Grizzlies bash Blazers in Game 1 rout

[April 20, 2015]  MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- A year ago, the Portland Trail Blazers went into Houston and stole the first two games of a first-round playoff series on the way to upsetting the Rockets in six games. On Sunday night at FedExForum, however, the Blazers never even had a lead. Not once.

With reserve point guard Beno Udrih scoring a playoff career-high 20 points and forward Zach Randolph and center Marc Gasol posting double-doubles, the Memphis Grizzlies rolled over the Trail Blazers 100-86 to take a 1-0 advantage in their first-round Western Conference playoff series.

"Well, we got beat," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "Memphis outplayed us at both ends. I know we can play a lot better, and we're gonna need to."

The narrative leading up to Game 1 was this was matchup of two teams batting injuries. Guard Arron Afflalo (shoulder strain) did not play for Portland, but Memphis point guard Mike Conley (foot sprain) and swingman Tony Allen (strained hamstring) did return to action.

Also back were the Grizzlies' trademark stifling defense and post-first offense.
 

"It felt great that we played the way we know can play," said Conley, who scored 16 points. "That was Memphis Grizzlies basketball."

Up by 19 points at halftime, the Grizzlies stretched the lead to 29 points late in the third quarter and were ahead 86-62 going into the fourth quarter. Portland never drew closer than 14 points.

"We were mad after the game," said Blazers forward Nicolas Batum (15 points, seven rebounds). "We were mad because we know we are a better team than that. What we showed tonight is not us."

Meanwhile, Memphis guard Courtney Lee, who scored nine points, said the win over the Indiana Pacers in the season's last game to clinch home-court advantage, and then the series-opening win against Portland, rinsed away the residue from the team's so-so play after the All-Star break (16-13).

"A breath of fresh air," Lee said.

The Grizzlies got 16 points and 11 rebounds from Randolph, and Gasol added 15 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks. Forward Jeff Green had 11 points and six rebounds.

Udrih also chipped in seven rebounds and seven assists. He scored 13 of his points in the first half.

"I just felt great," said Udrih, who shot 9-for-14 from the floor. "I got to my sweet spots, knocked down a couple of shots, and it got me going."

Forward LaMarcus Aldridge scored a game-high 32 points for the Trail Blazers, going 13-for-34 from the floor. Aldridge also pulled down 14 rebounds and blocked four shots. Point guard Damian Lillard finished with 14 points on 5-for-21 shooting, and he had eight rebounds.

They appeared equally frustrated, though only Aldridge got a technical -- at 2:49 in the first quarter, which was deep enough into the game that the Grizzlies' physicality was established.

"The Bruise Brothers," Allen said of Randolph and Gasol.

"At this point, they know our offense well," Lillard said. "That's playoff basketball. Nothing is going to be easy. I'm not going to get too many great looks, especially with me and LA (LaMarcus Aldridge) being such a huge part of the offense. I just have to make shots. I have to use screens better."

Said Stotts: "We struggled offensively to start and never got out of it."

The Grizzlies held Portland to 33.7 percent shooting (32-for-95). The Blazers shot 30.8 percent from 3-point range (8-for-26). Memphis shot 44.3 percent (39-for-88) overall and won the points-in-the-paint battle 52-38.

Memphis coach Dave Joerger said that defensively the Grizzlies tried to crowd Aldridge, "load it up and jam it up a little bit."

Aldridge says he knows that each night against Randolph will be part wrestling match, part basketball game.

"It's going to be physical," Aldridge said. "That's just how he plays. I thought I had a bunch of shots I should have made. I felt like I was too eager early, and it put me in a bad rhythm early.

"You can tell guys it's going to be a physical (series), but you don't really understand that until you get in it. Now, I think they get it."

NOTES: Portland G Arron Afflalo sat out Game 1 with a shoulder sprain. Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts did say that Afflalo "gets better every day." Afflalo missed the last three games of the regular season. For the season, he averaged 13.3 points per game. ... The Grizzlies are one of just two Western Conference teams to make the playoffs each of the past five seasons. The other is the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs. ... Memphis swept Portland 4-0 during the regular season.

[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.