Damian Lillard was struggling. He couldn't shake Mike Conley and couldn't hit a shot. He couldn't contain Conley either and the Blazers were falling apart. They dropped the series' first three games and looked lifeless while doing so.
Trail Blazers vs. Grizzlies Game 5: Time, TV schedule and how to watch NBA playoffs 2015 online
Portland travels to Memphis where it will try to keep its season alive.
But in Game 3 Conley got hurt, his face pretty much smashed. That meant Memphis would have one less body to throw at Lillard in Game 4, which meant Portland’s point guard could actually be, you know, semi productive. Lillard, it turned out, was just waiting for Conley to leave the floor. He exploded for 32 points, and also dished out seven assists, and the Blazers staved off elimination in front of their home crowd.
Of course, no one believes that they’ll win four games in a row here, let alone Wednesday night’s Game 5 matchup in Memphis. They’re just too thin, especially with Wesley Matthews out.
The bigger question with Game 5 is: will this be LaMarcus Aldridge’s last in a Blazers uniform? The reports are already swirling that Aldridge could be looking to leave Portland when he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. You’d like to think that he’d use some perspective when making this decision and not just consider one series worth of games, but you never know. Another blowout loss might make him feel wary about this team’s future.
As for Memphis, well for them it's all about figuring out how to move forward without Conley. That won't be easy. Conley is the Grizzlies' best perimeter scorer, and really the only player on the team who can break down a defense with his dribble. Losing him is a killer. Nick Calathes and Beno Udrih are capable backups, but neither should be getting starter's minutes in a playoff series. They will be now, though, which means Memphis head coach Dave Joerger has some things he needs to figure out.
How to watch
Place: FedEx Arena
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
TV: TNT
Online: WatchTNT
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