game. He can expect those minutes to rise even further if Conley is unavailable for Game 4.
The Grizzlies are 5-2 ATS in their last seven road games.
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Betting on the Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers stumbled to their seventh consecutive defeat against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday to leave their playoff fates hanging in the balance. The Blazers are now down 3-0 and in case you haven’t heard it yet, no team in the history of the NBA has rallied from that kind of series deficit.
At first glance, the Blazers should have won Game 3. Four Portland players scored at least 20 points on Saturday as the Blazers finally breached a gritty Memphis defense. Prior to Game 3, the Grizzlies were allowing just 84 points per game this postseason. In Game 3, the Blazers scored a whopping 109 points.
Unfortunately for the Portland faithful, it was their defense that failed to show up in Game 3. They allowed the Grizzlies to shoot 46.8% from the field, better than their postseason average of 44.5%. The Blazers had difficulty stopping the Memphis bigs as the Grizzlies outscored them, 48-30, inside the paint.
It didn’t help matters that LaMarcus Aldridge had one of his worst performances of the season. Although he scored 21 points in Game 3, he shot just 6-of-18 from the field. His shooting was simply atrocious in the first half, going 1-of-10 from the floor during that period.
For Portland to extend its season, it needs a huge outing not only from Aldridge but also from Damian Lillard as well. Lillard, who averaged 21 points and 6.2 assists per game in the regular season, has been a disappointment for the Blazers in this year’s playoffs. He’s averaging just 18.0 points and 4.3 assists in three games against the Grizzlies this postseason.
His shooting from beyond the arc has been out of whack in this series, going just 3-of-18 from the three-point area against the Grizzlies. The Blazers need Lillard to start draining his outside shots for Portland to stretch the Grizzlies’ tight defense.
The Blazers are 6-4 SU in their last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Memphis (+3) wins, 92-81, to advance to the second round of the 2015 playoffs.
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