Hornets-Grizzlies Preview

By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
Posted Jan 14 2012 1:13AM

Rudy Gay and the Memphis Grizzlies are trying to find some consistency, and they think their latest performance might be a good start.

The New Orleans Hornets are just trying to avoid another losing streak.

Gay looks to build on his best game of the season when the Grizzlies host the struggling Hornets on Saturday night.

Gay leads Memphis (4-6) with 17.3 points per game, but that's a drop from his 19.8 average in 2010-11 when the Grizzlies reached the second round of the playoffs.

The star forward, though, wasn't there to contribute after his season ended in February due to a shoulder injury, and he's trying to prove he can make a full recovery.

"There are a lot of things people don't understand," said Gay, who is also dealing with a hip pointer. "A lot of people haven't been through surgery and been out 10 months and expected to play back-to-back-to-back. It's OK. It's going to click for me."

The Grizzlies got a glimpse of what they're accustomed to seeing from Gay on Thursday, as he scored a season-high 26 points while making 11 of 16 from the field in a 94-83 win over New York.

"That's what we need out of him," guard Mike Conley said. "That's the guy we look to make big plays down the stretch and to carry the load of the scoring. We're a very good team when he's scoring and being that kind of a threat."

That's been evident in Memphis' last three victories, as Gay is averaging 22.7 points compared to 15.8 in the six defeats.

Some consistent scoring from O.J. Mayo could also lessen the pressure on Gay. The guard is averaging 10.9 points, but has season highs of 18 points and eight rebounds against the Knicks.

The Grizzlies split four meetings with the Hornets (3-8) last season, going 2-1 without Gay.

Mayo helped pick up the slack in the most recent matchup, scoring 18 points in a 111-89 home win April 10. He's averaging 19.5 points in six career meetings at FedEx Forum.

While Gay and the Grizzles try to gain momentum, the Hornets have the Western Conference's worst record and their 86.5 points per game are among the fewest in the league.

New Orleans has dropped eight of nine after falling 87-80 to Minnesota on Friday, as the team shot 37.8 percent from the floor while missing 12 of 16 3-pointers. The Hornets also allowed the Timberwolves to get to the free-throw line often, and they went 33 for 38.

"We have to learn how to play defense without fouling," said guard Jarrett Jack, who has scored eight points in consecutive games - well below his team-leading 14.2 average.

The Hornets could also use better performances from Carl Landry and Chris Kaman.

Landry is second to Jack with 14.1 points per game while adding 5.9 rebounds, but he managed just three points while making 1 of 8 shots Friday.

Kaman wasn't any better, missing all 10 of his shots from the field while finishing with two points and nine rebounds. He totaled 37 points and 16 boards over the previous two games, and is averaging 10.8 and 8.0, respectively, in his first season with New Orleans.

Gay, Gasol help Grizzlies overwhelm Hornets 108-99

Posted Jan 15 2012 12:14AM

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) The New Orleans Hornets' reserves did everything they could to overcome a 17-point deficit.

Though they got close, the Memphis Grizzlies' lead was just too much to erase.

Rudy Gay scored 23 points, Marc Gasol added 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Memphis beat New Orleans 108-99 Saturday night.

Memphis needed a flurry down the stretch to put the game away after holding a comfortable lead in the third period.

"We opened up a 17-point lead, and then they changed lineups and went a bit smaller," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. "Next thing you know, it's a two-point game.

"Fortunately for us, we made some big plays."

Mike Conley had 17 points and seven assists, while Marreese Speights and Tony Allen finished with 12 points apiece.

Jarrett Jack led New Orleans with 23 points, while Jason Smith had 15, including 10 in the fourth quarter as the Hornets chipped away at the lead. Greivis Vasquez scored 14 points and handed out six assists. Marco Belinelli contributed 10 points.

"I think we're coming out in the third and fourth quarters just lackadaisical," said Smith, who also grabbed 10 rebounds. ".You can't come out there just acting cool and thinking that we're going to win the game.

"I think we just dug ourselves a hole too deep that we couldn't get out."

Memphis built its advantage against the New Orleans starters. But the Hornets bench players used a much more aggressive style on both ends of the floor to threaten the Grizzlies' lead.

"They were very aggressive," Conley said. "I think they played more free. They kind of broke off the system that they were playing and got into a lot of pick-and-rolls early in the shot clock. That kind of threw us off balance a little bit. That's how they got back in the game."

New Orleans has lost three straight and nine of its last 10.

The Memphis lead was threatened because the Hornets' reserves turned up the offense. The second-teamers were also more active on defense as the Grizzlies began running too much isolation on their end of the floor.

That led to a rally bridging the third and the fourth periods that brought New Orleans within a basket with 7:42 left to play. The Hornets trailed 95-93 with 5:07 left after Jack scored.

"It wasn't pretty," Gasol said, adding: "We weren't disciplined enough to get them out of what they were trying to do. We knew what they were trying to do, but we could have done it better."

New Orleans could not overtake Memphis as Gay had seven points over a 2-minute span. A 3-pointer with 2:15 left extended the Memphis lead back to double digits.

"That's what we've got to do," Conley said of thwarting the rally. "That's what we got better at last season. Teams make runs in the third and fourth quarter, and you've got to be able to withstand those runs.

"The last three minutes is when the plays really matter the most, especially defensively. We got some big defensive rebounds and stops. On the offensive plays, Rudy made some big plays."

The teams were close through the midway point of the second period. The Hornets put together an early rally in the quarter for a nine-point lead.

Memphis answered with a 15-2 run to retake the lead, and when Gay connected on a 3-pointer with 50 seconds remaining in the half, it was the game's first double-digit margin at 55-45.

Memphis outscored the Hornets 37-23 in the second as the Grizzlies took a 57-47 advantage into the break. Gasol had 15 points, while Gay added 12.

The Grizzlies were 14 of 22 in the second period.

Vasquez scored on a layup as the horn sounded at the end of the third, but that only cut the Memphis advantage to 86-75 entering the final frame.

However, the Hornets weren't finished with the scoring push with their reserves still in the game. An early 7-0 run in the fourth and the Memphis lead was 86-82.

Smith's 12-footer forced a timeout from Hollins as the Hornets cut the lead to 93-91.

"Sometimes effort doesn't overcome talent," Jack said.

NOTES: The game meant the return to Memphis of Vasquez, traded to the Hornets on Christmas Eve for G/F Quincy Pondexter. Another former Memphis G, Xavier Henry, obtained by the Hornets in a three-team trade with Memphis was inactive. . Hornets F Chris Kaman was coming off a 0-for-10 shooting night against Minnesota on Friday night. He finished with seven points, hitting 3 of 6 shots. .The Grizzlies became only the second team this season to surpass the 100-point mark against the Hornets. The Philadelphia 76ers were the others on Jan. 4. .Memphis C Hamed Haddadi from Iran said in the locker room before the game that he is still waiting on the paperwork to clear for his return to play.

Notebook: Grizzlies 108, Hornets 99

By Marlon W. Morgan, for NBA.com
Posted Saturday January 14, 2012 11:45PM

THE FACTS: Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol continued his stellar start to the season, picking up his third straight double-double and fourth in his last four games as the Grizzlies defeated New Orleans, 108-99, Saturday night. Gasol scored 20 points and had 11 rebounds to go along with three assists.

QUOTABLE: "I think Marc (Gasol) is deserving of having All-Star consideration. Whether it happens or not, I don't know. It's a great honor to be on the All-Star team. He's played to that level against everybody. He's been a warrior."
-- Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins.

THE STAT: Reserve guard Greivis Vasquez, who was traded to New Orleans by Memphis Dec. 24 for forward Quincy Pondexter, looked forward to showing the Grizzlies what they were missing. After a tentative start, Vasquez was on the floor when the Hornets made a fourth quarter run. He finished with 14 points, six assists and three rebounds against his former teammates.

TURNING POINT: The Grizzlies were on the verge of running the Hornets out of FedExForum in the third quarter when an 11-3 run gave them an 82-65 cushion. But New Orleans coach Monty Williams went with four reserves and starter Jarrett Jack and the Hornets battled back to pull to within 93-91 with 7:42 to go before the Grizzlies finally closed the game out.

HOT: New Orleans center Jason Smith made the most of his season-high 26 minutes with 15 points and a season-high 10 rebounds as he helped get the Hornets back in the game in the second half. He was one point shy of his season high of 16 at Utah Jan. 2.

NOT: The Hornets front line of Emeka Okafor and Chris Kaman totaled just 13 points and nine rebounds, while Smith and Gustavo Ayon came in and combined for 24 points and 17 boards.

QUOTABLE II: "I thought they did a good job of taking our bigs out. At the same time, I thought that (Ayon) and Jason came in and gave us what our starting bigs couldn't. We didn't play as well from our starting unit."
-- New Orleans coach Monty Williams.

NOTABLE: The Grizzlies have won back-to-back games for just the second time this season as they improved to 5-6. They cap off their four-game homestand Monday against the Chicago Bulls in their annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Game. ... Jack was a tough guard for the Grizzlies, finishing with 23 points on 8 of 14 shooting. But he also had a difficult time keeping up with Grizzlies guard Mike Conley, who had a season-high 17 points and seven assists. ... The Grizzlies, one of the league's worst free throw shooting teams at 69.7 percent, made 80.5 percent (33 of 41) of their attempts Saturday. ... Ayon had career highs in points (nine), assists (5) and blocked shots (two).

UP NEXT: For the Hornets, Monday vs. Portland, Wednesday vs. Memphis, Thursday at Houston. For the Grizzlies, Monday vs. Chicago, Wednesday at New Orleans, Friday at Detroit.

• Hornets: Ariza, Henry
• Grizzlies: Arthur, Randolph

• Hornets: Vasquez, Williams
• Grizzlies: --

• Lead Changes: 3
• Times Tied: 10

• Arena: FedExForum, Memphis, TN
• Officials: #41 Ken Mauer, #34 Kevin Cutler, #35 Kane Fitzgerald
• Attendance: 14983
• Duration: 2:19