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The Memphis Grizzlies have recalled center Hamed Haddadi from the Dakota Wizards of the NBA Development League, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.
Haddadi posted 6.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.55 blocks in 17.7 minutes in 11 games (seven starts) with the Wizards. Memphis assigned the 7-2, 280-pound center to the Wizards on Nov. 24.
Signed by Memphis on Aug. 28, the Ahvaz, Iran native has yet to make his NBA debut.
The AP reports: The Dallas Mavericks don’t need their ‘A’ game to beat the Memphis Grizzlies. Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 points, Jason Terry added 17, and the Mavericks stretched their winning streak against the Grizzlies to 13 games with a 100-82 victory on Tuesday night. Josh Howard added 14 points, and Erick Dampier contributed 13 points and nine rebounds for the Mavericks, who have won 14 of 18… Hakim Warrick had 17 points, and Rudy Gay added 16 points and nine rebounds for Memphis. Kyle Lowry scored 15 points for the Grizzlies, coming off a nine-point home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night.
The AP reports: Kobe Bryant rescued the Los Angeles Lakers from a third straight loss. Bryant scored 36 points and keyed a late rally to help the Los Angeles Lakers snap a two-game losing streak with a 105-96 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night. The Lakers trailed by 93-88 with 3:08 left, but closed the game on a 17-3 run, including 10 points from Bryant to overtake the Grizzlies down the stretch. His breakaway dunk as the horn sounded put an exclamation point on the Lakers’ win… Pau Gasol had 15 points, seven rebounds and had six assists in his return to Memphis. Gasol played six-plus seasons with the Grizzlies before being traded to Los Angeles in February. Part of the trade included his brother, Marc, going to the Grizzlies… Rudy Gay led Memphis with 23 points, while O.J. Mayo scored 22 and had six assists.
The AP reports: Boris Diaw slammed home a dunk off the opening tip, and Charlotte’s interior assault never let up until the game was well in hand. Diaw had a season-high 26 points and 10 rebounds, and Emeka Okafor added 25 points to help the Bobcats control the inside on the way to an easy 112-83 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night. “We played great and passed the ball,” Charlotte coach Larry Brown said. “For three quarters, we probably played as well as we have all year. I don’t think our bigs missed any shots.” Gerald Wallace finished with 22 points, connecting on 9 of 11 shots for Charlotte, which set a franchise record by making 66 percent of its shots. Memphis rookie O.J. Mayo scored only 7 points, ending his streak of double-figure games at 25. He spent the final 5:09 on the bench.
The Memphis Grizzlies waived forward Antoine Walker, club General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.
The 6-9, 245-pound forward did not appear in a game with the Grizzlies this season after he was acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves on June 26, 2008 along with the draft rights to guard O.J. Mayo and guards Greg Buckner and Marko Jaric in exchange for the draft rights to forward Kevin Love, swingman Mike Miller, forward Brian Cardinal and center Jason Collins.
“Antoine Walker was a true professional during his time in Memphis,” said Wallace. “We wish him all the best in his effort to find another team where he can receive more playing time.”
Currently in his 13th NBA season, Walker has averaged 17.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.22 steals in 35.3 minutes per game in 893 career games (707 starts) with the Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat and Minnesota.
The three-time NBA All-Star (1998, 2002, 2003) currently ranks fourth among active players (10th all-time) in three-point field goals made (1,386) and second (sixth all-time) in three-point field goals attempts (4,264).
The 32-year-old Chicago native was originally selected in the first round (sixth overall) in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Celtics.
The Grizzlies’ roster currently stands at 13 players.
The AP reports: Chris Paul tied a record for steals, and his New Orleans Hornets played enough good defense to pull out a victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. Paul had 18 points, nine assists and five steals, James Posey scored nine of his 15 points in the fourth quarter, and the Hornets beat the Grizzlies 91-84 on Tuesday night… David West also scored 18 points, but shot 5-of-16. Paul was just 3-of-10 from the field but made 11 of 12 free throws. Rudy Gay led Memphis with 28 points and O. J. Mayo added 20.
– Memphis has won four consecutive games, the club’s longest winning streak since winning the final five games of the 2005-06 season (Apr 11-19, 2006)… Prior to this current run, the Grizzlies had not won consecutive games all season.
– The Grizzlies’ current four-game winning streak is the third-longest active streak in the league behind Boston (14-straight) and San Antonio (sixstraight).
– In the current four-game winning streak, the Grizzlies are averaging 105.5 points, including 41.5 from the bench, and are outscoring opponents 85-32 (+13.3 points per game) in points off turnovers.
– Memphis has topped 100 points in all four games during the win streak (six times in the season’s first 20 games)… It marks the club’s longest stretch of the season scoring 100-plus points.
– The Grizzlies are 2-0 entering the third game of the club’s five-game home stand (Dec. 12-22), Memphis’ longest of the season.
– Memphis is 7-5 at home this season, the team’s best home start through 12 games since posting an identical mark in the 2005-06 season.
– Memphis has won five of its last six games since a seven-game losing streak (Nov. 21-Dec. 3)… The Grizzlies are 5-2 in the month of December.
– In the last six games (5-1 record), Memphis is averaging 40.3 bench points (29.9 season average), 11.2 turnovers (14.4 season average) and 22.5 points off turnovers (17.6 season average).
– The Grizzlies are 8-2 this season when winning or tying opponents the third quarter and 1-13 when they don’t.
– In 15 games this season, Memphis has used a starting lineup of Mike Conley (21 years old), O.J. Mayo (21), Rudy Gay (22), Darrell Arthur (20) and Marc Gasol (23) following an opening night loss at Houston on Oct. 29… The unit’s average age is just 21.4 years old, younger than the starting lineup for the Memphis Tigers (21.6 years old) in the 2008 NCAA Championship Game last April.
– O.J. Mayo leads all rookies in scoring at 20.8 points per game, the highest scoring average for a first-year player since Carmelo Anthony (21.0) and LeBron James (20.9) in 2003-04.
– In back-to-back nights, O.J. Mayo scored a then-career high 31 points on Nov. 9 at Denver and followed it up the on Nov. 10 at Phoenix with a career-best 33 points… Mayo became just the fifth NBA rookie (and the first in 28 years) to score 30-plus points on back-to-back nights on Nov. 10 or earlier in the season, joining Wilt Chamberlain (in 1959), Sidney Wicks (1971), Bernard King (1977) and Darrell Griffith (1980).
– The Grizzlies are 7-4 when Rudy Gay leads the team in scoring.
– Marc Gasol leads the Grizzlies and all first-year players in field goal percentage (.544)… Should he continue this pace, he would break his brother Pau Gasol’s franchise single-season record (.538 in 2006-07) and franchise rookie record (.518 in 2001-02) in the category.
– Eight of the 14 players on the Grizzlies’ roster are 23 years old or younger.
The AP reports: The Grizzlies’ youth movement is starting to show results. Memphis won its fourth straight game Sunday, beating the Miami Heat 102-86. Rookie O.J. Mayo had 28 points, and Rudy Gay added 18… Memphis’ winning streak is its longest since the five games of the 2005-06 season. Darko Milicic matched his season high with 13 points, and reserve Mike Conley had 12 for the Grizzlies, who at times have started three rookies—Mayo, Marc Gasol and Darrell Arthur. Eight of Memphis’ 14 players are 23 or younger… Memphis has scored at least 100 points in all four wins during the run and has turned up the defensive pressure. On Sunday, the Miami star Dwyane Wade was 5-of-16 from the field and the Heat shot 36 percent… Michael Beasley led Miami with 20 points, and Joel Anthony had 12 points and 13 rebounds for his first double-double of the season.
The Memphis Grizzlies announced today that they have signed free agent forward Darius Miles. Terms of the deal were not disclosed per team policy.
“Darius has been an active, productive player in the past,” said Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace. “He did a good job with the Celtics in preseason and we look forward to working with him.”
The third overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers, Miles played six NBA seasons (2000-06) with Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Portland Trail Blazers. The 6-9, 235-pound forward averaged 10.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.15 blocks in 27.7 minutes in 412 career games (190 starts).
Miles, 27, missed all of 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons while recovering from microfracture surgery on his right knee, but recently attempted a comeback with the Boston Celtics. After signing a free-agent contract with Boston on Aug. 22, 2008, he appeared in six preseason contests, averaging 1.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in 10.4 minutes. He was waived by the Celtics on Oct. 20.
The Bellville, Illinois native became the first player in league history drafted straight out of high school (East St. Louis High School) to earn All-Rookie honors when he averaged 9.4 points and 1.54 blocks per game for the Clippers in 2000-01. In his last NBA season in 2005-06, Miles posted career highs in points (14.0) and minutes played (32.2) per game with the Trail Blazers.
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The AP reports: In a game featuring the NBA’s top scoring rookies, it was a couple of Memphis veterans who carried the offensive load. Rudy Gay scored 29 points and Hakim Warrick added 21, both matching their season highs, as the Grizzlies won their third straight with a 103-96 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Friday night. Warrick’s 12 points in the fourth quarter kept the Bulls at bay, snapping Chicago’s two-game winning streak. The win marked the first time the Grizzlies won three straight under Marc Iavaroni, in his second season as their coach… Darko Milicic had a season-high 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Marc Gasol scored 11 for Memphis. Conley had nine points, a career-high 10 rebounds and seven assists. Ben Gordon led the Bulls with 26 points, while Luol Deng had 19. Drew Gooden had 10 points and 10 rebounds.