Grizzlies take 3-0 series lead over Blazers

Portland, OR (SportsNetwork.com) - Marc Gasol registered 25 points, seven rebounds and four assists to help the Memphis Grizzlies take a 3-0 series lead over the Portland Trail Blazers with a 115-109 win on Saturday night.

Courtney Lee had 20 points and Zach Randolph added 16 for the Grizzlies, who look to finish off the Blazers on Monday night in Game 4.

No team has ever won a best-of-seven series when trailing 3-0.

The win may have come at a cost, however, as point guard Mike Conley left the game bleeding from his face after taking an elbow in the third quarter. The Grizzlies were already without reserve guard Beno Udrih due to a right ankle sprain.

Nick Calathes came up big with 13 points off the bench in place of Conley and Udrih.

"Without Mike, without Beno, I know how competitive we are and I'm sure the guys are going to be ready (for Monday)," Gasol said.

Nicolas Batum led all scorers with 27 points, C.J. McCollum netted 26 points and Damian Lillard went for 22 points and nine assists in the loss. LaMarcus Aldridge chipped in with 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

"Certainly it is disappointing to be down 0-3, obviously our backs are against the wall. Now our focus shifts to getting a win on Monday," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said.

With Memphis leading 74-64 late in the third quarter, McCollum hit Conley with an inadvertent elbow which drew blood. Conley went right to the floor and was later helped to the locker room with a towel over his face.

Team personnel was focusing on his left eye while in the locker room. Conley did not return to the game and was taken to a local Portland hospital. He finished with 14 points and four assists.

"He got up and talked and went back to the locker room, that's all I know," Gasol said of the injury.

The Grizzlies held a 10-point edge entering the fourth and maintained a comfortable edge in the final frame until Portland made a late charge.

Gasol hit a jumper with 5 1/2 minutes to play that gave Memphis a 94-82 lead. Arron Afflalo and Batum each nailed 3-pointers during a 9-0 burst that cut the Blazers deficit to three with 2:23 on the clock.

Tony Allen quieted the crowd with a layup, then Randolph converted two free throws before Allen dropped in a transition dunk to restore a nine-point lead with 1:14 remaining.

Batum fired in a 3-pointer out of a timeout before Portland elected to foul and lengthen the game. It did not work, though, as Memphis went 15-of-16 in the final 1:09 to secure the win.

The Grizzlies came firing out of the gate. Lee led an 11-3 opening charge with seven points to begin the game for the visitors. Gasol knocked down a jumper later on in the first that stretched the lead to 22-11, but McCollum and Batum answered with successive 3-pointers as part of an 8-0 run before Calathes' jumper staked Memphis to a 24-19 lead after a quarter of play.

Conley's jumper just over four minutes into the second pushed the Grizzlies' lead to 12 and they maintained a comfortable advantage for the remainder of the half. Gasol's free throws capped the scoring in the half and sent Memphis into the break with a 62-49 lead.

Game Notes

Portland went 32-9 at Moda Center in the regular season ... The Blazers have lost six of the last seven meetings against Memphis in Portland ... The Grizzlies had a playoff record with 39 free throws made.