The Grind Continues…

Posted on December 6, 2016 by Carmen Patton

Share the joy

Yesterday the Memphis Grizzlies took a trip to the The Big Easy to face the New Orleans Pelicans. It was the second time the two teams have faced each other this season. In the first game, the Grizzlies were at home and won by the skin of their teeth in overtime and they had offensive weapons, Mike Conley and Zach Randolph, in that game. The Grizzlies were headed to NOLA with a 2-0 record in December looking to get another win. So what happened?

About Last Night…

Troy Daniels showed up and out, AGAIN.

Troy Daniels has stepped up BIG TIME since Conley’s injury. In the four games that the Grizzlies have played since Conley got injured, he’s averaging 32 minutes a game scoring 24.5 points and shooting at 53.1% (55.5% from 3 point range) and 76.9% at the free throw line. Against the Pelicans, he scored a game high 29 points in 43 minutes of action (50% FG; 63.6% 3FG) with 2 assists. THIS is the Troy Daniels that this team needed and sought in the off-season!

“He’s not the biggest shooting guard. You think about the (JJ) Redick’s and guys like that who play that position, they’re bigger than him. He’s a tough cookie, man. Like I told him, your light is super green, and he’s really taken that to heart. He’s stepping up big for us.”

~Grizzlies Head Coach David Fizdale on Troy Daniels

The rest of The Core Four continued to lead, AGAIN.

Marc Gasol and Tony Allen have also stepped up as the catalysts for this team despite the absence of their Partners in Grind, Conley and Randolph. Gasol played 45 minutes and messed around and got a triple double with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. He also had 2 steals and 2 blocks. Allen had a double double with a season high 19 points in 41 minutes of action with 14 rebounds, 3 steals and 1 block.

“We tip our hats to those guys. Not just those two (Gasol/Daniels). Tony Allen made some great plays, started the second overtime with a steal/layup. That’s a momentum shifter. We had chances to win in regulation and the first overtime, we just didn’t execute.”

~Pelicans Forward, Solomon Hill

The Nasty Nine became The Tenacious Ten.

With Randolph out on personal leave and Conley, Carter, Ennis III, Parsons and Wright out with various injuries, the Grizzlies enlisted help of veteran Toney Douglas through the league’s exception. Douglas played just 8 minutes in New Orleans and attempted only one shot. He also grabbed 2 rebounds. He isn’t meant to save this team, but I think the intent is that his prior relationship with Coach Fizdale and his veteran leadership can help keep the team afloat as they try to come back from injuries.

JaMychal Green struggled offensively but had 15 rebounds (13 defensive), 1 assist and 1 steal and kept things competitive on the defensive end. Andrew Harrison also struggled offensively but did manage to come away with 12 points and was able to lead the team for 40 minutes of play. Troy Williams also scored in double digits with 11 points.

It took 48 minutes of regulation play and 2 overtimes, but THEY WON.

The game was literally a back and forth battle the entire night. The Grizzlies had 10 players available. The Pelicans had 9 players available. Whenever one team went on a run and seemed to be pulling away, the other would counter with a run of their own. The lead changed 12 times; the game was tied 10 times.

“Both teams played hard. Really the difference in the game was that they came up with a couple of big plays at the end, big rebounds and they made a couple of big shots.”

~Pelicans Head Coach, Alvin Gentry

When you come out on top of these games, you really develop a lot of team character. We’re just building a lot of character right now and young guys are getting a lot of experience while we have guys out. It’s just going help us later in the year and into the playoffs.”

~Grizzlies Head Coach, David Fizdale

Head to Head Stats

Points: Grizzlies 110; Pelicans 108

FG%: Grizzlies 40.4%; Pelicans 39.4%

3Pt FG%: Grizzlies 38.2%; Pelicans 31.3%

FT%: Grizzlies 61.9%; Pelicans 95.2%

Rebounds: Grizzlies 61; Pelicans 54

Assists: Grizzlies 23; Pelicans 21

Steals: Grizzlies 8; Pelicans 7

Blocks: Grizzlies 4; Pelicans 8

Turnovers: Grizzlies 14; Pelicans 11

So, the Grizzlies have started off the month of December 3-0. Sure, they’re not playing the league’s best contenders, but with SIX rotation players out of the line-up, they aren’t necessarily supposed to be one of the league’s best contenders either. So what’s ahead?

The Grizzlies have another game tonight. Yes, the Grizzlies have another game tonight. They will be at home and face the Philadelphia 76ers. The Grizzlies managed to squeak past the 76ers in Philly right before Thanksgiving in an overtime win. That was the last time the Grizzlies saw Zach Randolph in action before he took personal leave after the death of his mother.

About Tonight…

Zach is Back!!

According to Grizzlies media, Zach Randolph will be back with the team tonight after missing 7 games. The team is 4-3 while Randolph has been out. It will be good to see “Fiddy Fa Da City” back in uniform. I’m certain it will also be great for him and the team’s morale as well. Welcome back, ZBO!

The 76ers will be shorthanded too.

When the Grizzlies play the 76ers tonight, they will be shorthanded as well. The 76ers haven’t seen a win since before they played the Grizzlies the day before Thanksgiving. That loss started a 7 game losing streak for the 76ers. They’re hungry for a win, so the Grizzlies have got to act like they’re famished and hadn’t eaten in days.

Both teams are on the 2nd night of a back to back. The Grizzlies are 5-0 on SEGABABAs thus far this season. They will not see Joel Embiid because he’s on rest on the 2nd night of back to back games as an effort to keep him healthy following two foot surgeries. They also will not see Jahlil Okafor (ill), Robert Covington (flu symptoms, knee strain) or Jerryd Bayless (wrist).

Even with the injuries, the Grizzlies should start this 3 game home stand with a win tonight and continue to be undefeated in the month of December. If you hadn’t been out to support the team yet this season, you should make your way down to the Forum some time this month for one of the 9 home games they have left in this month. Today should be a great homecoming for Zach Randolph and for this team that has continued to scratch, claw and win since Conley’s injury (3-1 since the injury). Make your way to the Forum or tune in at catch them at 7 p.m. Go Grizz!!

**Sources used nba.com**