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
The Memphis Grizzlies rolled over the Portland Trail Blazers in game one of the Western Conference Quarterfinals, 100-86. Led by a balanced scoring attack by Beno Udrih, Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, the Grizzlies’ took a 1-0 lead in the series over the injured Blazers.
Mike Conley finished with 16 points in 24 minutes for Memphis, as he returned from injury for the first time in four games.
Mike Conley flexing on them after the and-1! #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/ymKtxu8x8B
— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) April 20, 2015
Game two will see some added fire power from a talented Trail Blazers squad. Arron Afflalo will be returning from injury, and it gives Portland some much needed scoring for a team that finished seventh in the regular season in team scoring at just over 103 points per game.
The Grizzlies’ exploited the Trail Blazers defense in game one going off for 86 points in the first three quarters. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph combined for 31 points and 20 rebounds on the night giving Memphis a balanced scoring attack in the front court.
"“Beno gets the game ball,” Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph said. “With Mike being out, helps him get his confidence up and playing.” – ESPN."
Memphis improved to 34-3 on the season when scoring 100+ points in a game. Tony Allen also returned for the Grizzlies’ after missing the last nine games with a hamstring injury. Allen finished with three steals on the defensive end in only 25 minutes.
Who’s hot?
Beno Udrih scored 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting for the Grizzlies. He was a spark early in the game, hitting 7-of-7 shots to open up the game. Udrih has torched the Trail Blazers’ this year in Memphis. He’s 16-of-21 from the floor in his last two home games against Portland.
Keys to victory
- The Grizzlies’ must maintain their front-court presence against this Trail Blazers team. Memphis outscored Portland 52-38 in the paint.
- Take away the presence of Damian Lillard. The All-Star point guard from Portland finished with 14 points on the night going 5-of-21 from the floor, and 0-of-6 from three point territory. This will probably be Lillard’s worst game, so the Grizzlies’ must contain him in order to keep having success.
- Limit team turnovers. The Grizzlies’ did a great job limiting turnovers in game one against Portland. Memphis finished with eight turnovers, that only led to 11 Blazers’ points.
Prediction
The Trail Blazers’ came out flat in game one and never led at any point in the game. The Grizzlies’ did an outstanding job setting the tone early against an injured Portland team.
With Arron Afflalo set to return for Portland on Wednesday night, it’s going to add another weapon to their arsenal. Memphis should be ready for game two, having yet another three days to rest.
Tony Allen and Mike Conley will be able to heal further, giving the Grizzlies’ a chance to take game two on their home court.
Look for Memphis to handle Portland again, but in a close battle resulting in a 102-94 victory. The Grizzlies’ will take a 2-0 series lead back to Portland, where it’s only just beginning.