The Grizzlies came alive on offense in Game 3 and skated to the close for a 115-109 win against Portland. Memphis now leads the series 3-0 with a chance to advance to the semifinals with a Game 4 win on Monday.
Grizzlies vs. Trail Blazers results, NBA playoffs 2015: 3 things we learned from Memphis’ Game 3 win
Memphis took a 3-0 lead in the series thanks to their offense, surprisingly.
Five Grizzlies scored at least 13 points, including Marc Gasol’s 25. Memphis’ 62 first-half points was a franchise playoff record and gave the Grizzlies a 13-point lead headed into halftime. The Grizzlies squandered the lead down the stretch, however, as Portland made a desperate run to keep fighting in this series.
Down 10 to open the fourth quarter, the Trail Blazers had one big run in them, scoring eight straight to put them within 94-91 with 2:23 remaining. Memphis answered back, finding a cutting Tony Allen as he exploded towards the rim and then hitting him again on a leak out. Free throws sealed a win.
After a couple of duds, Damian Lillard finally came out of his shell to score 22 points on 9-of-17 shooting, plus nine assists. LaMarcus Aldridge wasn't at his best, shooting 6-of-18 overall, but still managed to tally 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Nicolas Batum scored 27 and C.J. McCollum added a huge 26, but despite 47 percent shooting and just eight turnovers, Portland just didn't have enough to slow down Memphis' offense -- of all the problems you'd expect.
Here’s three things we learned from the game.
1. The Trail Blazers are feeling Wesley Matthews' absence
How could they not? Matthews was an integral part of their starting five as a tertiary offensive threat to Aldridge’s and Lillard’s two-man game, while also providing gritty wing defense wherever they needed him. His Achilles’ injury really did come at the worst possible time for everyone involved -- for Portland, for him and for NBA teams interested in acquiring his services this summer.
Matthews could have turned a few wasted possessions into points and perhaps prevented one of Jeff Green's or Courtney Lee's makes. That would have at least made the end of this game more interesting, but instead, Matthews is watching from the sidelines.
2. Mike Conley left with an injury, which could be terrible
With a 3-0 lead, Memphis can finish off Portland with or without him. But the news is that Conley didn’t finish the game and headed to a local medical facility for swelling on his left eye, which sounds terrible.
Conley is already playing through a lingering foot injury that reportedly hurts with every step. He has had the pain tolerance to battle through that, but add this on top of that and it's hard to predict anything. With a series against Golden State looming, the Grizzlies looked capable of at least giving the Warriors a run for their money. Without Conley playing like he has been, though, there's little chance of that happening.
3. Courtney Lee is indispensable
The most minutes on Memphis went to Gasol, but it was Lee who was second with 33. On a roster that has a dearth of shooters, Lee has established himself this season as a floor spacer who can do a little bit of everything. Every roster needs that type of player.
On Saturday, Lee was also only behind Gasol with 17 points scored. He’s shooting 15-of-24 in these playoffs, including 5-of-6 behind the arc, and doesn’t turn it over -- just two in the three games. Especially if Conley has to miss any extra time whatsoever, Lee’s ability to soak up extra minutes as a guard and play effective is invaluable for Memphis.
See More:
