Grizzlies grind out another one, take 2-0 series lead over Blazers

They grit. They grind. It ain't always pretty, but it's almost always successful.

The Memphis Grizzlies once again enforced the type of game they wanted to play against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, surviving on the winning side of a very physical 97-82 final. They're now up 2-0 as the series heads back to Portland, nearly as comfortable a position as a team can be in.

The short-handed Blazers - they were without Wesley Matthews, Arron Afflalo, Chris Kaman and Dorell Wright - tried to answer the call and fight back, as they did in Game 1, but it's tough to steal one at The Grindhouse in the best of times.

With the teams combining to shoot 41 percent and hit just 14 threes, it's clear that the grind element of the Grizzlies' persona isn't just a marketing tool. It's a style of play, a way of life and an attitude that could very well move the Grizzlies on to the second round of the playoffs for the third time in five years.

Turning Point

The Blazers came out hot but cooled appreciably in the second quarter, thanks in part to a painfully thinned-out bench. The third quarter was closer to the first for a while, but the physicality and lack of whistles began to wear on Portland as the fourth quarter approached.

LaMarcus Aldridge's blowup came during a 3:35 stretch to end the third quarter that saw the teams play to a 5-5 draw although several Grizzlies reserves were in the game - a missed opportunity to gather some momentum.

From that point on, Aldridge scored three points in 12:22 of action, shooting 0-of-4 from the floor and grabbing two rebounds. To that point, he had gone 7-of-16 for 21 points and 12 rebounds. Whether the physicality got to him or he just went cold, his inability to score late left Damian Lillard (seven of his 18 points in the fourth quarter) short on help to complete the comeback attempt.

The only issue we have with the Grizzlies is that they make it difficult to pick a star performer. They're all defense and balance and teamwork, with seven players scoring between nine and 18 points on Wednesday.

The nod here goes to Mike Conley, who continues to play well through foot and wrist ailments. Who needs two good hands and legs against a top-10 defense, anyway?

Facing a tough matchup in Lillard, Conley has done well in answering the call on defense while making an overmatched Lillard work at the other end of the floor. Conley finished with 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting, dishing six assists for good measure.

Grizzlies games tend to be a little low on flashy dunks, and people don't generally rush to Vine terrific high-low feeds from frontcourt players, though they really should. Luckily, Nicolas Batum brought the flash in a loss:

Memphis is more used to these kind of highlights, where Tony Allen values a single possession over his own well-being:

Something Allen doesn't value, it seems, is practice time in the layup line:

Game 1: Grizzlies 100, Trail Blazers 86 (Grizzlies lead 1-0)
Game 2: Grizzlies 97, Trail Blazers 82 (Grizzlies lead 2-0)
Game 3: Saturday, April 25, 10:30 p.m. ET
Game 4: Monday, April 27, 10:30 p.m. ET
Game 5*: Wednesday, April 29, TBD
Game 6*: Friday, May 1, TBD
Game 7*: Sunday, May 3, TBD

* - if necessary

Alternate Series at a Glance