Memphis Grizzlies, Udrih Earn Game 1 Victory V. Portland

Analysis

First off, Mike Conley and Tony Allen were both able to play; however, forward Jeff Green started the game in place of Allen. While we will never know how this game would have went had Conley and TA not played, it was easy to see how effective both players are due to them having their fingerprints all over this evening’s home victory.

Memphis started the game on a tear. They would never trail in this game to the Portland Trail Blazers. Courtney Lee began the with intense energy for Memphis–nailing the first three-pointer of the game. It was off to the races. The Grizzlies are typically “defense first, offense second,” but it was “defense first, offense first, trail never” tonight!

The Portland Trail Blazers could not get into an offensive groove. Although Memphis is known for their stifling team defense, PDX could still not get any outside shots to go through the hoop. The Blazers’ Damian Lillard struggled throughout the game and could not get much more than a few layups to go down tonight.

As the Memphis Grizzlies’ lead grew, the excitement increased in the Grindhouse. The home crowd was going insane–just as it should be! The fans deserve credit tonight because they matched the players in energy tonight–leading to an impressive defeat of the Blazers.

Apr 19, 2015; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Courtney Lee (5) shoots over Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) during the game in game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Conley had a great game, especially considering that he has not played in a game–along with Allen–for about two weeks. He only had to play a little over 23 minutes in Game 1 since  the Grizzlies held a solid lead for nearly the entire game. Beno Udrih was prepared–as always–to get down with the grit and the grind. Boy, did Beno produce.

Udrih committed 0 turnovers in his 24 minutes of play. He also recorded 20 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists as a reserve for the Memphis Grizzlies. Sensational! Grizz Nation knows that Udrih is a solid backup point guard, but we could all get very used to these types of performances if he feels like doing this on a regular basis. He helped secure a large lead in the second quarter and the second half of the Grizzlies’ Game 1 win.

In the second half, there was a moment when Tony Allen utilized his tenacious defense and chased after the ball against a Blazers’ player. The Grindfather was signaling to the official and in the process, pointing to the Grizzlies’ direction, pulled off his signature Grindfather dance jig–thus creating a massive roar from the crowd. It was an extremely fun night in the FedEx Forum to say the least!

Apr 19, 2015; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol (33) reacts during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers in game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

When it came to three-point shooting, the Grizzlies did not attempt many shots behind the arc. Additionally, Memphis only made 33.3% of the long-range bombs. Their key to success was as always–throw it in the paint. Aside from Udrih nailing shots from midrange, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph found plenty of opportunities inside the arc. Z-Bo took LaMarcus Aldridge to town throughout the game on offense. Big Spain was nearly playing against himself–scoring in a variety of ways. The Blues Brothers of the Randolph-Gasol tandem had a typical day on the job and they were rewarded with a 1-0 series lead.

Portland’s Allen Crabbe would have to go get his stats for an easy dunk with very little time remaining on the shot clock, but Memphis held the ball and ran time off the clock for final 14 seconds.

The final score on the scoreboard read 100-86, signifying a very Grizzly victory!

Overall, this Memphis Grizzlies’ group played an excellent basketball game tonight and they looked like the true contender that Grizz Nation knows them to be.

If there were any major negatives, it would be for Vince Carter to nail more shots–although he did not attempt a plethora of jumpers tonight. Memphis also needs their backcourt to gather more rebounds because there were a multitude of times when the ball would bobble and fumble around and the Portland Trail Blazers wound gain possession at the top of the arc. Eventually, Portland should start to make shots. The Grizzlies will need to limit their chances at second-chance treys.

The box score, produced by ESPN, can be found here.