In typical Grindhouse fashion, the Memphis Grizzlies pulled out a hard-fought 99-93 win over the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 5 to earn a 4-1 series victory. The win sets up a much anticipated second-round date with the Golden State Warriors.
Trail Blazers vs. Grizzlies, 2015 NBA playoff results: Memphis advances with 99-93 victory
The Grizzlies used a 9-0 fourth-quarter run to take control of the game and earn a date with the Warriors in the next round.
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The margin was just two points heading into the fourth quarter, and that's when the Grizzlies' defense really clamped down. Memphis used a 9-0 run over four-plus minutes to take control of the game, with Jeff Green scoring five big points after struggling earlier.
The Grizzlies won despite shooting under 42 percent from the field overall and 1-of-14 from three. Marc Gasol led the way with 26 points and 14 rebounds, while Courtney Lee added 20 points. Memphis made up for some of its bricks by grabbing 15 offensive rebounds and playing strong defense.
LaMarcus Aldridge had another rough outing in what could be his last game in a Blazers uniform as he heads into free agency in the offseason. Aldridge shot just 5-of-18 from the field, continuing a trend of bad shooting all series. Damian Lillard struggled as well, missing all but one of his eight three-point attempts and turning the ball over six times.
With Aldridge and Lillard off their games, C.J. McCollum kept Portland in it with a career-high 33 points off the bench that was also a franchise playoff high for a reserve. McCollum shot 12-of-20 overall and 7-of-11 from three, but it wasn't enough to save the Blazers' season.
The Grizzlies seemed determined to extinguish any hope the Blazers might have right from the start, scoring the first 10 points of the game and going up by as many as 12. Zach Randolph had his jumper going and had eight of Memphis' first 15 points.
Portland finally woke up when McCollum and Meyers Leonard came off the bench to replace the ineffective Arron Afflalo and Robin Lopez. With Leonard helping space the floor, McCollum and Lillard went to work, scoring the last 14 points of the quarter for Portland. The Blazers caught the Grizzlies at the end of one, and the game went back and forth most of the second quarter before Memphis went on a run at the end of the half to take a seven-point lead into the break.
The Grizzlies started the second half like they started the first, scoring the first six points and going up by 13. Blazers head coach Terry Stotts quickly yanked Afflalo and Lopez to get McCollum and Leonard back on the floor, and almost immediately, Portland went on a run. The Blazers went on a 22-6 spurt after those two came back in, but the Grizzlies stemmed the tide and made the necessary plays down the stretch to earn the series victory.
3 other things we learned
Grizzlies need Mike Conley to get healthy
Even though the Grizzlies pulled this game out and are moving on, they missed Conley once again and desperately need him back to have a chance against the Warriors. Nick Calathes and Beno Udrih struggled on both ends of the floor, shooting 4-of-16 combined and struggling to contain McCollum all night.
Needless to say, that duo getting big minutes likely won’t cut it against Golden State. Tony Allen will be a key contributor on defense in that series, but Conley’s presence on both ends will almost certainly be needed to upset the top-seeded Warriors. It’s still unclear what his availability will be like for the next series.
Courtney Lee's resurgence has been huge
Lee really slumped in March, but he started to pick it up in April and has carried that into the postseason. After a rather quiet Game 1, he finished the series with games of 18, 20, 19 and 20 points. Lee shot 8-of-12 from the field in Game 5, and that kind of efficient production is especially important with Conley out for the time being and Green struggling on the wing.
Blazers have something in C.J. McCollum and Meyers Leonard
McCollum and Leonard were spotty contributors over the course of the regular season, and McCollum had a real rough go of it in the first two games of this series. However, the youngsters really showed their value over the past few games. With Afflalo and Lopez offering very little, McCollum and Leonard injected some much-needed energy and shooting off the bench, which is promising for the future.
The Blazers’ bench has been a liability the last few years, but moving forward, McCollum and Leonard look like they can be anchors of a solid reserve unit. If Portland brings everybody back next season, they’ll be even more dangerous with the development of these two youngsters.
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