Portland Trail Blazers vs. Memphis Grizzlies: Postgame Grades and Analysis
Despite a career-high 33 points off the bench from C.J. McCollum, the Portland Trail Blazers could not withstand the Memphis Grizzlies at the Grindhouse, falling 99-93 in Wednesday's Game 5. The loss eliminates the Blazers from the playoffs, while the Grizzlies move on to face the NBA-best Golden State Warriors.
The Grizz opened a 13-point lead early in the third quarter, but a borderline flagrant foul call went against Zach Randolph as he tried to envelop LaMarcus Aldridge. That became an 8-0 Blazers run in a 45-second span with a pair of three-pointers after the foul shots, spurring the Blazers to take the lead before the quarter had ended.
But the Grizzlies kept grinding, even without starting point guard Mike Conley, who is recovering from a facial injury, and a 9-0 run midway through the fourth quarter provided all the cushion they needed as the Blazers' impressive season came to an end.
| Marc Gasol | A |
| Courtney Lee | B+ |
| Tony Allen | B+ |
| Zach Randolph | B |
| Nick Calathes | B- |
| Rest of Team | B |
| C.J. McCollum | A+ |
| Nicolas Batum | B- |
| Damian Lillard | C+ |
| LaMarcus Aldridge | C+ |
| Robin Lopez | C+ |
| Rest of Team | C |
Memphis Grizzlies
Marc Gasol, Center
Marc Gasol produced an efficient double-double as he led the team to victory. He put up a team-high 26 points on nine-of-15 shooting while collecting a game-high 14 rebounds. He also blocked a couple of shots, and it's no coincidence that the Grizzles enjoyed a 14-point lead in paint scoring.
Gasol was the main reason for Memphis' dominant 56-38 advantage on the boards. He also got to the foul line more than any other player, making eight of 10 there.
With Conley sidelined, Gasol put together a tremendous effort in a game the Grizzlies had to have. Traveling back to Portland leading only 3-2 would have cranked up the heat in the series, and taking care of Game 5 gives the Grizz some time to rest and prepare for Stephen Curry and Co.
Grade: A
Zach Randolph, Power Forward
Zach Randolph punished Portland in the early going by making his first four shots. But while that fast start got the arena rocking—Randolph went out of his way more than once to high-five some fans near the court—the game turned into a hard slog from there.
Randolph finished with 16 points on 19 shots to go with eight rebounds, though his feisty temperament nearly caused him to miss part of another playoff game. His flagrant on Aldridge for unnecessary contact was warranted, as Z-Bo did not appear to go for the ball and wrapped Aldridge around the neck.
Randolph was then whistled for a technical after bumping into Meyers Leonard, which the refs reviewed, and his reaction to the initial call could well have gotten him a double technical. After missing a Game 7 due to suspension last season, he should be wary of the sensitivities of NBA discipline.
As often happens with Randolph, he walked a thin line, but he played with intensity and ended up with the rowdy home crowd cheering a series win.
Grade: B
Courtney Lee, Shooting Guard
Courtney Lee dropped 10 points in the first half. He then added 10 points in the second half in an efficient eight-of-12 shooting performance. He chipped in two steals just for good measure.
Lee acted like the engine for the team at different points, making numerous athletic plays and aggressive drives to the rack. His timely performance helped get Memphis over the hump.
Grade: B+
Nick Calathes, Point Guard
TNT's Lewis Johnson interviewed Mike Conley during the first quarter, and the Grizz point guard still had his left eye severely swollen following facial surgery. Conley described having two plates supporting fractures around his eye, an injury sustained during Game 3 from McCollum's inadvertent elbow.
Conley's absence was acutely felt as Nick Calathes started. Calathes missed his first six shots before finally getting on the board in the third quarter. It was a forgettable offensive night for Calathes, but he did have four assists to only one turnover in addition to his six points.
Calathes also hit a clutch mid-range jumper that pushed Memphis' lead to 11 points inside of the final two minutes. And he finished with a game-high plus-19 court rating, making it a serviceable start from the reserve guard.
Grade: B-
Tony Allen, Small Forward
Tony Allen will be diagnosed as a kleptomaniac after this game. During one stretch in the third quarter, Allen nabbed three steals to help smother a Blazers run. His defense was primary, as usual, with five steals and two blocks, but he also accounted for eight points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Head coach Dave Joerger admitted in his interview with TNT (between the third and fourth quarters) that the Grizzlies have struggled to defend the Blazers backcourt—whichever player Allen wasn't guarding—without Conley. He noted that their pick-and-roll defense suffered as well.
Allen and Lee worked well together with their division of labor between defense and offense.
Grade: B+
Rest of Team
If you looked at his stat line, you might furrow your brow at seeing that Jeff Green was just two-of-nine shooting. But eight of his 10 points came in the fourth quarter, and he scored five of the points in the team's 9-0 run that put them in the driver's seat for good.
Vince Carter had a strong first half with seven points, but he only added two in the second half. He was one of three bench players to miss all three of their three-pointers, and the Grizz made only one of their 14 three-point attempts. That nearly doomed them with Portland hitting a blazing 13 out of 33 from downtown.
Beno Udrih was another of the players to miss all three of his attempts at a trey, and he managed one field goal on six attempts.
"Udrih has to come out, he can’t shoot on that ankle and can’t defend anyone. Go to Lee at PG
— Haralabos Voulgaris (@haralabob) April 30, 2015"
Kosta Koufos did not score, but he did snatch seven rebounds in nine minutes. Four of those came on the offensive glass, where the Grizzlies owned the Blazers 15-5.
Grade: B
Portland Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard, Point Guard
After he scored a game-high 13 points in the first half with three turnovers, Damian Lillard scored zero points and committed three more turnovers in the third quarter. Those errors were ill-timed in a must-win game. He also appeared to tweak his knee early in the second half after banging into Calathes.
While he got his 22 points on eight-of-19 shooting, he also misfired on seven three-point attempts out of eight tries. Lillard's six turnovers to just three assists loomed large, and he's not the first star to wither under the glaring light of Allen's defense.
Grade: C+
LaMarcus Aldridge, Power Forward
LaMarcus Aldridge reached the half with just four points on two-of-eight shooting. While he managed to reach 14 points, he still finished with 13 misses on 18 shots.
Though he added nine rebounds and two blocks to his line, Randolph emerged as the clear winner in the position battle at power forward. Aldridge fouled out in the final minute, and with free agency looming, it could possibly be his last hurrah in a Rip City uniform.
Grade: C+
C.J. McCollum, Shooting Guard
McCollum started out with 11 first-half points off the bench, which seemed really great at the time. That was nothing compared to his second half.
He found the bottom of the cup with all four of his three-point attempts in the third quarter, scoring 16 more points in the frame. Before the night was through, it was a new career high in scoring for McCollum with 33 points, as he nearly carried the Blazers on his back to a momentous road win.
McCollum finished on 12-of-20 shooting overall and seven-of-11 three-point shooting, and the Grizzlies might want to review tape of the evisceration McCollum visited upon them in advance of their second-round series against Golden State's Splash Brothers.
Grade: A+
Nicolas Batum, Small Forward
While he contributed in other categories, Nicolas Batum couldn't get his shot going. He missed 10 of his 12 shots and scored just six points, though he came up with a team-high 10 rebounds and a game-high seven assists.
But if you add Batum's one-of-seven shooting from three-point range to Lillard's one-of-eight evening, it's a shockingly poor game from two important offensive weapons while a reserve guard set a new franchise playoff record for treys.
Batum even had a chance to redeem his evening on a good look at a three-pointer in the corner with his team trailing by eight and just over a minute left. He shot an air ball. If any Blazer in addition to McCollum had managed a strong offensive showing, the team might have stood a chance.
Grade: B-
Robin Lopez, Center
Robin Lopez picked up his fourth foul early in the third quarter, eight seconds after committing his third foul. The center only saw 18 minutes as coach Terry Stotts leaned on Meyers Leonard instead. Lopez had four points, four boards and a game-high three blocks while he was out there.
Grade: C+
Rest of Team
Arron Afflalo missed both shots he attempted and did not score a single point despite starting. So what was all that talk about how he was an excellent replacement for Wesley Matthews? Afflalo played 14 minutes and finished with a minus-14 floor rating.
Meyers Leonard represents a new breed of player. He's 7'1", but the 23-year-old center can also knock down his three-pointers with regularity. He converted 42 percent during the year, and he hit three of his five attempts in Game 5 before fouling out in the final minute. He looked solid in scoring nine points and grabbing four boards.
Steve Blake added five points and a dime.
Grade: C
Coming Up Next
Thus ends an impressive season from the Blazers, victims of a strong Western Conference and a tough Grizzlies squad.
The Grizz will prepare for the high-powered Warriors next, with Game 1 slated for Sunday afternoon in Oakland at 3:30 p.m. ET. ABC will have the national broadcast.
While the Grizz probably won't be complaining about the noise, they did lose two out of their three meetings during the regular season, including a 107-84 defeat in Memphis on March 27.
