Lakers Fall to Grizzlies, 107-102

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This game was a crucial one. After their first loss of the season against former Grizzlies O.J. Mayo and Jerryd Bayless with the Bucks, the Grizz were ready for some redemption.

Regulars Courtney Lee, Tony Allen, Mike Conley, Marc Gasol, and Zach Randolph started for the hometown Grizzlies. Kobe Bryant, Carlos Boozer, Wesley Johnson, Jeremy Lin, and Jordan Hill initiated play for the Lakers. The game began with Grizzlies taking possession of the ball. Our very own Grindfather put the first points on the board. Like TA, all the rest of our starters performed. Of them, Marc scored the least points, though he proved to be the king of assists (8 and 9, respectively), further reinforcing the well-roundedness of our DPOY.

The Lakers proved to have some strong defensive moments. Jeremy Lin served Mike Conley an impressive block in the 1st. Jordan Hill also had 2 blocks, though Ed Davis was most prominent with 3. Kobe Bryant topped out on number of steals during the game with 4 total, more than anybody on either team. Carlos Boozer had poor luck in the 4th, fouling out of the game; Jeremy Lin came close to the same fate, though he was one foul short.

Many Grizzlies fans were anticipating the return of infamous Ed Davis. The man himself even reported that he wanted this win because the Grizzlies “gave up on him,” per media. In 27 minutes, he scored 6 points and had 5 rebounds. He led the Lakers in blocks with 3 total. In all, he didn’t appear to be much more effective for the Lakers than he was for the Grizz, though he certainly has time to develop this season.

Recently, some Grizzlies fans have rightfully expressed concern over the depth of the bench. The concerns of these fans were momentarily quelled by the performance of the bench players during this game. Kosta Koufos put in some serious work, making all 5 of his attempted FGs and all 4 of his allotted free throws, reaching a total of 14 points. Beno Udrih also proved to be an offensive powerhouse, with 16 points (8 out of 11 attempted field goals), 1 rebound, and 3 assists in his 18 minutes on the court. Our favorite Slovenian can shoot AND pass accordingly, a reliable combination the Grizz have needed for a while. Jon Leuer didn’t contribute much point-wise with the 2 points he put on the board, though he did get 2 rebounds and 1 assist in his 9 minutes of playing time. He attempted less shots, much to the relief of many concerned fans. Combined with the 6 points from beloved veteran Vince Carter, the bench was responsible for 38 out of 107 points. Even the Grindfather gave a shout-out to them on Twitter post-game.

Consistency is key, though. Performance will need to stay this way to make a difference this season.

Despite their call back to the Grizzlies after a weekend stint with the D-League affiliate Iowa Energy, Jordan Adams and Jarnell Stokes did not play during the game. Tayshaun Price also DNP, though Quincy Pondexter was on the court for 2 personal scoreless minutes.

In the end, the Lakers fell short to the Grizzly Bears, 107-102. Mike Conley was the Grizzlies leading scorer with 23 points, while Kobe Bryant scored 28 points for the Lakers. Despite this, he missed 16 of his attempted 26 field goals, and he now holds the records for the most missed shots in the NBA. After 19 years of game time, he acquired 13,418 missed field goals.

Next up is a contest against the Sacramento Kings, featuring former Grizzly Rudy Gay, at the Grindhouse. Time for us to once again see the miracle of eye surgery at work.


Writer’s Note: Us here at All Heart in Hoop City would like to formally express our condolences to former Grizzly Wayne Ellington and his family after their tragic loss last weekend. Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this time.

 

Aimee Stiegemeyer
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