Grizzlies-Lakers Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Jan 07 2012 5:20PM

One of the NBA's most hectic schedules and an injured right wrist haven't appeared to bother Kobe Bryant. The Los Angeles Lakers star also hasn't experienced too many problems in recent home games against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Bryant will try to continue his scoring binge and lead Los Angeles to a sixth consecutive win at Staples Center on Sunday night against a Memphis team that's coming off its first defeat since losing perhaps its most important player.

Lakers coach Mike Brown said recently that Bryant has needed painkilling injections before every game since tearing a ligament in his right wrist during the preseason. That hasn't seemed to affect the 13-time All-Star in the past three contests as he's scored 30 or more points in each.

He had a season-high 39 on Friday to lead his fatigued team to a 97-90 win over Golden State. Los Angeles was playing its league-high ninth game in 13 days, and Sunday's game will tie the Lakers (5-4) with Oklahoma City for the most over the season's first 15 days.

"We went through stretches where we couldn't score, and so he carried us," Brown said. "That's what great ones do."

Bryant has a chance to continue his surge Sunday considering he's averaged 32.7 points over his last seven home matchups with Memphis (3-4). With his help, Los Angeles produced a four-game win streak over the Grizzlies at Staples Center, but that was snapped with a 104-85 defeat last January.

Rudy Gay scored 27 points and Zach Randolph had 21 in that game, but one of those players will be missing from Memphis' lineup Sunday. Randolph is expected to be out for six to eight weeks after tearing the MCL in his right knee during a 104-64 loss in Chicago last Sunday.

Despite the absence of its third-team All-NBA forward, Memphis produced its first back-to-back wins of the season before losing 94-85 at Utah on Friday.

The Grizzlies gave up a season-high 52 points in the paint during that game and let the Jazz shoot a season-high 50.7 percent, also the best performance by a Memphis opponent.

The Grizzlies led by seven late in the third quarter before stumbling down the stretch.

"We got to be better at the end, especially on the road," said center Marc Gasol, who had a season-high 21 points and 11 rebounds. "We got to be better executing and knowing our scheme defensively, and trying to take them away from what they are trying to do."

Gasol and the Grizzlies might have trouble doing that when they visit his older brother Pau's Lakers team. Los Angeles has prevailed by an average of 12.2 points during its five-game home win streak, while Memphis has been outscored by 14.5 per game while going 1-3 on the road.

Gay will try to help the Grizzlies get their third win in four overall meetings with the Lakers by continuing his recent success against them in Los Angeles.

The Grizzlies forward has averaged 26.3 points on 56.6 percent shooting while making 7 of 9 from 3-point range over his last three road games in the series.

Lakers beat Grizzlies for 6th straight home win

By GREG BEACHAM
Posted Jan 09 2012 1:17AM

LOS ANGELES (AP) Kobe Bryant says the Los Angeles Lakers' early-season schedule has been every bit as brutal as they expected, forcing them to learn coach Mike Brown's system on the job rather than in practice.

Although the Lakers don't have everything down after 10 games in 15 days, they're still winning anyway.

Bryant had 26 points and nine assists, Andrew Bynum had 15 points and 15 rebounds, and the Lakers beat the Memphis Grizzlies 90-82 Sunday night for their sixth consecutive home victory.

Matt Barnes scored 15 points and Pau Gasol had 13 points and 15 rebounds for the Lakers, who have won six of eight after an 0-2 start while matching Oklahoma City for the NBA's busiest early-season schedule. Although the Lakers acknowledge they still don't always know where to be on the floor, their half-court defense and rebounding were enough to beat the Grizzlies.

"It's tough. We've got to learn it through the games," Bryant said.

Although they haven't lost at Staples Center since their season opener on Christmas, the Lakers had little jump in their steps while committing a season-high 27 turnovers and failing to pull away from the injury-depleted Grizzlies. Los Angeles won't even get consecutive days off for another week, with five games coming in the next eight days.

"This is tough. You'd rather not talk about it," Gasol said. "We're tired, and we're going to stay tired. That's just the way it's going to be. ... We knew it was going to be a challenge. We knew we were going to face adversity at first. We're all making an effort, and we know it's going to pay off at the end. ... Two days off? It'll be a shock to our bodies."

Rudy Gay scored 19 points to lead five players in double figures for Memphis, which wrapped up a three-game road trip with an unimpressive fourth quarter. The Grizzlies have lost two straight after winning their first two games following Zach Randolph's serious knee injury.

Memphis was unable to combat the 7-foot tandem fielded by the Lakers, who outrebounded the Grizzlies 53-34.

"When they have both (Gasol and Bynum) in the game, that's when they control the game," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. "We don't have one of our best post-up players. Even when we go into the post with Rudy, they've got another extra big (man) that's running at him, so it was difficult."

The Grizzlies were among the few NBA teams who could match the Lakers' talent in the low post, but long-term injuries to Randolph and Darrell Arthur have compromised their depth. Memphis had its usual success against the Lakers in transition, but couldn't score consistently in half-court sets.

"They were poor turnovers that led to a lot of fast-break points," Brown said. "It was a controlled, methodical game - a game that we should excel at if we can take care of the basketball."

Marreese Speights scored 17 points, O.J. Mayo had 15 and Quincy Pondexter added 14 for the Grizzlies, who had beaten Los Angeles in two of the last three meetings, including a blowout win in the Grizzlies' last trip to Staples. Memphis' schedule hasn't been nearly as taxing as Los Angeles' slate, with just one back-to-back set to date, but the Grizzlies haven't overcome Randolph's absence yet.

"We definitely settled for jump shots a lot more than we usually do," Gay said. "You know it's hard to win like that. Everyone knows they're not only tall, but they're the longest team in the league. It's tough playing against this team. They frustrate a lot of people."

Barnes, who joined the Lakers' starting lineup last week, energized the club for the second straight game with strong defense in the fourth quarter, including a dramatic block of Speights' layup attempt with 3:34 to play.

Bryant had just four points in the fourth quarter, failing to score 30 points for the first time in four games. Los Angeles managed just 12 points on 5-for-18 shooting, but the Grizzlies had only 14 points of their own, never getting closer than four.

At least the Lakers' awful 3-point shooting improved, with Steve Blake hitting three of their six 3s.

Los Angeles led by 14 points in the second quarter, repeatedly scoring inside against the Grizzlies' patchwork frontcourt with playmaking by Bryant and Pau Gasol.

Memphis scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to trim the Lakers' lead to 78-74. Los Angeles missed its first seven shots of the final period, but the Grizzlies never got closer.

NOTES: Lakers F Josh McRoberts missed his fourth consecutive game with a sprained left big toe. He intends to return within a week. ... Pau Gasol rarely guarded his younger brother, Marc, who managed just two points on 0-for-9 shooting. The Spanish brothers, traded for each other in early 2008, went to dinner on Saturday night in their usual tradition. ... Fans near courtside included Rihanna, Bradley Cooper, David Arquette, Los Angeles Kings forward Mike Richards and Anthony Kiedis, who had a walking boot on his right foot.

Notebook: Lakers 90, Grizzlies 82

By Dan Arritt, for NBA.com
Posted Monday January 9, 2012 12:46AM

THE FACTS: Five players scored in double figures for the Lakers and three had at least 10 rebounds as they survived a turnover-filled game Sunday night against the undermanned Grizzlies to win their sixth consecutive game at Staples Center, 90-82.

QUOTABLE: "I thought if there was an area of the game that was disappointing, it was the 27 turnovers. They were poor turnovers that led to a lot of fast-break points."
-- Lakers head coach Mike Brown.

THE STAT: The 27 turnovers were the most by the Lakers since they had 28 on Dec. 9, 1994. The giveaways led to 26 points for the Grizzlies, the only reason they stayed close throughout the game. The Lakers got worse as the game went on, committing 11 turnovers by halftime and 17 through three quarters.

TURNING POINT: Memphis scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to four. Brown immediately called timeout and must have said the right things because Matt Barnes scored four consecutive points to push the lead back to eight and the Grizzlies couldn't get back within five the rest of the way. Barnes had another solid game as the starting small forward, contributing 15 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots.

HOT: The Memphis bench outscored the Lakers' reserves, 46-21. Quincy Pondexter made his first seven shots off bench for the Grizzlies before missing three straight in the fourth quarter. He finished with 14 points, one of three Memphis reserves in double figures.

NOT: Memphis center Marc Gasol certainly didn't get the best of this matchup against his older brother. A career 54.6 percent shooter from the field, Gasol missed all nine of his field-goal attempts to cement the worst shooting performance of his four-year career. The Lakers have done that to a few high percentage big men this season. Al Jefferson of Utah shot a career-worst 2-for-16 against the Lakers on Dec. 27 and Amar'e Stoudemire of the Knicks shot 4-for-17 two nights later.

GOOD MOVE: Late in the first half, Barnes stole a pass from Memphis point guard Mike Conley and set out on a fast break. Barnes fed the ball to Pau Gasol at the free-throw line, and Gasol then made a nice behind-the-back pass to fellow 7-footer Andrew Bynum, who laid it in to equal the biggest lead of the first half, 52-38.

BAD MOVE: It seems like Pau Gasol doesn't realize how tall he is sometimes. Because of injuries, the Grizzlies were forced to start the game with 6-8 forward Dante Cunningham guarding the 7-foot Gasol. Despite the four-inch height advantage, Gasol didn't post up Cunningham until the seventh trip down the floor. When he finally did back him down, Gasol promptly threw up a 10-foot fade away jumper. A few minutes later, Gasol passed on a dunk at the tail end of a fast break and opted for a reverse layup, which he missed.

NOTABLE: The Grizzlies may have found a temporary solution to their lack of front-court depth. Marreese Speights, a 6-10 forward acquired from the 76ers in a trade last week but only cleared to play Friday, subbed for Cunningham early on and finished with 17 points in 29 minutes. Speights, a former first-round pick out of Florida who was a disappointment his first three seasons in Philadelphia, played just six minutes total in his previous nine games dating back to last season ... Kobe Bryant shot 11-for-22 from the field and scored a game-high 26 points, just the third time this season he has shot at least 50 percent from the floor ... After appearing in the last seven games, Lakers forward Jason Kapono did not make it into the rotation against Memphis.

UP NEXT: For the Lakers, Tuesday vs. Phoenix, Wednesday @ Utah, Friday vs. Cleveland. For the Grizzlies, Tuesday vs. Oklahoma City, Thursday vs. New York, Saturday vs. New Orleans.

• Grizzlies: Arthur, Randolph
• Lakers: Caracter, McRoberts

• Grizzlies: --
• Lakers: --

• Lead Changes: 4
• Times Tied: 2

• Arena: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
• Officials: #9 Derrick Stafford, #29 Mark Lindsay, #40 Leon Wood
• Attendance: 18997
• Duration: 2:03