Grizzlies try to knock off Blazers in Game 5
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(SportsNetwork.com) - The Memphis Grizzlies will try to eliminate the Portland Trail Blazers Wednesday night when their first-round series returns to FedExForum for Game 5.
The Grizzlies lead 3-1 and could have closed out the Blazers on Monday, but fell, 99-92, at the Moda Center.
Memphis is without starting point guard Mike Conley, who underwent facial surgery to repair a fracture he sustained in Game 3. There is no timetable for Conley's return.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Facing elimination, the Blazers gave their home crowd something to cling to on Monday.
Damian Lillard scored 32 points to lead the Blazers. C.J. McCollum had 18 points and LaMarcus Aldridge added 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Trail Blazers.
"I usually keep my comments pretty short after a game. It was one hell of an effort and now we have to take our focus to Game 5," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said of his message to his team following the win.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Marc Gasol led the Grizzlies with 21 points to go along with seven rebounds and six assists. Courtney Lee dropped in 19 points and Zach Randolph chipped in 12 points and nine rebounds.
Nick Calathes had 12 points in place of Conley.
"Without Mike on the floor, we tried to feature Jeff Green, but tonight the shots just didn't fall for him," Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Green finished with seven points on 3-for-10 shooting, but knocked down a 3- pointer with under nine minutes to play in the fourth that put the visitors up 80-70. Portland would dig in on the defensive end from there and send the series back to Memphis.
"It was a weird time," Stotts said when his team went down 10. "I don't think it was anything unusual, but there was a sense of urgency."
The Blazers went on a 12-2 run out of a timeout -- with six of those points coming from the free-throw line -- to tie the game at 82-82. Gasol quelled the surge with a tough hook shot over Meyers Leonard, but McCollum skied in for a layup moments later to knot things back up.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We stopped competing. We started trading buckets with them (and) did not execute the way we should have," Gasol said.
After two free throws by Gasol, Lillard fired in a 3-pointer, was fouled by Tony Allen and hit the free throw for an 88-86 lead. Randolph made a basket from in close on the following possession before McCollum's 3-pointer kept the back-and-forth quarter going with 1:20 on the clock.
Memphis had two shots at either tying the score or cutting its deficit on the next possession, but Calathes and Randolph each missed respective shot attempts. Lillard missed a 3-pointer at the other end, then Nicolas Batum made 1-of-2 from the line following a loose ball foul on Green for a 92-88 edge.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lee raced in for a layup with 19.9 seconds left, but Lillard calmly made two free throws to keep it a two-possession contest. Lillard made two more free throws in the closing seconds that maintained the four-point advantage and sealed the win.
If needed, Game 6 would be Friday night in Portland. If Memphis wins, Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinals series with the Golden State Warriors would begin Sunday at Oracle Arena.