Get the brooms ready
The Memphis Grizzlies are one game away from sweeping the Portland Trailblazers out of the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The Grizzlies swept the regular season series against the Trailblazers and are on the verge of a first round playoff sweep against them also. The Grizzlies won the first two games by at least 10 points, and they won last night by 6 points(115-109). This series is somewhat of a homecoming for Zach Randolph, playing against the team that drafted him subsequently that still pays him due to a deferred payment clause in his contract with his now former team.
For the first time in nearly a decade, Memphis faced off against an opponent in the playoffs other than the San Antonio, Oklahoma City Thunder or the Los Angeles Clippers. Saturday nights win marks the Grizzlies fist 3-0 lead in the playoffs n franchise history.
Through the first three games Marc Gasol i s the Grizzlies leading scorer averaging 18.3 points per game. Gasol also leads the team in rebounds averaging 8.3 boards per game. After leading the Grizz in scoring with 20 points in Game 1, Beno Udrih sprained his right ankle in Game 2 which caused him to only score ten points. Udrih did not play in game three.
After sitting out the end of the regular season rehabbing a hamstring injury, Tony Allen has returned to the playoff line up. Allen is averaging 5.3 points per game. Mike Conley is also back in the line up after being plagued by a right foot sprain. Conley also suffered a facial injury during Saturday night’s game three. Conley flew back to Memphis to undergo surgery to repair multiple facial fractures.
Aaron Afflalo has yet to play in this series due to a right shoulder strain. Trailblazer starter Wesley Matthews has been out since early March with a ruptured achilles and will not be able to offer his team any assistance.
If by some miracle the Portland Trailblazers are able to pull off a victory on their home court, the Grizzlies will return home Wednesday night to finish them off.
Once we finish off the Trailblazers we will take on the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors will have a slightly longer rest period than us seeing as they completed a four game sweep of the New Orleans Pelicans before we even played our game three. Some may be nervous about facing the Splash Brothers but I am believing in the “punch the bully in the mouth” philosophy. If the Warriors are what everyone fears we need to show them that WE DON’T BLUFF!!!