The Memphis Grizzlies once again got an easy win over the Portland Trail Blazers to extend their series lead to 2-0 as the series shifts to Portland on Saturday. The only time Portland really had control of the game was after the first quarter where they got out to an early 21-19 lead. The rest of the game was controlled by Memphis, and they never again were at the mercy of Portland.
The second quarter was an absolute disaster for Portland, and a gift from the heavens for Memphis. The Grizzlies outscored Portland 31-18, and took an 11 point lead going into halftime. They never again gave back the lead as they continued to outscore Portland for the remainder of the game.
Memphis was led by their starting backcourt of Mike Conley and Courtney Lee. Both were tied with a team-high 18 points, and Conley added in 6 assists, a rebound, and a steal. Lee also recorded 3 steals, 2 rebounds, and an assist.
Portland was led by LaMarcus Aldridge, who led the team with 24 points, 14 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 2 steals. Aldridge also added in an assist in the disappointing loss. There was other production in the game for Portland, but nobody came anywhere close to the effort being given by Aldridge.
As the series moved to Portland, the fans are going to have to be as loud and as rowdy as they can be to help Portland gain some swagger and confidence needed to help them win a game. Portland appears down and seems ready for a final blow from the Grizzlies, but must come out strong if they are going to stand any chance of even winning a game in the series. They likely will find a way to win at least one of the next two games at home in order to stay relevant in this series, but Memphis is probably going to find themselves in the Western Conference semifinals.
