On the brink of elimination and at risk of being swept, the Portland Trail Blazers were in a must win situation taking place at home last night. The task was simple; it was win or go home. The Blazers had to win to keep their chances or winning a title alive.
Portland came out strong in the first half, and headed into halftime with a 7 point lead. They were in control, and only had 24 minutes needed to continue their postseason.
Memphis came out at the beginning of the second half like they were ready to end the series, while Portland was not prepared for this effort. Memphis ended the third quarter with a 7 point lead, and seemed to have full control over the game. The Blazers appeared to be over.
The fourth quarter showed just how much Portland wanted to keep playing, and even showed signs of how well they should have performed throughout the entire season. After appearing to lose hope after losing the third quarter by 14 points, Portland won the fourth by 14 points to win the game by 7. Bouncing back from this deficit proved the resilience and heart this Portland team could show throughout the rest of the series, which could be very scary for a Memphis team looking to move into the next round.
Damian Lillard was not ready to go home, and willed his team to victory to keep their season alive. In 39 minutes, Lillard scored 32 points, dished out 7 assists, grabbed 2 rebounds, and gained a steal. The Grizzlies need to contain him more so he will not have another opportunity to be a hero again similar to how he was in the Houston series last postseason.
Marc Gasol was trying to do all he could to secure the sweep, but his efforts were not enough to give him additional rest for the second round. In 41 minutes, Gasol recorded 21 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and a block. This effort on most nights would have led to a blowout win for Memphis, but unfortunately for the Grizzlies, it was simply not enough.
Until Mike Conley comes back, the Grizzlies are going to have to find a spark to make a difference and help them win a playoff game. They are so close, but the final victory is not going to come easy if Portland brings an effort similar to last night’s fourth quarter. As Portland looks to make history by becoming the first team to win a series after going down 3-0, the Grizzlies aim to keep themselves off the wrong side of the record books.
