Memphis Grizzlies Blog – Page 51 – NBA Blog

Clippers rally from 27 down, stun Grizzlies 99-98 in Game 1

Chris Paul hit a pair of free throws with 23.7 seconds left, and the Los Angeles Clippers rallied from 27 down to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 99-98 Sunday night in the opening game of this Western Conference series.

Rudy Gay missed a 15-footer with 0.9 seconds left after the Grizzlies squandered a lead they held for the first 47 minutes.

The Clippers lost Caron Butler to a broken left hand. But Nick Young scored 19 points off the bench, including three 3-pointers in the midst of the Clippers’ 26-1 run. Paul finished with 14 points, and Blake Griffin had 17. Butler had 12 before leaving the game.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Read NBA fan reaction and share your views in this basketball forum topic.

Zach Randolph may be back to starting for Grizzlies

Zach Randolph got rid of that cumbersome knee brace, and now figures he’s ready to shed something else.

The process of simply fitting in with the Grizzlies is over if Randolph has his way.

“I feel good,” Randolph said. “I’m there.”

Coach Lionel Hollins went into the Grizzlies’ 88-76 win over the Orlando Magic in the teams’ regular-season finale intending to judge Randolph’s effectiveness. Hollins reinserted Randolph into the starting lineup, and the veteran power forward played as though he had something to prove.

The verdict? Randolph looked inspired and lively offensively and on the boards, and a bit challenged defensively. But he expects to start when the Griz host the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday for the start of their first-round playoff series.

If that happens — and Hollins remains noncommittal — then the expectation is for Randolph to be the consistent force he was against Orlando.

— Reported by Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal

Grizzlies sign guard Lester Hudson

Guard Lester Hudson played some good basketball during his brief time on the Cleveland Cavaliers this season, and he’s landed himself another job.

The Memphis Grizzlies signed Hudson, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

Hudson (6-3, 190) averaged 12.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 24.2 minutes in 13 games for the Cleveland Cavaliers this season after signing the first of two 10-day contracts on March 30. The 27-year-old poured in 24.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.00 steals in 32.4 minutes over a three-game tear from April 6-10, including a career-high 26-point performance on April 8 at New Jersey.

Originally selected by Boston in the second round (58th overall) of the 2009 NBA Draft, Hudson holds career averages of 4.9 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 10.6 minutes in 49 career games for the Celtics, Grizzlies, Washington Wizards and Cavaliers.

A Memphis native, Hudson recorded 4.0 points in 6.8 minutes in nine appearances for the Grizzlies as a rookie in 2009-10.

Hudson also has played professionally in the NBA Development League with the Maine Red Claws (2009-10), Dakota Wizards (2009-10) and Austin Toros (2011-12), as well as in China for the Guangdong Southern Tigers (2011) and Qingdao DoubleStar (2011-12).

An explosive scorer in the collegiate ranks for UT-Martin, Hudson averaged 27.5 points during his senior season with the Skyhawks (2008-09), ranking second in the nation in scoring behind current Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry. During his junior year, he became the first men’s player in Division I history to record a quadruple-double (25 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 steals) on Nov. 13, 2007 vs. Central Baptist College.

Hudson transferred to UT-Martin after playing his first two seasons at Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis.

The Grizzlies’ roster now stands at 15 players.

Celtics almost traded Ray Allen to Grizzlies last month

As the NBA trade deadline lurched into its final hour a month ago, league sources say the call Ray Allen long feared had come: Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers was on the line, telling him he had been traded. Allen had been sent to the Memphis Grizzlies for a package including O.J. Mayo and a draft pick, and the Celtics’ Big Three had come to a most brusque ending.

For 20 minutes or so, Allen had to process the information. They traded me to Memphis? And yet, as the disappointment dissolved to anger, Rivers returned with a messenger’s nightmare: Never mind. The deal fell apart. Take a deep breath and let’s go back to work again.

Before the Big Three could make it past the trade deadline, Allen-to-the-Grizzlies had to fall apart and discussions on a deal that would have sent Paul Pierce to the New Jersey Nets for an expiring Mehmet Okur contract and a lottery pick never reached completion, league sources said. Celtics general manager Danny Ainge loves the talent in the 2012 NBA draft, but he still gets one more run, one more chance with this group in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

— Reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports

Duncan scores 28, Spurs cool surging Grizzlies

Not since the old days does Tim Duncan remember having the ball run through him so many times.

But forget the old days. He was just relieved to get the San Antonio Spurs back to how they looked last week.

Making good on a guarantee that the West’s second-winningest team would start playing like it again, Duncan had 28 points and 12 rebounds and the Spurs shook off their funk to top the surging Memphis Grizzlies 107-97 on Thursday night.

Duncan matched his season-high a night after the Kobe Bryant-less Los Angeles Lakers humiliated the Spurs on their home court. Lakers center Andrew Bynum made Duncan look particularly outplayed while becoming just the second NBA player in the last dozen years to corral 30 rebounds in a game…

Manu Ginobili added 20 points and Tony Parker scored 13. The Spurs had won 11 in a row before losing their last two—the Big Three didn’t play at all the first one against Utah—and narrowly escaped their first three-game slide this season.

Rudy Gay led Memphis with 19 points. The Grizzlies had their four-game winning streak halted after their rally from a late 14-point deficit fizzled in the final minutes, and fell 1 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the No. 4 playoff seed.

It was only the third loss in 12 games for the Grizzlies since the return of Zach Randolph…

O.J. Mayo scored 16 points and Marreese Speights added 15 for the Grizzlies.

— Reported by Paul J. Weber of the Associated Press

Marc Gasol leads Grizzlies past Clippers

Marc Gasol scored 18 points, Rudy Gay had 16 and the Memphis Grizzlies held on to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 94-85 on Monday night.

Mike Conley and O.J. Mayo added 13 each for Memphis, which won for the eighth time in 10 games and moved one-half game behind the Clippers for the fourth seed in the Western Conference.

Marreese Speights finished had 12 points and Zach Randolph added 10 points and 12 rebounds as the Grizzlies finished with a 48-36 rebounding edge, but committed 20 turnovers.

Chris Paul led Los Angeles with 21 points and six assists, while Blake Griffin had 19 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field. DeAndre Jordan added 14 points and 14 rebounds, and Eric Bledsoe and Randy Foye scored 11 points each.

The Clippers snapped a two-game winning streak and lost for just the second time in 10 games.

— Reported by the Associated Press

InsideHoops.com note: Marc Gasol shot 6-of-12 for 18 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and two blocks.

Grizzlies once again recall Josh Selby from D-League

The Memphis Grizzlies recalled rookie guard Josh Selby from the Reno Bighorns, the team’s NBA Development League affiliate, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

Selby (6-2, 183) averaged 32.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists on .478 shooting (.400 3FG) in 40.5 minutes in two games with Reno after being reassigned to the Bighorns for a third time on April 5. The 21-year-old scored a D-League career-high 38 points on 13-of-25 shooting (10-of-12 FT) on April 7 at Rio Grande Valley.

Overall, the Baltimore native has averaged 25.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists on .475 shooting (.455 3FG) in 34.1 minutes in eight games (four starts) in three stints with the Bighorns.

Selby has averaged 2.5 points and 1.2 assists on .377 shooting in 8.8 minutes in 23 games during his rookie season with the Grizzlies. Memphis selected Selby in the second round (49th overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft after his freshman season at the University of Kansas.

Grizzlies take big early lead, hold off Mavericks

Rudy Gay scored 25 points, Zach Randolph added 15 points and 11 rebounds, and the Memphis Grizzlies built a big early lead and held on to beat the Dallas Mavericks 94-89 on Saturday night.

Gilbert Arenas added 14 points and made three 3-pointers, while Mike Conley finished with 12 points for Memphis, which won its second straight and seventh in the last nine games.

Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 17 points and eight rebounds, and Brandan Wright added 16 points. Vince Carter had 14 points, while Shawn Marion finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds in the Mavericks’ second straight loss.

Memphis led 29-10 after one quarter and moved two games ahead of Dallas for fifth place in the Western Conference, also claiming the head-to-head tiebreaker by winning the season series 2-1.

The Mavericks weathered an early 20-point Memphis advantage and pulled close midway through the third period.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Grizzlies snap Heat 17-game home streak

Dwyane Wade knew during pregame warmups that the Miami Heat were going to have a long night. By the end of the first quarter, the Memphis Grizzlies let everyone else know that Wade was right.

Rudy Gay scored 17 points, Zach Randolph had 14 points and 14 rebounds off the bench, and the Grizzlies put seven players in double figures to snap Miami’s 17-game home winning streak by beating the Heat 97-82 on Friday night.

Memphis led wire-to-wire, the first team to do that on Miami’s home floor since Boston on Nov. 11, 2010…

Mike Conley and Marreese Speights each scored 15, and Marc Gasol and O.J. Mayo added 10 apiece for the Grizzlies, who have won six of eight.

LeBron James finished with 21 points, six assists and six rebounds for the Heat, who failed in a bid to match the franchise’s longest home win streak, set in the 2004-05 season. Miami committed 11 turnovers in the first quarter—its most in any period since Feb. 14, 2006—and never recovered…

Wade scored 20 points, Chris Bosh added 19 and Terrel Harris scored 10 for Miami, which last lost at home on Jan. 22 to Milwaukee.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Grizzlies assign Josh Selby to D-League again

The Memphis Grizzlies assigned rookie guard Josh Selby to the Reno Bighorns, the team’s NBA Development League affiliate, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today. It marks Selby’s third D-League assignment of the season.

Selby (6-2, 183) has averaged 22.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists on .473 shooting (.471 3FG) in 32.2 minutes in six games (two starts) over two assignments with the Bighorns from Feb. 13-27 and March 26-31.

During his most recent stint in Reno, Selby averaged 25.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists on .457 shooting in 34.5 minutes in two games. The Baltimore native registered a triple-double on March 30 vs. Idaho, setting D-League career highs in points (32), rebounds (10) and assists (10) on 10-of-17 shooting in 40 minutes.

Selby has seen action in 23 games during his rookie season with the Grizzlies, averaging 2.5 points and 1.2 assists on .377 shooting in 8.8 minutes. The 21-year-old was selected by Memphis in the second round (49th overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft after his freshman season at the University of Kansas.

Memphis will look to end Miami’s 17-game home winning streak when the Grizzlies face the Heat at 6:30 p.m. CT tomorrow at the American Airlines Arena, broadcast regionally on SportSouth.