Grizzlies Earn Double Digit Win over Mavericks and Head to Houston

Posted on by
Share the joy
     

The Memphis Grizzlies moved past .500 for the first time this season since they were 3-2 early in November. The Grizzlies defeated Dallas in a double-digit 110-96 win last night and are now 5-1 in their last 6 games. The only loss was in San Antonio against the Spurs. It appears that the Grizzlies have started to find their grit and grind again.

Memphis looked good out on the court last night. They outscored the Mavericks in the paint, on the fastbreak and in second chance points. They held Dirk Nowitzki to 5/15 and the rest of the Mavericks followed suit. They shot only 39% from the field. Headed into the game Dallas was averaging 44.8% team shooting. The Grizzlies defensive presence seems to have finally found it’s way into the new line-ups and is seeping from the bench too. Memphis forced 19 turnovers and had 12 steals. The Mavericks had been averaging only 13.4 turnovers per game.

It wasn’t just the defense that kept the Mavericks at bay in this game. The Memphis offense gave us quite the treat. They converted those 19 turnovers into 21 points. Seven Grizzlies scored in double digits with Mike Conley and Jeff Green leading the pack at 21 and 19 respectively. The Grizzlies shot 43% surpassing the 41.8% average on the season. Memphis also made 7 three’s and Matt Barnes seems to have finally started to get into his own rhythm. There was communication on the floor and besides a few sloppy passes the Grizzlies took care of the ball. They finished the night with only 9 turnovers. A nice improvement on the 13.6 they’ve been averaging so far this season. Memphis led by as many as 25 points, which was at the start of the 4th quarter after JaMychal Green hit a three-pointer. It was some fun basketball to watch.

A few other quick tidbits and observations:

– Zach Randolph was upgraded to active prior to the game but he did not visit the floor. I hope to see him play tonight against the Houston Rockets.

– Marc Gasol racked in a double-double for the night. He snagged 10 defensive rebounds and scored 15 points. He shot 100% from the free-throw line.

– If you’re into efficiency ratings Matt Barnes was your most efficient player of the night at +16 followed by Mike Conley and Jeff Green both with +14.

– Jeff Green had 3 stellar dunks and a pretty sweet 3. With the tempo of the game increasing it seems that Je. Green is finally able to find success. His athleticism and awareness of the ball can be a highlight showcase. I think that if the Grizzlies continue to move the ball the way they have Je. Green will keep giving us a show. In case you missed his highlight reel from last night, here it is again. If you didn’t miss it you should watch it again anyway. (Sidenote: the Jeff Green fan club is now accepting memberships. Be warned though, once a member you cannot leave willingly. So choose wisely.)

– JaMychal Green continues to develop as this season progresses. I know that one game can’t mean everything but Ja. Green has continued to improve as the season goes on. Last night he scored 13 points on 5/7 shooting (including nailing that 3 I mentioned earlier). Ja. Green provides an unquestionable spark off the bench. Not only that, Ja. Green can stretch the floor. Something that has been much needed in the Memphis roster. His athleticism and sheer will to play continue to give me high hopes about his place in Memphis’ future.

– To try and get back into the game (despite Felton’s 4 3-pointers) Dallas decided to try for the Hack-A-TA play. Tony Allen would make 6/8 FT’s. The 4th quarter would be his highest scoring quarter. It’s safe to say they did not phase “the Grindfather”.

– It appears that, for the most part, the communication issues that have been plaguing the team are starting to work their way out. The visible frustration that had shown in some of the games earlier in the season has dissipated and instead guys are trusting one another. The Grizzlies defense is thriving in an environment where guys aren’t over-helping and leaving a wide open opponent. In turn this is creating a seamless offense that has even started to make the fastbreak look good on us. While there are still some growing pains, as was evidenced by a couple of missed opportunities for the lob (Chalmers to Ja. Green). With that said, it’s also obvious that the team is finally starting to mesh. See above: the Matt Barnes assist to Jeff Green for the dunk.

– Mario Chalmers led the bench in scoring with 14 points. He led the team in steals with a whopping 5. He continues to find success here in Memphis both offensively and defensively.

– Vince Carter played his 1,218th game. This moved him past past Steve Nash for 31st on the league’s games played list. While he only scored 3 points he had fun doing it!

– The Grizzlies moved to 5th in the Western Conference but are still 3rd in the Southwest Division.

Tonight the Memphis Grizzlies head to Houston to take on the Rockets. You know, the team we just played on Friday. Houston will be looking for redemption as they have not yet found success this season. They are currently 12th in the Western Conference and have a losing record at 5-9. Their rocky start resulted in the firing of head coach Kevin McHale.

In the previous match-up the Grizzlies defeated Houston 96-84. While Harden, Howard and Ariza combined for 53 points the Rockets bench could not bring enough to the table to make an offensive impact. The Grizzlies held the Rockets to 37.8% shooting and forced 23 turnovers that led to 30 Memphis points.

The keys to the game are exactly what they were in the previous win.

The Grizzlies must continue to turn up the pressure defensively. Memphis will have to contain James Harden and Dwight Howard. In Friday’s matchup Howard shot 80% from the field. Harden shot 46.7%. The Grizzlies will have to ensure that neither guy gets more looks than they did last time. Harden is averaging 30 points in his last 10 games and Howard is coming off of rest after sitting out of Houston’s loss against the Knicks. He has not played since his last performance at the Grindhouse. If the Grizzlies can force turnovers and not allow offensive looks for Howard and Harden they will be able to contain Houston’s scoring. The Grizzlies will also have to continue to trust one another and not allow open looks for Ariza, especially at the three-point line. In losses Houston averages 39.9% shooting. Memphis’ defense need to aim to keep Houston below that 40% mark.

Mike Conley must lead his team offensively. Conley doesn’t necessarily have to be the highest scorer or the most efficient player but he needs to be clutch. In losses Conley averages 29.5% shooting for 11.6 points. In wins he shoots 50.9% on 18.6 points. Mike Conley must play at a high level. His ability to lead the team in a win is incredibly evident. He will be able to take advantage of the lackluster roster that Houston has in the point guard position. Patrick Beverley is slotted to play tonight (he’s been out since Nov. 13th due to an ankle injury). It is undecided if he will start. Right now the veteran Jason Terry is starting with Ty Lawson coming from the bench. Nobody in Houston is exactly blowing the point guard position out of the water. Mike Conley can and should take advantage of this and have another fantastic night.

The bench is going to have to keep going to work. It’s another SEGABABA tonight. The Grizzlies will play with tired legs. Chalmers, Ja. Green, Lee (I’m gonna say he’s not gonna get a start tonight) and Barnes are going to have perform. Houston’s bench does not give them much (our bench outscored them 34-19 during Friday’s game). Where they are weak we are going to have to be strong. Chalmers has averaged 43.7% shooting since coming to Memphis. In wins he’s shooting 48.4%. However, against Houston he has struggled. In his two matchups against them, one here and one in Miami, he’s only shot 25%. Chalmers will have to pair up with Ja. Green to keep the spark going from the bench. Matt Barnes will need to keep up his offensive presence as well. What guys will actually be on the bench tonight will depend on Zach Randolph’s return to the starting line-up. Randolph did not play in the previous game against Houston and Ja. Green was given the start. Whether or not our “bench” men are coming off the bench or are part of the starting 5 they must continue to perform at a high level.

We have got to take advantage of the charity stripe. Last night the Grizzlies shot 78.4% from the line. When we are shooting 37 freethrows the 29 points off that 78.4% doesn’t seem too bad. However, I don’t expect the Grizzlies to get as friendly of a whistle tonight. During Friday’s matchup Houston traveled to the line 37 times, the Grizzlies only 19. The Grizzlies will need to capitalize on the opportunities for those points. Memphis averages 84.8% freethrow shooting in their wins. Shooting below 80% in tonight’s game could prove costly, especially since Houston will inevitably have more chances to boost their scoring from the line.

The game tips tonight at 7:00pm from the Toyota Center in Houston. Tune into FoxSports Southeast for the broadcast or 92.9 ESPN if you happen to be heading out for last minute Thanksgiving grocery shopping.

*Stats from NBA.com, ESPN.com and basketball-reference.com*

Tabitha Smith
Latest posts by Tabitha Smith (see all)

Share the joy
     

Related posts:

Grizzlies win at the Target Center Memphis Sounds Like a Winner to Me: Grizzlies vs. Thunder Recap Default ThumbnailGrizzlies Head to DC In the Wake of Tough Loss to Celtics