The Portland Trail Blazers jumped out to a hot start, going up 10-2 in the opening couple of minutes with hot shooting that was nowhere to be found in their Game 1 loss. But just like Sunday, their shooting trailed off into broken possessions and desperate heaves against the brutal grind of the Grizzlies' defense.
Trail Blazers vs. Grizzlies 2015 results: Memphis goes up 2-0 with dominant defense
The Grizzlies’ “grindhouse” defense showed up again, and the Trail Blazers had no answers.
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Although Portland had a few comeback attempts in them, Memphis repulsed them all down the stretch on their way to a 97-82 win and a 2-0 lead in the series.
Marc Gasol struggled with his shot (4-15) but led in every other way, still tallying 15 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three blocks. Tony Allen made his impact felt everywhere on the floor, both with his nine rebounds and anywhere else he was needed -- as is the Tony Allen way. This save could almost be called a dagger, coming late in the fourth quarter with the Blazers trying to make one final push.
Now the Trail Blazers must hold serve on Saturday in Portland down 2-0. Their home court advantage is well-known and Aaron Afflalo may return, but against a Memphis team that is clicking, nothing is in their favor.
Here’s three things we learned from the win.
1. Mike Conley is a warrior
The injured Memphis point guard keeps battling it out, despite saying after Game 1 that it feels like he’s walking on golf balls. He had 18 points in 29 minutes after a 16-point, 24-minute performance on Sunday. His ability to fight through the pain -- and the job the Grizzlies’ trainers are doing to ease his discomfort as much as possible -- are crucial for Memphis to pull off a deep playoff run.
Beno Udrih has been excellent off the bench, but he's also banged up. Conley has to keep it going, even if every step is painful, as TNT's Lewis Johnson found a unique way to point out in Wednesday's telecast.
2. LaMarcus Aldridge isn't getting enough from Damian Lillard
Aldridge went for 24 points and 14 rebounds, shooting 7-20 on his way there. It’s not a great matchup for him against Memphis’ huge bodies and their endless seven footers (OK, two and Zach Randolph), but he’s finding ways to produce.
Unfortunately, his costar Damian Lillard hasn’t had the same success. In the first two games, Lillard is now shooting 10-37 for just 32 points. He’s not creating shots either, only recording four assists. Most teams struggle against Memphis, it’s true. Their defense is brutal when operating at its highest efficiency, like it has these past two games. For Portland to recover in this series at all, though, Lillard has to find a way to give Aldridge some help.
3. This series could be more fun
Conley's doing his best, but it's no fun knowing he's hobbled more than usual. Portland's Wesley Matthews is out for the year while Aaron Afflalo, though hoping to return this series, has missed the first two games. Chris Kaman also sat during Wednesday's game after rolling his ankle in practice.
In some ways, it’s lucky the two teams drew each other, evening their odds just slightly. But for the viewers, it’s a shame these teams aren’t quite at full strength. This NBA was seemingly cursed with injuries right and left this season, something that hopefully isn’t a ongoing trend going forward.
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