Trail Blazers-Grizzlies Preview

By NOEY KUPCHAN
Posted Apr 20 2012 11:56PM

Given their recent dominance at home, the Memphis Grizzlies know how valuable fourth place in the Western Conference would be.

A matchup with the slumping Portland Trail Blazers could help them inch closer to securing that spot.

Seeking a ninth consecutive win at FedExForum, Memphis squares off against a Portland team looking to snap its longest losing streak of the season Saturday night.

Winners of 11 of 14 overall, the Grizzlies (38-25) locked up no worse than the fifth seed Friday, concluding their road schedule with a 85-80 victory over Charlotte. Mike Conley posted team highs of 20 points and seven assists while Zach Randolph scored 14 off the bench for Memphis, which moved within a game of the Los Angeles Clippers, current owners of the fourth seed and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

"This was one we needed," Conley said. "This was a big win for us. We locked up the fifth spot and now we have a shot at the fourth seed, so we needed this win."

While the Clippers' remaining schedule includes visits to Atlanta and New York, the Grizzlies could have a leg up with three in a row at home. Memphis, which hosts Cleveland and Orlando following this contest, hasn't lost at home in more a month, winning eight in a row while limiting opponents to an average of 91.0 points.

Offensively, the Grizzlies are averaging 103.3 points on 49.8 percent shooting over their last three home games. They haven't won nine straight on their own floor since a franchise-best 11-game run Dec. 18-Jan. 25, 2010.

Two nights after being officially eliminated from postseason contention with a 125-107 loss at Phoenix, Portland (28-35) suffered its fourth straight defeat Wednesday, falling 112-91 in its home finale to Utah.

"I'll continue to say it. I believe it – we do have the best fans in the world," interim coach Kaleb Canales told the Blazers' official website. "It's been a challenging season for us but we appreciate what they mean to us."

Despite being assured of their first losing record since going 32-50 in 2006-07, the Blazers seem upbeat as they open a season-ending three-game road trip that also includes visits to San Antonio and Utah.

"To be honest with you, I'm really excited, because this is being thrown into the fire for our guys because we're playing three teams that are battling for playoff positions," Canales added. "It's an exciting time for us."

The Blazers, who last week shut down LaMarcus Aldridge for the rest of the season due to a right hip injury, will also be without Joel Przybilla (bronchitis) and Raymond Felton (personal reasons) in this one.

Portland had won eight straight at Memphis before falling 86-73 in its last visit Dec. 13, 2010. The Blazers have taken three straight overall matchups in this series - all at the Rose Garden.

Guard Lester Hudson was inactive Friday night after signing with the Grizzlies earlier in the day. His status for this game is unknown.

Grizzlies beat Trail Blazers 93-89

Posted Apr 22 2012 12:25AM

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) The Memphis Grizzlies are continuing their winning ways headed into the postseason even if the recent performances aren't exactly stellar.

The Grizzlies almost let a 12-point lead evaporate in the final 4 minutes before holding on for their fourth straight victory, defeating the Portland Trail Blazers 93-89 on Saturday night.

Rudy Gay scored 21 points and had a key block in the final seconds to preserve the Memphis victory as the Trail Blazers scored 10 straight points down the stretch. Gay, who was 9 of 16 from the field, turned away Wesley Matthews' 3-point attempt with about 5 seconds left to seal the win and send the short-handed Trail Blazers to their fifth straight loss.

It marked the second straight night Memphis has struggled against a sub-.500 team. The Grizzlies had to battle in the fourth quarter Friday night before winning 85-80 at Charlotte.

"Sometimes, we play to the level of our opponents," said Memphis center Marc Gasol, who had 12 points. "If we play a good team, we play a lot better. If we play the not-so-good teams, we play to their level. That's a part of the process of getting better and being a good team. At least, we get up at the end and realize that we've actually got to win."

O.J. Mayo scored 14 points for Memphis, Marreese Speights had 13 points and 11 rebounds and Dante Cunningham finished with 12 points.

"Right now, we're just trying to continue to build and get better for these playoff runs," Cunningham said. "Just trying to sharpen all our tools and make sure everything is right going into the playoffs."

J.J. Hickson had 23 points and 13 rebounds to lead Portland, while Jamal Crawford had 21 points despite going 5 of 13 from the field, part of the Trail Blazers' 37 percent shooting for the game. Matthews had 16 points and Luke Babbitt added 10.

Hickson's performance continued a nice run for the fourth-year forward out of North Carolina State. He entered the game averaging 14.4 points and 7.9 rebounds in the 14 games since he was signed off waivers by the Blazers on March 21.

"I thought J.J. had a great night, especially on the boards" Portland coach Kaleb Canales said. "He ended up with seven offensive rebounds. J.J. has been terrific for us, and we are excited to have him."

The win kept Memphis' hopes alive to try to reach the fourth seed in the Western Conference that would mean homecourt advantage in the first round. The Grizzlies moved within a half-game of the idle Los Angeles Clippers, who hold the fourth spot.

Memphis dominated inside holding a 58-32 advantage in the paint, and seemed in control until a final Portland burst late in the fourth quarter.

Hickson scored seven early points in the fourth, part of a 10-2 run that pulled Portland within 83-77 with about 7 minutes left.

Memphis coach Lionel Hollins responded by putting his starters back in the game. The Grizzlies rebuilt the lead to double digits as Gay scored inside and Gasol had two baskets.

Still, the Trail Blazers pushed back with 10 straight points and trailed 91-89 with 10.1 seconds left and they had the ball.

But after Gay blocked Matthews' 3-point attempt with about 5 seconds remaining, Mayo hit two free throws with 3.2 seconds left for the final margin.

"I was just trying to make a play," Gay said of the block. "I wanted to body him up and try to contest the shot. Obviously, he's one of those guys who can hit that shot, so I kind of knew he was going to shoot it."

The Portland push that fell just short still made for a valiant effort from the Trail Blazers, who were short-handed and playing without key pieces, such as LaMarcus Aldridge, Joel Przybilla and Raymond Felton. Nicolas Batum, the team's second-leading scorer at 13.9 points a game, was with the team but did not dress against Memphis with left quadriceps tendinitis.

"We just knew we had to give ourselves a chance," Crawford said. "We are banged up. Everybody is banged up. We are missing a lot of key guys."

Memphis led 54-45 at halftime, bolstered by Mayo's nine points in the second quarter. The Grizzlies outscored Portland 30-18 in the period, erasing an early deficit.

Memphis connected on its first five shots in the game, but managed to shoot 49 percent in the half. The Blazers, meanwhile, were at 38 percent. Seven turnovers, leading to 10 Memphis points, also hindered Portland, while Memphis committed three miscues.

Portland would end the game with 15 turnovers compared to 10 for Memphis.

The Trail Blazers were within striking distance at the end because they outscored Memphis 22-14 in the final period as the Grizzlies shot only 24 percent in the quarter.

"We held a very good team to 14 points in the fourth quarter," Canales said. "That is the defense that I am talking about, continuing to build. We responded in the second half.

"We put ourselves in a good position down the stretch, but just didn't make enough good plays."

Memphis has won 14 of its last 18 games, a stretch that included road wins at Oklahoma City, Miami and in Los Angeles over the Lakers. The Grizzlies also have home wins over Dallas and the Clippers.

"Those are the kind of games these guys get up for," Hollins said. "Then after we had that stretch of those teams, all of a sudden, we get a stretch of a bunch of teams that aren't in the playoffs. I can't say we struggled. We haven't been as focused to go out and dominate them. But we won the game, and that's also important."

Notes: C Hasheem Thabeet, the second overall pick in the 2009 draft by the Grizzlies, started for Portland, his second start of the season. ... Portland, facing all kinds of injury problems, dressed only nine players. ... The Trail Blazers entered the game with a three-game winning streak in the series. ... Memphis F Zach Randolph did not play. Asked about it before the game, Randolph said "rest." The stat sheet said "DNP-Coach's Decision."... .Memphis has won a season-high nine consecutive home games. ... Hickson's 13 rebounds matched his season high.

Notebook: Grizzlies 93, Blazers 89

Posted Saturday April 21, 2012 11:42PM

By Marlon W. Morgan, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: The Memphis Grizzlies won their fourth straight game against a non-playoff team, but just like the previous four games, they struggled to maintain their focus throughout and as a result, had to grind their way to a 93-89 win over Portland in at FedExForum. The one constant, however, continues to be the play of forward Rudy Gay, who led the Grizzlies with 21 points and had a key blocked shot to preserve the victory. The Trail Blazers were led by J.J. Hickson's 23.

QUOTABLE: "We've played a lot of really good teams. We've played Oklahoma City. We've played Dallas twice. We went to Miami and we played the (L.A.) Clippers at home. Those are the kind of games that these guys get up for. Then after we had that stretch of those teams, all of the sudden we get a stretch of a bunch of teams that aren't in the playoffs. I can't say we struggled. We haven't been as focused to go out and dominate them, but we won the game and that's also important."
-- Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins.

THE STAT: After having their way with Portland for three quarters, the Grizzlies offense went into a funk in the fourth quarter. They scored just 14 points in the final period while shooting 23.8 percent (5-for-21). In the final 4:15, the Grizzlies managed just two free throws, those coming with 3.2 seconds left.

TURNING POINT: After the Grizzlies' reserves saw a 14-point fourth-quarter lead shrink to six, the starters returned and pushed the lead back to 91-79 with 4:15 to go. But Portland answered with a 10-run, holding the Grizzlies scoreless for more than four minutes. When Memphis guard Mike Conley missed a jumper with 10 seconds left, Portland had a chance to win or tie the game, but Wes Matthews had his jump shot blocked by Gay with four seconds left. O.J. Mayo iced the game with a pair of free throws with 3.2 seconds to go.

HOT: Hickson was a dominant force for the Blazers. He made nine of his 16 shot attempts for a game-high 23 points. Hickson was also a force on the boards, finishing with a game-high 13 rebounds, seven coming on offense.

NOT: It was an off night shooting for Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley. Conley missed on eight of his 10 shots and scored just five points, eight below his season average.

NOTABLE: Former Grizzly Hasheem Thabeet not only returned to FedExForum, but the team's former first-round draft pick in 2009 was in the starting lineup for Portland. When introduced, the No. 2 player taken overall was greeted with a spattering of boos. Thabeet scored three points on 1-for-5 shooting, but did haul in eight rebounds in his 20 minutes of play. ... The Grizzlies victory pulled them to within a half game of the Los Angeles Clippers, who are currently in fourth place in the Western Conference standings, and one game behind the Lost Angeles Lakers at No. 3. Both the Clippers and the Lakers hold the tiebreaker against the Grizzlies. ... Memphis forward Zach Randolph dressed but did not play against the Blazers. Coach Lionel Hollins said he is unsure how he will go about Monday's game against Cleveland in terms of resting players for the upcoming playoffs. ... Portland was without starting point guard Raymond Felton, who missed the game because of a family matter. Also out was center Joel Przybilla, who has bronchitis, and Nicolas Batum (left quadriceps tendinitis). ... The Grizzlies held Portland to 37.2 percent shooting, the 12th time this season they have held an opponent under 40 percent. ... Dante Cunningham scored 12 points and had eight rebounds off the bench for Memphis. In his last two games, he has averaged 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds against his two former teams, Charlotte and Portland.

UP NEXT: For the Trail Blazers, Monday at San Antonio, Thursday at Utah. For the Grizzlies, Monday vs. Cleveland, Thursday vs. Orlando.

• Trail Blazers: Williams, Williams
• Grizzlies: Arthur, Pargo

• Trail Blazers: --
• Grizzlies: --

• Lead Changes: 8
• Times Tied: 2

• Arena: FedExForum, Memphis, TN
• Officials: #23 Jason Phillips, #26 Pat Fraher, #54 Nick Buchert
• Attendance: 17904
• Duration: 2:11