Lillard keeps Trail Blazers alive vs. Grizzlies

The Portland Trail Blazers will live to fight another day.

With their backs to the wall at home Monday night at the Moda Center, Portland pulled out a gritty, 99-92 Game 4 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. They now trail the first-round series 3-1.

The Blazers shot 51 percent in the first half, but then began the second half 0-for-10. The Grizzlies, playing without Mike Conley, looked like they were heading towards a win in the third quarter, but Damian Lillard and company responded in the fourth.

Turning point

The Blazers finished the game on a 29-12 run in the last eight minutes, highlighted by Lillard's four-point play that gave Portland the lead for good. 

Star performer

Lillard finished with a game-high 32 points and seven assists. He hasn't shot well from deep in this series - his only trey on Monday was the one above, to put him at 4-of-23 in four games. But many of his points in Game 4 came on some pretty drives, including a nice spin move on Beno Udrih - one where the Grizz clearly missed Conley.

Highlight reel

Meyers Leonard - who had only averaged 13 minutes per game in the first three contests of the series - entered for the Blazers late in the first quarter and promptly drained three treys. 

The efficient big man scored 13 points in the first half, leading TNT's Shaquille O'Neal to refer to him as the "Baby Sabonis" at halftime, in reference to Blazer great Arvydas Sabonis.

With Conley out, Grizzlies point guards Nick Calathes and Udrih played well. Calathes finished with 12 points and Udrih 13, but Calathes' chasedown steal on C.J. McCollum and subsequent touchdown pass to Zach Randolph highlighted the Grizzlies' third quarter, where they outscored Portland 27-13.

Series at a glance

Game 1: Grizzlies 100, Trail Blazers 86 (Grizzlies lead 1-0)
Game 2: Grizzlies 97, Trail Blazers 82 (Grizzlies lead 2-0)
Game 3: Grizzlies 115, Trail Blazers 109 (Grizzlies lead 3-0)
Game 4: Trail Blazers 99, Grizzlies 92 (Grizzlies lead 3-1)
Game 5: Wednesday, April 29, 9:30 p.m. ET
Game 6*: Friday, May 1, TBD
Game 7*: Sunday, May 3, TBD