Grizzlies burn Rockets
There is snow on the ground in Memphis, but if you’re a Grizzlies fan, you are no doubt basking in the warm glow of a sweet victory over the Rockets.
After an embarrassing loss to Utah in our own house, the team needed this win to help restore lagging confidence as much as anything. This game marked the return of Zach Randolph and Beno Udrih, who did not play Tuesday night because of illness, and also the return of Tony Allen from a one game suspension.
It was a game where once again the Grizzlies got off to a slow start offensively, with the starters struggling a bit and then the bench unit came in and took over and played a huge part in cutting down the Rockets lead in the second quarter.
At one point it looked like Nick Calathes was going to steal anything not nailed down, amassing an impressive 4 steals in just a few shorts minutes, and then dropping a clutch 3 point shot like it was the most natural thing in the world. Calathes has been a great asset to us this season, and while the primary objective for the front office in the offseason should be to sign Marc Gasol to a new contract, I’d love to see an offer extended to Nick to stay around a little longer.
Heading into halftime the Rockets were up 59-54, but then would see that lead demolished as Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol dominated most of the second half.
It was great to see Gasol taking shots with authority, lately he’s been passing a little too much on shots that would likely be easy baskets. Sometimes being a little selfish isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and when Marc controls the offense, we tend to win most of the time.
Last night was a perfect example, and it was Gasol that clinched the win with .1 seconds left in the game.
There has been a bit of controversy surrounding the final plays of the game, with James Harden and Rockets head coach Kevin McHale incensed at the lack of a call on Zach Randolph as Harden was stripped on a drive to the basket with 5.4 seconds remaining and the score tied at 100.
The video seems to clearly show Randolph catch Harden on the arm, and may indeed have been a lucky break for the Grizzlies. NBA officials have since declared that the refs were in error for not making that call, which is I am sure no comfort for the Rockets after the fact. I’m not going to try and argue whether or not it was actually a foul, it almost certainly was.
I can’t bring myself to feel that sorry for the Rockets here, or for Harden who gets the benefit of the whistle 98% of the time. Our guys, especially Zach and Marc, get roughed up on a regular basis without getting a call.
It is also worth noting If they had called everything correct in the final plays, Harden could have made both free throws but we still would have won off the and 1 on Marc’s shot.
Hey #Rockets fans, you should've lost by three! Move along, now. pic.twitter.com/fahFjUSNNL
— Rick Trotter (@RickTrotter) March 5, 2015
Final score: Grizzlies 102, Rockets 100
Doesn't bluff, stays grinding.
Bluff City Born and Memphis Made
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- Memphis Grizzlies 2019 Training Camp Roster - September 30, 2019
