Game, Memphis.
First 3-0 lead in franchise history (which is not surprising when they never led 2-0 either)

I'm trying to look at this from a Portland fan perspective.

If you score 109 against a Grizzlies team without its top 2 PGs at home and still lose by 6, can you really win even 2 more games? (Maybe, if Conley is out for the series).

However, longer view, if LaMarcus doesn't return to Portland, is this their last playoff games for a while? If he returns, they have a really solid team, but if he doesn't, they are behind OKC and NOP, and battling Dallas for the 8th playoff spot.

Dat middle gif....








Lawd hep....

Not sure what to make of this long term, but Mike Conley will miss Monday's game due to a "serious" facial injury below his eye, and is returning to Memphis. Timetable for his return TBD.

From the commercial appeal:

Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley will undergo surgery Monday to repair multiple facial fractures, a source told The Commercial Appeal.

Wow that sucks

Damn, been a long nagging injury season for Conley. I hope he can get a mask on and get back for some of the GSW series.

Conley's chef posted and then retracted this: He will undergo surgery today or tomorrow for a laceration near his eye.

From CA: When Joerger was asked how concerned he was about Conley, he replied: "Very."

And I talked to someone in organization today who knew Conley's injury was very serious, and, in his opinion, thought he was done for the playoffs. Now take that last statement as reliable as anything that is said during "Coaching search" topic. Who knows.


This game 4 is now very critical, and not just for the potential rest. Many times, teams rally around when a player gets injured, and their best chance to do that is tonight, not game 7, if it goes that long.

We can beat Portland with Beno/Calathes platooning the point but really need to put and end to it tonight.

Had no idea Conley's injury would be that serious.

Here is a clip of the injury and it happened so quick and even the replay looks like a glancing blow rather than a major head shot. He must have just hit him in the exact right spot to create the damage:

Conley head shot

Freakin' sucks for Conley as he was having a good series already battling through the foot issue.

Almost time to bust out the brooms ladies and gentlemen.

Point guard will be interesting to watch. Really need production out of Lee and Green tonight to make up the scoring that Memphis loses by not having Conley.

We got this

Good start for the good guys.

Need more from Jeff Green.

Definitely need more from Green. Also you can tell Beno is a defensive liability out there trying to stay with Lillard.

Blazers are dialing it in from 3 so far tonight but the Grizz just need to weather these punches and continue to score and play good D.

Not looking good since the first few minutes of the first quarter.

What was that call on Zach?
I really think I would take Joey Crawford over Danny Crawford.

Yeah, getting beat on the hustle plays right now. Not controlling the defensive boards that well either.

This game is a layup line on both sides to end the half on both sides.

Randolph's first FG of the game comes at 1:20 in the half. Grizz need more production from him, Green, and guys like Carter when they come in.

Defense is breaking down right now with guys like Meyers Leonard taking the Grizz to school. And Lillard is having his best half of the series.

Yet with all that, only a 7 point lead at half in the Blazers best half of the series.

Grizz outscored in the paint 30-18 in that half. Gasol and Randolph combine for 3 of 12 shooting.

Need to reverse that in this next half to complete a sweep.

Not a seller night of shooting from any big man not named Meyers.

Grind them down boys.

What a bomb. Splashed that from the parking lot.

Not a good time to go cold. If Beno isn't hitting the mid-range, just keep Calathes out there.

Not sure why Leuer is getting time.

And that was not called a foul on Portland on Gasol because?

Grizz have gone about 15 minutes without shooting a free throw

4 point play Grizzlies playoff game. Where have we seen that before?

Do we have permission to ***** about refs tonight?

I don't understand when NBA officials are going to let contact go after the shot, and when they are going to call contact after the shot.

The Jeff Green-Nic Batum call was easily a wrong call made by Derrick Stafford.

Iowa, what about the play where Gasol was boxing the Blazers out and they called it on Green.

Missed Conley tonight. Damn have to try and close it out Wednesday.

Two bad calls there against Memphis; the batum hook on the rebound and the and 1 three pointer. Played a huge roll in the finish.

Wasn't able to catch the 2nd half but it sounds like the Grizz had a rough 4th quarter. Listening to the radio this morning, there were some questioning why Leuer was put in the game when he couldn't even be found on a milk carton in the series to this point.

Gotta get this thing closed out on Wednesday. From the portions of the game I watched, you could tell Lillard was taking advantage of Conley's absence. Lot of drives/penetration and Calathes and Udrih and even Allen just can't stay in front of him.

Marc and Zach (Zach especially) really need to step up and dominate Wed in Conley's absence and get this thing closed out. It would help if some guys like Green and Carter chipped in. Just looking at the stats, when Green was on the floor last night the Grizz "+/-" was -19.

Yes, Jeff Green settled for a lot of jump shots, but even when he drove to the basket, he missed shots.

Zach didn't play especially well, and Beno was not the reliable mid-range shooter he had become, and McCollum and Lillard had layup line practice.




The next series is scheduled to start Sunday against Golden St, unless this series has to go 7 games. IN which case, Memphis is in a lot of trouble anyway. Definitely need to put them away in 5.

The NBA released the 2 minute report, and look at the incorrect calls.

The "4-point" play
IC: Allen (MEM) makes "high five" contact with Lillard (POR) after the release of his jump shot and the contact has no affect on the shot.

And the Batum/Green tie-up:
IC: Batum (POR) initially clamps Green's (MEM) arm and affects his ability to retrieve the rebound.


Thank you Derrick Stafford for making both those calls