The AP reports: Trailing by 17 points early, the Memphis Grizzlies refused to fold. O.J. Mayo scored 18 points, including two key free throws with a second left, and Memphis rallied past the Indiana Pacers 108-105 on Friday night to snap a four-game slide… Hakim Warrick paced Memphis with 21 points off the bench, one of seven Grizzlies in double figures. Darko Milicic scored a season-high 14 before leaving with an injury early in the second half. Marc Gasol matched Milicic’s 14 points, Rudy Gay finished with 13 and Mike Conley had 12 to go with three steals. Mayo added eight rebounds and a career-high seven assists. Marquis Daniels led the Pacers with a season-high 28 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter as Indiana tried to stay close. Danny Granger scored 26 points before colliding with teammate Jarrett Jack with 10:08 to play. Granger went to the locker room with a concussion and did not return… Roy Hibbert had 15 points for Indiana, hitting all seven of his shots before getting into foul trouble.
Category: Memphis Grizzlies Blog
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Grizzlies are kiddies
The Indianapolis Star (Jeff Rabjohns) reports: Memphis has eight players 23 or younger and is one of only four teams in the league with at least four rookies. The Grizzlies’ starting lineup in 15 games — Mike Conley (21), O.J. Mayo (21), Rudy Gay (22), Darrell Arthur (20) and Marc Gasol (23) — averages 21.4 years old. Last year’s University of Memphis team that was the NCAA runner-up had a starting lineup that averaged 21.6 years old. “After you’ve been through a year, you understand the wear and tear, the grind and the level you have to play at, night in and night out,” Conley said. “It’s something I’ve gotten used to. “It’s a matter of putting all the things you’ve worked on every day in the offseason into games. You definitely have more responsibility as a second-year player.”
Rockets trade Steve Francis to Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies reacquired its 2009 second-round draft pick from the Houston Rockets and also received guard and former Grizzlies draft selection Steve Francis, and cash considerations in exchange for a 2011 conditional second-round pick, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.
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Houston originally received Memphis’ 2009 second-round pick along with the draft rights to Donté Greene (28th overall pick) in exchange for forward Darrell Arthur (27th) in a draft night trade on June 26, 2008. Arthur, a 6-9, 235-pound forward, ranks in the top 10 among NBA rookies in rebounds (4.6, 9th) and blocks (0.81, 7th) and is also averaging 5.8 points in 19.6 minutes in 26 games (21 starts) in 2008-09.
Francis, a three-time All-Star (2002, 2003, 2004), has averaged 18.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists 37.6 minutes in 576 career games (543 starts) in nine NBA seasons with the Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic and New York Knicks.
The 6-3, 210-pound guard was originally selected in the first round (2nd overall) of the 1999 NBA Draft by the Vancouver Grizzlies, but his draft rights were traded by the Grizzlies to Houston on August 27, 1999 in a three-team, 11-player deal.
The 31-year-old, who rejoined the Rockets as a free agent on July 20, 2007, has yet to appear in a game with the Rockets this season. Francis averaged 5.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 10 games (three starts) in 2007-08, but underwent successful season-ending surgery to repair a torn quadricep tendon in his right knee on Feb. 26, 2008.
The Grizzlies’ roster now stands at 14 players. Memphis will next host the Indiana Pacers at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 26 at the FedExForum.
Grizzlies recall Hamed Haddadi from D-League
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.
Dec 23: Mavs 100, Grizzlies 82
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.
Dec 22: Lakers 105, Grizzlies 96
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.
Dec 19: Bobcats 112, Grizzlies 83
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.
Grizzlies waive Antoine Walker
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.
Dec 16: Hornets 91, Grizzlies 84
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.
Grizzlies team notes
– 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.