Pacers-Grizzlies Preview

By KATE HEDLIN
Posted Feb 09 2012 6:32PM

The Indiana Pacers still haven't lost back-to-back games, but they also haven't been playing at their best in the last week, particularly on defense.

The Pacers will try to bounce back from their second defeat in three games when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.

Indiana has the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference partly because it has yet to have a losing streak.

The Pacers (17-8) nearly saw that accomplishment end this week. After losing 85-81 to Orlando on Saturday, they blew a 21-point lead in the second half against Utah on Tuesday but pulled out a 104-99 victory.

Indiana gave up 49 points over the final 20 minutes of that game and suffered another extended defensive lapse Wednesday in a 97-87 road loss to Atlanta. The Hawks scored 32 points in the first quarter and were ahead by as many as 21 in a first half during which they shot 54.5 percent.

The Pacers gave up a season-high 28 fast-break points and scored only 11.

"We fought like dogs in the second half to come back and compete and make it a game, but they were too much," coach Frank Vogel said. "You're not going to win these games giving up 28 fast-break points, period."

Vogel's team also had problems on the glass. Roy Hibbert had 13 rebounds, but the Pacers had a season-low 33 and were outrebounded by 12. They're among the league leaders with 44.1 per game.

Danny Granger scored a team-high 21 points but had another tough shooting night, going 5 for 17. Granger, averaging 18.3 points, has shot below 30.0 percent in three of the last four games.

Indiana has dropped four in a row to the Grizzlies, but Zach Randolph had double-doubles in all of those games and the Memphis forward is currently out with a knee injury.

The Grizzlies (13-13) have struggled lately without him, losing seven of 10 and scoring fewer than 90 points in three straight. They did snap a three-game losing streak Wednesday with an 85-80 win over Minnesota, though the Timberwolves were missing star forward Kevin Love.

Quincy Pondexter got a second straight start in place of the injured Tony Allen (hip, knee), and the second-year swingman scored a career-high 17 points. He went scoreless in 21 minutes in his start against San Antonio on Monday.

"Coach believed in me enough to do it," Pondexter said. "He could have given it to a lot of other players. For some reason, he believed in me, and I can't let him down."

Pondexter figures to continue receiving extended playing time as coach Lionel Hollins tries to manage his players' minutes through injuries and the condensed schedule. On Wednesday, Jeremy Pargo saw his most minutes since early January while reserve Dante Cunningham played more than 26, scoring a season-high 12 points.

"Everybody has to play well, and the game has to go in a way that we feel comfortable," Hollins said of future rotations. "I'm not going to just take everybody out of the game, but I acknowledge that our guys are playing a lot of minutes."

The Grizzlies, in the middle of a five-game homestand, are 8-4 at FedEx Forum. Indiana has lost three straight there.

Grizzlies upend Pacers 98-92

Posted Feb 11 2012 12:35AM

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Strong play by the Memphis reserves early in the fourth period gave the Grizzlies a burst of energy down the stretch.

The Memphis bench stayed even with the Indiana Pacers during the early stages of the final period, giving the Grizzlies starters the extra stamina for a 98-92 victory on Friday night.

Rudy Gay scored 21 points, while Marreese Speights added a season-high 19 points and nine rebounds to lead the Grizzlies.

But the postgame accolades went to the Memphis reserves.

Mike Conley, who along with Marc Gasol had 15 points apiece, said the bench play gave the Memphis starters better legs as they pulled away at the end.

"They let me and Marc rest until basically the five-minute mark of the fourth quarter," Conley said.

"They actually extended the lead when they were out there. That's what we need out of them. When you have that kind of output from the bench, that makes it easier on the starters coming in to sustain that lead."

O.J. Mayo added 13 points for Memphis, which won its second straight.

David West led the Pacers with 22 points on 8 of 13 shooting from the field and 13 rebounds. Danny Granger had 19 points, and Dahntay Jones added 10 as a reserve, primarily on 7 of 8 from the free throw line.

The teams were tied at 86 with 4:30 left, but Memphis outscored Indiana 12-6 the rest of the way, including converting 10 of 12 free throws down the stretch.

Conley credited the extra rest the starters got before entering in the fourth quarter.

"It gives you a little more energy and you are able to play harder for a longer period of time," Conley said. "The most important time is the fourth quarter. The last 4 or 5 minutes of the game is where it's crunch time and you have to make the right decisions. Having your legs is a big part of that."

Indiana controlled the boards 48-37, including 16 offensive rebounds, helping the Pacers to 17 second-chance points.

But Indiana committed 15 turnovers and shot only 39 percent, including Paul George missing 11 of his 13 shots, and Roy Hibbert going 1 for 7.

"The biggest difference was the willingness to win," Pacers guard Darren Collison said. "They had a little bit more will than us. They wanted it more, and that's something we just can't have."

The halftime score of 47-47 was representative of a first half that had 11 lead changes and 12 ties.

Memphis held an early seven-point lead, but once the Pacers pulled back into it, the game settled into a tight matchup. The Pacers' biggest lead of the half was five points.

Granger had 11 points and West 10 to lead Indiana. Speights had 14 points, hitting 6 of his 8 shots in the half, finishing the night 8 of 13.

As he has in recent games, Speights, acquired from Philadelphia in a three-team trade Jan. 4, provided the early spark.

"I know all the games are going to start off like that," Speights said. "I just go out there with a little more energy and try to get on the boards early and start the momentum."

Neither team shot particularly well, and the Pacers might have extended their advantage a little more in the half, but they were an uncharacteristic 11 of 21 from the free throw line, part of Indiana going 26 for 37.

"I think that was a big reason we lost the game honestly," Granger said of the missed first-half free throws. "... We should have been up eight or seven or six or five going into halftime if we make half of those."

Eight turnovers compared to three by Memphis didn't help Indiana either.

West already had nine rebounds and George eight rebounds as the Pacers held a 28-19 advantage on the glass, including nine offensive rebounds leading to 12 second-chance points.

The game remained close in the third was tied at 73 heading into the fourth.

The teams were still even at 77 when Memphis scored nine unanswered points for its biggest lead of the game, 86-77 on Gay's 3-point play with 7:04 left.

Indiana answered with a 9-0 run to make it 86-86, the 17th tie of the game.

"It took defense. It's always about defense," Gasol said. "We had key stops and key rebounds and we were able to make shots and our free throws."

Notes: The game featured of matchup of All-Star centers Gasol and Hibbert, both of whom were selected as reserves. ... Memphis G Tony Allen returned after missing three games with a sore hip and knee. ... Pacers F/C Jeff Foster returned after missing 13 games with a sore lower back. ... Memphis F Dante Cunningham was ejected in the third quarter after getting a pair of technicals for arguing two different foul calls. ... Memphis has four straight wins in the series. ... The loss was the first time this season Indiana has lost consecutive games. The Pacers were coming off a 97-87 loss at Atlanta on Wednesday.

Notebook: Grizzlies 98, Pacers 92

Posted Saturday February 11, 2012 12:21AM

By Marlon W. Morgan, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: In the matchup between first-time NBA All-Star selection centers, Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol came up big on both ends of the floor, scoring 15 points with seven rebounds and four assists to lead his team to a 98-92 victory Friday night against the Indiana Pacers. Gasol held Indiana center Roy Hibbert to five points as he missed six of his seven shots, his worst outing of the season.

QUOTABLE: "The biggest different was the willingness to win. They had a little bit more will than us. They wanted it more and that's something that we just can't have. Road or at home, we've got to try and find a way to win games and tonight was that case."
-- Indiana guard Darren Collison.

THE STAT: The score was tied until the final buzzer. Both teams scored 22 in the first quarter, 25 in the second and 26 in the third quarter. The Grizzlies won the final period 25-19.

TURNING POINT: A series of three plays by Gasol down the stretch helped pull out the win. His free throw with 2:59 gave the Grizzlies an 89-87 lead. Then after a basket by Tony Allen, Gasol blocked a shot by Hibbert, leading to a jump ball that he won. Gasol was then fouled on the other end and his two free throws gave the Grizzlies a 93-87 lead with 1:09 to play.

HOT: Grizzlies forward Marreese Speights rediscovered his shooting touch. Mired in a slump that saw him score a combined 20 points in the last five games, four of which he shot 25 percent or less, Speights made six of his first eight shots and finished the night with 19 points and nine rebounds.

NOT: Indiana guard Paul George, who has been one of the surprises this year averaging 12 points, was just 2 of 13 from the floor, finishing with eight points. In his last two games, George has made just 3-for-21 (14 percent).

QUOTABLE II: "It's good to see [Tony Allen] out on the court. He has a vibe about him. When he gets on the court, you know you have got to step up your game. He requires so much out of you, defensively especially. I tell him, 'People are afraid of you.' When the opposing team brings the ball down the court, they are afraid to throw passes around him, so he can change the game."
-- Memphis guard Mike Conley

NOTABLE: It figures that neither team managed to score 100 points. The Grizzlies and Pacers entered the game tied for the NBA lead for most games holding an opponent under 100 (23). ... Tonight's loss marks the first time this season Indiana has lost back-to-back games. ... The Grizzlies shot 46.6 percent from the floor, just the second time in the last 12 games that they have shot over 44 percent. The Pacers, meanwhile, shot just 38.5 percent. ... Indiana forward David West finished with game-highs of 22 points and 13 rebounds. The Pacers other All-Star, forward Danny Granger, had 19 points, but was limited to 13 minutes in the second half after picking up five fouls with 9:45 left in the game. ... Grizzlies reserve Dante Cunningham picked up two quick technical fouls and was ejected with 1:31 to go in the third quarter. ... Memphis guard Tony Allen returned after missing three games with a sore left hip and knee. Allen came off the bench to scored six points and grab eight rebounds while playing his usual stellar defense. ... Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay, who failed to land a spot as a reserve for the Western Conference All-Stars, scored 21 points.

UP NEXT: For the Pacers, Saturday vs. Denver, Tuesday vs. Miami, Wednesday at Cleveland. For the Grizzlies, Sunday vs. Utah, Tuesday vs. Houston, Wednesday at New Jersey.

• Pacers: --
• Grizzlies: Arthur, Randolph

• Pacers: --
• Grizzlies: Cunningham, Cunningham

• Lead Changes: 18
• Times Tied: 17

• Arena: FedExForum, Memphis, TN
• Officials: #23 Jason Phillips, #77 Karl Lane, #33 Zach Zarba
• Attendance: 16281
• Duration: 2:28