Grizzlies Head Out West to Face the Lakers
No, this isn’t déjà vu. Yes, you read correctly. The Memphis Grizzlies will take on the Los Angeles Lakers again tonight. After getting a victory in front of the home crowd on Wednesday against the Lakers, the Grizzlies are headed out West for a few days, and their first stop is against the Lakers. Don’t look for Pete and Brevin tonight because tonight’s match-up will be televised on ESPN at 9:30 p.m.. Since Marc Gasol’s unfortunate injury, this squad has gone 3-1 (if you don’t count the game that he was injured in). They’re 2-1 since the trade deadline. They still sit in the 5th spot in the Western Conference: 3.5 games behind the Los Angeles Clippers and 4 games ahead of the Dallas Mavericks. The Grizzlies need to stockpile a few wins in order to stay put. This is one that they should add to the W column. So, what do they need to do tonight?
Don’t Expect the Win, but Get the Win
Let’s be honest here. This Lakers team isn’t like the Lakers teams of old. They’ve admittedly got some good young talent, but they simply aren’t winning games. They’ve won 11 of 59 games played. They’re on a 7 game losing streak. They’ve lost 8 of their last 10 games. So, as a fan, you kind of expect the win. The team, however, should not. Never underestimate a team that has absolutely nothing to gain or lose from playing this game tonight. They’re not looking to keep a playoff spot because they don’t have one. They’re not looking to get into the running for playoff spots because the only team worse than them in the entire league is the Philadelphia 76ers. The Grizzlies have to play hungry. They have to play like they don’t want to drop in the playoff standings. They have to play with intensity and effort for 48 full minutes. They have to play like they played Wednesday. They can’t expect the win, but they have to get the win.
Don’t Let the Bright Lights Affect Their Play
If you’re a fan of the Grizzlies, you want your team to shine when they have the opportunity to be seen by other sports fans. You like those bragging rights. Occasionally, however, the Grizzlies haven’t shown up when they were on the national stage. Not sure if it’s nerves or anxiety or what, but they’ve had their share of not so shining moments when they’re televised on the national front. This season the Grizzlies have played 9 games on NBATV, ESPN or TNT, and they won 4 of them. Tonight is game 10. Let’s look to be 5-5 after tonight.
Ride Together or Collide Together
Everyone is expecting this Grizzlies team to plummet in the standings, possibly even out of playoff contention. Sports pundits aren’t giving them a chance without Marc Gasol in the lineup. Fans think the front office just threw away the season by trading players to get some draft picks for bargaining chips in the off season and some players that they feel aren’t as good as the players that were traded away. Meanwhile, in the locker room, you’ve got players that understand this is a business, and that their job is to go out and give it their best with whatever players they have. The Grizzlies have arguably one of the most cohesive locker rooms in the league; not my words, words from players that I’ve heard with my own ears. In order to get through this game and the remaining 25 after it, they’ve got to ride together or collide together. So far, it looks like they’ve chosen to ride together. Here’s to hoping that the “Goon Squad” can successfully stay the course and continue to ride and play like they’ve got a point to prove to the naysayers…TOGETHER.
Make plans to watch your Grizzlies tonight in action against the Lakers at 9:30 p.m. on ESPN. Go Grizz!!
- Grizzlies dominate Hawks again in 118-101 victory - March 8, 2020
- Grizzlies rally too late, fall to Pelicans 126-116 - January 21, 2020
- Grizzlies win fifth straight, defeat Warriors 122-102 - January 13, 2020
