Looking for a Win in the Windy City

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The Memphis Grizzlies are looking for redemption tonight in the Windy City as they take on the Chicago Bulls for the final time this season. The first meeting between these two teams came in December at Fed Ex Forum, and the Grizzlies took a loss that night. Tony Allen was out due to an injury sustained earlier that week against Golden State. Beno Udrih sustained a hand injury that night in the 4th quarter after scoring 15 points. This was also the last game that Zach Randolph played in 2014, as he suffered from knee soreness after playing just 22 minutes, scoring 8 points and grabbing 12 boards. Mike Conley was able to get the Grizzlies within 2 points with seconds to spare at 99-97 with the Bulls leading, but the Grizzlies went on to lose 103-97. It was a tough loss at the end of an exhilarating and tough week of competition against some of the league’s best. Grizzlies fans watched the Smash Brothers dominate in a match-up against the Splash Brothers in Fed Ex Forum on a Tuesday night, and then watched as the team went on to defeat the defending champion Spurs on a Wednesday night in a thrilling triple overtime in San Antonio. The game was gritty from start to finish as both teams are defensive juggernauts.

The match-up has some similarities, but there are also some differences:

1. The Battle of the Brothers will still exist. The Gasol Brothers will battle against each other again, and this is always fun to watch, no matter which team you’re a fan of. In the first battle, big brother Pau had only 6 points (2-7, FGM-A) with 11 rebounds. Little brother Marc had 13 points (5-15, FGM-A) and 10 rebounds. Look for both brothers to try to perform better than they did in the first match-up. Grizzlies fans should hope for Aggressive Marc to RSVP to the party because his big brother Pau is playing some pretty good basketball.

2. Derrick Rose still won’t be a factor. Rose didn’t play in the first match-up in Memphis, and due to injury, he won’t play tonight either.  He is supposed to hold a meeting with the press pre-game, however.  We’ll stay tuned for that.

3. Jimmy Butler, played 43 strong minutes, scored 31 points (11-21, FGM-A) and grabbed 10 rebounds. He was the Bulls leading scorer that night and was good for them offensively and defensively. Butler recently sustained an injury that has him sidelined for a few weeks. The Grizzlies dodge a bullet here.

4. The Bulls second leading scorer that night, Nikola Mirotic, however is good to go, and the rookie is averaging over 20 points/game for the 5 games that the Bulls have played thus far this month. Mirotic went 6 for 6 from the 3 point line that night. Given how he’s playing so far this month, the Grizzlies do well to chase him off the 3 point line tonight or it could be a long night.

5. The Grizzlies roster is arguably stronger than it was in December. With the addition of Jeff Green, the Grizzlies are able to spread the floor a bit better and have some more athleticism on the court. Tayshaun Prince (8 pts, 1 reb) and Quincy Pondexter (2 pts, 3 reb) combined for 10 points and 4 rebounds that night. Green is averaging 13.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in the 4 games played this month. Green’s defensive game wanes from time to time, but hopefully tonight will prove to be a good game for him defensively and offensively.

6. Luckily, Tony Allen isn’t on the injury list this time around. Look for him to do Tony Allen things. His defensive presence is felt by opponents, and it will be needed to help the Grizzlies secure a win.

7. Nick Calathes has been playing some pretty good basketball recently. He’s averaging 7 points, 2.75 assists and 2.25 steals this month. He, like Allen, has a defensive pressure that is felt by opponents.

8. Both teams are ranked exactly where they were in their respective conferences when they met the first time: 4th in the East for the Bulls and 2nd in the West for the Grizzlies.

Expect both teams to come out looking for a win. The Grizzlies suffered a loss after a fantastic start in New Orleans against the Pelicans on Saturday, and the Bulls suffered a loss yesterday to the rejuvenated and healthy San Antonio Spurs. It’s a grind to the finish for both teams for preferred playoff standing. No games can be taken for granted; every win counts. The game will be nationally televised on NBATV tonight at 7:00 p.m, as well as SportsSouth and 92.9FM. Don’t miss it!

Carmen Patton
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