The Houston game was a critical matchup due to the fact that both Memphis and Houston have been battling for the 8th seed in the West. This loss was a set back for a team already struggling for a playoff berth.

 

Injury-Plagued Bulls No Match for Grizz

(Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

Both the Grizz and Bulls are battling for the 8th seeds in their respective conferences. At the time of this game, the Grizz were 5 games back from the 8th seed in the West, while the Bulls were only 1 game back from the 8th seed in the East.

The Bulls were without their 4 leading scorers. Derrick Rose was out with a left wrist injury suffered during a game against Orlando, the second time Rose has been injured when driving to the basket against big man Dwight Howard. Luol Deng (right calf strain) and Joakim Noah (left foot) were also sidelined. A fourth player, Kirk Hinrich, served a one-game league suspension.

The Grizz were also affected by an injury. Big man Marc Gasol sat out of the game for the first time in his NBA career due to a neck strain. Rookie Hasheem Thabeet started in his place. Ronnie Brewer returned for his second game with the Grizz, playing 15 minutes off the bench, after suffering a torn hamstring in his debut game.

Even with the Bulls missing their 4 best players, they still managed to keep the game relatively close. Recently acquired backup guard Ronald Murray was given his first start with the Bulls. Murray led the team with 25 points and 5 steals. Former Grizz player Hakim Warrick added 22 points and 4 rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench.

The Grizz were led by O.J. Mayo with 24 points. Zach Randolph recorded another double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds. With Gasol out of the game, Hasheem Thabeet was added to the starting lineup and played 28 minutes. Thabeet had 10 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Conley also had an impressive game with 19 points, 10 assists, 5 steals, and 3 rebounds, making this his third triple-double of the season.

The Grizz out-rebounded the Bulls 42 to 37. A key contribution to the Grizz win was 53.3% 3-point shooting, led by O.J Mayo who connected for 4-out-of-5 threes.

Final score: Grizzlies 104, Bulls 97

Low on ‘Gas’ol, Grizz Fall to Rockets

The Bulls game was an important game to win: check

The Rockets game was even more critical. Both the Grizz and Rockets are battling for the 8th seed in the West. The win over Chicago put the Grizz in the 9th spot, one-half game in front of the Rockets.

The Rockets were led by point guard Aaron Brooks. His 31 points and perfect 3-point shooting (7/7) were too much for the Grizzlies. Brooks also added 5 rebounds and 4 assists.

Zach Randolph again led the team with 30 points and 15 rebounds. Rudy Gay added 14 points but only had 1 rebound. Gasol sat out for his second game in a row, so Hasheem Thabeet was given another start. Thabeet was impressive with 8 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 1 steal in 27 minutes.

The Grizz were dominated by the Rockets in shooting which was largely responsible for the loss. The Rockets shot 53.4% from the floor while the Grizz shot 42.9%. The Grizz shot 57.7% from the charity stripe, while the Rockets shot 76.0%. The Rockets destroyed the Grizz from beyond the arc, shooting 52.6%, while the Grizz shot a paltry 14.3%.

Final score: Grizzlies 94, Rockets 107

Grizz Battle Warriors

With a 1 game home streak, the Grizzlies returned to the FedExForum on Saturday to play the Golden State Warriors.

(Photo by Nikki Boertman/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Warriors were riding on a 12-game away losing streak. The 13th game was not any better.

After sitting out for two games with an ankle injury, rookie Stephen Curry returned to the court. The Rookie of the Year candidate was kept quiet, having 9 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds in 25 minutes. Guard Monta Ellis put up a valiant effort, adding 28 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, and 5 steals.

The Grizz were led by Rudy Gay with 25 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block. Gay connected for 4-out of-6 three-pointers. Randolph had another double-double of 20 points and 13 rebounds. Although Gasol was out of the game, Thabeet only played for 12 minutes, in which he had 4 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block.

Due to Golden State’s small lineup and the absence of Gasol (neck injury), the Grizz were able to play forward Darrell Arthur more. Arthur had an impressive double-double of 16 points and 13 rebounds, as well as 3 blocks in 26 minutes off the bench.

The win can be contributed to the Grizz out-rebounding the Warriors 54 to 37. The Grizz shot 50.0% from the court and 55.6% from beyond the arc. The Grizz also shot 83.3% from the free-throw line.

Final score: Grizzlies 123, Warriors 107

The Race to 8th

The Grizz currently have a record of 37-33.

Portland currently holds the 8th spot in the Western Conference and had 1 win and loss last week. Memphis is currently in the 10th spot and 4.5 games back from Portland. The loss to Houston hurt Memphis, which allowed the Rockets to jump into the 9th spot.

This week, the Trailblazers have 3 games: Dallas, at New Orleans, and at Oklahoma City.

Houston has 4 upcoming games: at Chicago, at Oklahoma City, Los Angeles Clippers, and Los Angeles Lakers.

It is possible for the Grizz to still move into the 8th seed, but the chances are slim.

Looking Forward

Mon, Mar 22, 9:00 pm CST (Fox South Tenn): Tonight the Grizz travel to Sacramento to take on the Kings. The Kings currently have a record of 24-46. At the beginning of the season, the Grizz traveled to Sacramento and lost in overtime, but downed the Kings at home several weeks later. The Kings’ lead player and Rookie of the Year candidate Tyreke Evans recently suffered a concussion from a in-game collision; he remains questionable for tonight’s game.

Wed, Mar 24, 9:30 pm CST (Fox South Tenn): The Grizz will travel to play the Warriors on Wednesday. The Warriors have a record of 19-50 and are the 3rd worst team in the NBA. Golden State suffered a loss to Memphis last week and have won only 7 of their last 30 games. At the start of the season, the Grizz fell to the Warriors in a game at Golden State, but the Grizz have won 2 home games against the Warriors since then.

Sun, Mar 28, 2:00 pm CST (Fox South Tenn): To complete their away game stint, the Grizz travel to Milwaukee on Sunday. Will the Grizz be able to contain Brandon Jennings? The Bucks have a record of 38-30 and are currently the 5th seed in the East. The Grizz took on the Bucks in Memphis earlier this season and lost, so this road game could be tough.

Chopping Block

With Rudy Gay being a restricted free agent this summer, there is talk of him leaving the Grizz to play elsewhere. He has had a phenomenal season, so this talk should not be surprising. There is talk of him possibly going to the New York Knicks or the New Jersey Nets. The Commercial Appeal reported that owner Michael Heisley said he will match any offer given to Gay this summer.

Injury Report

Marc Gasol is still listed as day-to-day with a slightly torn neck muscle. The Commercial Appeal does not list Gasol in the lineup in their game preview.

Rudy Gay drained a 3-pointer with 29.5 seconds left to put the Grizzlies up by 2 points. This was the last time the Grizzlies had a home win, beating the Lakers on February 1.

Grizz Scorch Nets

(Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

This week, the Grizz ended their long, 8-game home losing streak with a win over the New Jersey Nets, but the victory was not an easy one.

With just a minute left in the second quarter, Memphis had a 21-point lead, but New Jersey quickly reduced the lead to 16 points going into the half. By the end of the third quarter, the Nets further sliced the lead to only 2 points. In the fourth, the Grizz continued to struggle, maintaining a slim lead through the final 12 minutes of the contest, but managed to come out with a victory.

Some of the struggles could be attributed to the absence of Zach Randolph, who is currently the lead scorer and rebounder for the Grizz. Randolph sat out due to tightness in his lower back.

Rudy Gay had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Mike Conley added 21 points as well. Gasol contributed 19 points and 13 rebounds. The Grizz also had help from the bench, with Sam Young and DeMarre Carroll both scoring 10 points and combining for 15 rebounds. O.J. Mayo led the team in assists with six.

Final score: Grizzlies 107, Nets 101

Grizz Find Pot of Gold in Boston

(Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

Although Memphis had been struggling at home, the Grizz went into Boston’s TD Garden on a 6-win road streak.

The Grizz, who never trailed in the game, jumped out to a quick start with a 27-12 lead at the end of the first 12 minutes.  With 9:55 left in the second quarter, Hasheem Thabeet made a free throw putting the Grizz up by 20 points.

Memphis never looked back.

Memphis had 6 players score in double figures.  Rudy Gay led the Grizz with 28 points and 8 rebounds.  Randolph also had a double-double (13 points/10 rebounds) and Mayo added 17 points.  Memphis also had help with scoring off-the-bench from Marcus Williams, scoring 16 points.

Thabeet seemed to have improved in his short trip to the D-League’s Dakota Wizards.  In his first appearance after coming back from the NBA D-League, Thabeet added 7 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 block in 26 minutes of action.

The win is greatly attributed to rebounding, with Memphis outdoing Boston 48-29, although the Grizz had 7 more personal fouls and 6 more turnovers.

Final score: Grizzlies 111, Celtics 91

Grizz Avoid Loss in the ‘Knick’ of Time

Memphis only trailed the New York Knicks for about 30 seconds in the first quarter during Friday’s win at home, extending their newly established home streak.

(Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Grizz dominated the Knicks for 3 quarters, with a half-time lead of 63-42.  At one point, Memphis even stretched the lead to 29 points.  Despite a late 25-7 run by the Knicks to put them within 5 points, they were unable to overcome Memphis’ early lead.

All of the Memphis starters scored in double figures, led by Randolph who had 24 points and 11 rebounds.  Rudy Gay tallied up 20 points and 6 rebounds, and Gasol had a near double-double with 12 points and 9 rebounds.  Conley and Mayo also had a decent performance, adding 18 points/6 assists and 22 points, respectively.

The Grizz edged the Knicks in rebounds 47-41 and shot a high 90.9% (30-33) from the free throw line.

Final score: Grizzlies 119, Knicks 112

Grizz Fall Victim to Nuggets’ Fourth Quarter Avalanche

After playing the previous night against the Knicks, the Grizz were back in action on Saturday evening trying to extend their home win streak to 3 games.

With a good first half of play, one would have thought Memphis might possibly pull out the win.  In the second half, the Nuggets rallied back to tie the game going into the final quarter.  The Nuggets put it into overdrive to close out the game and outscored the Grizz 40-23 in the last 12 minutes.  The charge was lead by a bevy of points from J.R. Smith, the Nuggets’ reserve guard, who connected for 7-10 three pointers leading to a team high 30 points.

Randolph had yet another double-double (22 points/12 rebounds).  The Nuggets kept Rudy Gay relatively quiet, going for only 12 points and 4 rebounds.

A combination of bench scoring, 9 three pointers (5 in fourth quarter), and being outrebounded 38-30, the Nuggets were too much for the Grizz in the stretch.

Final score: Grizz 108, Nuggets 125

The Race to 8th

The Grizzlies currently have a record of 35-32.  The Portland Trailblazers have won their last 4 games and currently hold the 8th place in the Western Conference.  Memphis is currently 5 games back from Portland.

This week, Portland has a home game against Washington on Friday and an away game at Phoenix.  Portland lost to Washington in an away game earlier in the season, so it is possible that Washington could help shake things up a bit in the West.  Portland has gone 2-0 against Phoenix this season, winning both home and away games.  A win against Phoenix would not help Memphis’ cause, and would only shuffle the bottom three seeds in the West.

Looking Forward

Tues, Mar 16, 7:00 pm CST (SportsSouth): The Grizzlies host the Bulls on Tuesday night.  Memphis recently played a game in Chicago and won 105-96.  The Bulls are in a similar predicament, being only 1 game back from the 8-seed in the East, so the Bulls will be hungry for a win.  With Luol Deng likely out (right calf strain) and Derrick Rose probable (sprained left wrist) for the game, the Grizz could easily win at home on Tuesday.  Tickets

Wed, Mar 17, 7:30 pm CST (Fox South Tenn): On Wednesday, the Grizzlies travel to Houston to take on the Rockets.  This game will be critical because currently the Rockets are only 1/2 game back from the Grizzlies, and this game could cause Memphis to fall behind Houston.  The Rockets have dominated the Grizzlies in both games this season, winning in Houston 104-79 and in Memphis 101-83.  With this being a back-to-back game on the road, the Grizz could be in some trouble.

Sat, Mar 20, 7:00 pm CST (SportsSouth): The final game this week will be at home against Golden State on Saturday evening.  The Warriors record is currently 18-47, with one of the wins being against Memphis (113-105 in Oakland).  The Grizz have a home win over the Warriors, 121-108.  Stephen Curry could give Mike Conley some problems, but a win is very likely for the Grizz.  Tickets

D-League Road Trip

Hasheem Thabeet, who was sent to the Dakota Wizards for a week and a half, played quite well for the Wizards in his 6 games there.

Thabeet had 3 double-doubles and came close to having 2 more.  In 31.3 minutes per game, he averaged 13.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks in his time with the Wizards.  His most impressive game was on February 28 in which he had 19 points, 16 rebounds, and 6 blocks.

Meanwhile, Lester Hudson still remains with the Dakota Wizards and is doing quite well with the minutes that he has acquired.  After 6 games, he is averaging 13.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game in 24.7 minutes.

Injury Report

Ronnie Brewer is currently recovering from a torn right hamstring that he suffered in his first game with the Grizzlies.  The Commercial Appeal reported that his recovery was moving along and that he could likely participate early this week.

Brewer is eager to get back on the court to help the team with their playoff aspirations.

“You don’t want to have to watch games and hope the teams ahead of you lose. You want to take care of your business. I think that’s what this team needs to do.” — Ronnie Brewer

After a tumultuous 1-8 start to the season, the Memphis Grizzlies have finally managed to claw back to 0.500 with a 25-point win over the 21-13 Phoenix Suns.  The Grizzlies had a great December finishing 9-4, including wins over Cleveland, Dallas, Miami, and Denver.  Three of the Grizzlies’ four losses were by 7 points or fewer.  The Grizzlies outstanding play has earned Coach Lionel Hollins the Western Conference Coach of the Month award.

Zach Randolph notched three double-doubles in three games last week.

Last week, Memphis defeated the Washington Wizards in overtime, the Indiana Pacers, and dismantled the Suns in Phoenix.  Zach Randolph led the way, extending his active streak of double-doubles to eight games.  He has recorded double-doubles in 12 of his last 14 games.  Marc Gasol was just one rebound away from also having three double-doubles last week.  The two big men have formed one of the most imposing frontcourt tandems in the league.

The Grizzlies were without Rudy Gay for the Wizards’ game due to an ankle injury, but O.J. Mayo picked up the slack with 28 points and 6 assists.  Gay returned for the Indiana game and put up 31 points.  Mayo capped the week with 25 points against the Suns.  Sam Young had a strong week off the bench, averaging 13.7 points, including 22 at Phoenix.

2010 NBA All-Star Game Voting

Be sure to reward the Grizzlies’ hardwork and recent success by voting them into the 2010 NBA All-Star Game.  Click here.

Last Week’s Games

Quote of the Week

“You have to play at a high level against this team.  Lionel has them playing great. Every game, they seem to be playing with more confidence.”

Suns’ Head Coach Alvin Gentry

Rumor of the Week

Newsday.com reported in their Knicks Fix section that a potential trade between the Grizzlies and Knicks fell through when guard Nate Robinson exercised his trade veto.  The supposed details of the deal were that the Knicks would send Nate Robinson to the Grizzlies in exchange for seldom-used guard Marcus Williams and a draft pick.

Upcoming Games

The Grizzlies currently sit 1.5 games out of the eighth playoff spot in the Western Conference (see full standings at end).  They have three chances this week to move up when they play Portland (22-13) and Utah (18-15) twice.  The Grizzlies will also travel to play Coach Larry Brown and the Charlotte Bobcats (14-18).

The Grizzlies travel to Portland Tuesday to face Brandon Roy and the Trailblazers.

In early November, the Portland Trailblazers defeated the Grizzlies 93-79.  Tuseday’s game figures to be a different story.  First, this obviously is not the same Grizzlies team.  Second, Portland will be without Greg Oden (out-fractured patella), Steve Blake (out-pneumonia), and LaMarcus Aldridge (doubtful-ankle).  Portland is on a hot-streak, winning eight of their last ten games.  Brandon Roy has been sensational, leading the Blazers scoring in eight of the last nine games he has played. 

The Grizzlies will have two chances this week to avenge their embarrassing 27-point loss to the Utah Jazz earlier this season.  Utah is slumping a little right now, going just 4-6 in their last ten games.  Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer have both been sensational so far this season.  Williams is averaging 19.6 points and 9.7 assists.  Boozer is again averaging a double-double with 19.3 points and 10.5 rebounds.  The Jazz should be at full strength this week, with no injuries being reported.  The Grizzlies will travel to Utah on Wednesday and then host the Jazz on Friday.

On Saturday, the Grizzlies travel to Charlotte to face the Bobcats for the first time this season.  The Bobcats are 5-5 in their last 10 games and will face Chicago and New York before hosting the Grizz.  Charlotte is led by Stephen Jackson (20 points and 5 rebounds) and Gerald Wallace (17.9 points and 11.9 rebounds).  The Bobcats will more than likely be without shot blocker Tyson Chandler, who has missed the last five games with a foot injury.

This Week’s Games

 Grizzlies Injury Report

Darrell Arthur – Torn Pectoral 

Season to Date Statistics

Southwest Division Standings

Western Conference Playoff Picture