Grizzlies dominate Blazers in one-sided Game 1 win
Both the Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trail Blazers entered Game 1 of their first-round series with several key players hobbled or coming back from injuries. If Sunday’s result is any indication, then Memphis is heading into the rest of the series in far better shape.
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The No. 5 Grizzlies completely dominated the No. 4 Blazers in Game 1 at FedEx Forum, dictating the terms of the contest from the tip and cruising to a 100-86 win that wasn’t as close as the score suggests. (Note: While the Blazers have the higher seed because of their Northwest Division title, they finished with a worse record than the Grizzlies and do not have homecourt advantage in the series.) It was a very encouraging performance for a Grizzlies squad that had struggled of late and that needed to reintegrate mainstays Mike Conley and Tony Allen after their returns from their respective four-game and nine-game layoffs. Meanwhile, the Blazers will struggle to find positives with one starter still unavailable and nearly team-wide struggles in a one-sided opener.
Memphis didn’t get out to the greatest start, but they defined the game from the outset to lay the foundation for the impressiveness to come. The score was just 14-9 in favor of the Grizzlies with 2:48 remaining in the first quarter, a mark of the ways in which the hosts inflicted their grit-and-grind style on the action. It did not present an especially positive scenario for the Blazers, a team that thrives when it scores and balances touches for LaMarcus Aldridge with open looks from the outside.
That stylistic advantage turned into a major lead with the late first-quarter introduction of backup point guard Beno Udrih, who became an unlikely game-changer during his eight-minute stint in the first half. Udrih was already set to take on an increased role in this series with the questionable availability of Conley, who missed the final four games of the regular season with a right foot strain that appears to be more serious than that indeterminate language would suggest. The 32-year-old journeyman made the most of his opportunity Sunday, scoring 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting (and dishing out three assists) in the first half to turn a 12-8 advantage into a 38-22 lead when he left the game at the 7:38 mark of the second quarter.
At the other end, Portland depended heavily on Aldridge, who struggled to score against the excellent defense of Zach Randolph and assorted helpers. Our Dan Devine named the Aldridge-Randolph matchup as a potential series-decider in his preview, and that proved to be the case in Game 1. Aldridge rarely looked comfortable as the Blazers shot just 32 percent from the field in the first half (including 1-of-9 from deep). The Grizzlies kept up the offensive success that Udrih instigated and entered halftime with a 58-39 lead.
Memphis carried over its advantage to the third quarter, and the Blazers only really made the final score respectable with a 24-14 fourth quarter that carried no serious threat of a comeback. It was something like an ideal night for the Grizzlies, who entered the game needing to limit the minutes of Conley and Allen (dealing with a bum hamstring) while simultaneously enforcing their style. They succeeded — Conley played just 24 minutes and excelled with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting (with just one assist, though) and Allen played 25 minutes with his typically stellar defense on the opposing wings.
Yet the Grizzlies excelled most in shutting down the Blazers, who found little offensive consistency in shooting 33.7 percent and 8-of-26 from deep. Aldridge continued to struggle and made just 13 of his career-high 34 attempts for a game-high 32 points, and point guard Damian Lillard finished with just 14 points on 5-of-21 shooting (including no makes in six 3-point attempts). Portland got some good news with the return of starters Nicolas Batum (15 points on 5-of-12 FG) and C.J. McCollum (a nightmare two points on 1-of-8 FG in 37 minutes), but neither player was especially effective and normal starting shooting guard Arron Afflalo (himself replacing Wesley Matthews, out for the year with a torn Achilles tendon) is not likely to make it back from his right shoulder strain for Wednesday’s Game 2). It was a bad enough night for the Blazers that the greatest source of optimism may have come from backup center Meyers Leonard, who hit two 3-pointers and could be used more to draw Marc Gasol away from the hoop to clear space for Aldridge.
It can get better for the Blazers, if only because Lillard has proven himself to be a big-game player and Udrih is unlikely to go for 20 points in a second consecutive game. But their problems in Game 1 went well past a lack of standout performances, because the Grizzlies simply seemed in control of the proceedings for every meaningful minute of the game. Memphis impressed on Sunday not just because they built a big lead, but because they appeared to dominate the game even when they weren’t playing especially well.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
