Tonight at 9:30 p.m. ET the Memphis Grizzlies will try to end the Portland Trailblazers' season on TNT in Game 5 of their Western Conference Playoffs series, which can be live streamed free by clicking this link. Blazers fans can hear the action on Fox Sports 620, while Grizzlies fans may find the radio broadcast on 92.9 FM ESPN.
The Blazers staved off a sweep in Game 4 with a comeback win that exposed the Grizzlies' defense as something less than dominant without point guard Mike Conley, who was out with facial fractures that required surgery. Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph refused to lean on Conley's absence as an excuse though.
"When you're up 10 points with (eight) minutes in the game in this league, you got to finish," Randolph said. "Especially in these circumstances and what we're playing for. So it's frustrating."
No team in NBA history has blown a 3-0 series lead, so the Grizzlies should take some security in that fact. That doesn't stop Blazers center Meyers Leonard from dreaming big.
"We've got some momentum," Leonard said. "We are taking this game-by-game. We are going to go to Memphis and try to get one. Then hopefully back here for Game 6."
For that, they'll need more distribution from Damian Lillard, who is averaging just five assists in the series, and greater efficiency from LaMarcus Aldridge. The Blazers' All-Star big man has put up 23.8 points and 11 rebounds, but is shooting a ghastly 34 percent from the field. In fact, those two have been so off that reserve C.J. McCollum is the Trailblazer concerning Grizz coach Dave Joerger right now.
"Lillard is a heck of a player, but we've got serious problems right now with C.J. McCollum," Joerger said. "He is getting to the rim, to the rim, to the rim on us over and over and over. We have to do a better job of keeping in front of him."
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