ONE TEAM ONE GOAL-WIN!!
The hottest team in the east against the hottest team in the west Sunday night on Beale Street. The Grizzlies are looking to redeem themselves from Friday night loss in Minnesota and an earlier season loss in Atlanta. When the two teams met in Atlanta, Zach Randolph was out with his bruised knee. This time Randolph is healthy and the game is in Memphis. The Grizzlies are one team with one goal, that goal is to win. And win they did Sunday night against the Hawks 94-88.
Mike Conley leads the way with 21 points, three rebounds, and six assists. Zach Randolph records his 16th straight double double of the season with 11 points and 15 rebounds. Marc Gasol also got a double double with 16 points and ten rebounds.
Tony Allen didn’t have the biggest stat line, but that’s because there is no stat for hustle points. On paper he had contributed nine points and five rebounds. What that doesn’t show is his energy that gets his teammates and the crowd energized. Joerger says that Tony Allen did a fantastic job with all of his defensive assignments. Allen says that he didn’t like not being on the court in the closing minutes of the Grizzlies loss to the Hawks earlier in the season. He was determined to leave coach with no choice to but to leave him in the game down the stretch. Jeff Green added another 11 points and six rebounds.
The Grizzlies force 8 turnovers for ten points in the first half, keeping them in the game. Hawks lead 43-42 at halftime. Grizzlies regain the lead 65-63 with less than a minute left in the third quarter. Memphis puts together a 13-3 run to end the third quarter with a 69-66 lead. With 2.1 seconds left in the quarter the Grizzlies run an alley oop play for Kosta Kufus who slams it down as time expires. Kosta Kufus gets his fifth double digit scoring game of the season with ten points and seven rebounds.
In the fourth quarter the Hawks put together a 6-0 run in a matter of thirty eigth seconds, which prompts a Grizzlies timeout. Atlanta goes scoreless for two and a half minutes late in the fourth quarter. This allows the Grizzlies to have a 92-86 lead with 56.2 left in the game.
The Grizzlies next game is Tuesday against the Brooklyn Nets. This will be a reunion with Lionel Hollins and his old team.
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