Grizzlies-Nets Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Feb 15 2012 1:22AM

The Memphis Grizzlies likely don't want to leave after having some success during their longest homestand of the season. A matchup with the short-handed New Jersey Nets might make heading out on the road a little easier.

The Grizzlies will try to end their recent struggles away from home by handing the Nets a season-high seventh consecutive defeat Wednesday night.

After a 2-7 stretch that included the opener of a five-game stay, Memphis bounced back with three wins in four games to wrap up its homestand. The Grizzlies (15-14) held off Houston 93-83 in the latest of those Tuesday with some help from Mike Conley.

Houston managed to trim Memphis' 15-point lead to five with 2:58 remaining, but Conley scored seven points in the Grizzlies' game-closing 9-4 burst. The guard had 21 points - one shy of matching a season high - and Rudy Gay added 20 for his third consecutive game with at least that many points.

Tony Allen also helped hold Rockets star Kevin Martin to his first scoreless performance in nearly six years.

"We needed this win," Gay said.

Memphis could use more victories away from home - it's 1-5 in its last six on the road - but facing a Nets team still without Brook Lopez could help. The center returned to practice Tuesday but is not expected to see game action until Saturday at the earliest.

"I am not really looking forward to go going back to wearing my suit jacket and dress jeans tomorrow against Memphis, but it's definitely a step in the right direction," Lopez told the team's website.

Without Lopez, New Jersey (8-21) is averaging 92.8 points this season, and that has dipped to 90.4 per game during its past five losses. The Nets were held to 59 points through the first three quarters of a 103-89 defeat to visiting San Antonio on Saturday.

Shawne Williams suffered a mildly sprained shoulder during that loss, and he might join Lopez and Mehmet Okur (back spasms) on the sidelines. New Jersey, though, might get swingman DeShawn Stevenson (knee) back on the court.

Coach Avery Johnson said he's hopeful Stevenson will be available to help try to slow down Gay, but New Jersey won 93-88 last season at home despite his 22 points.

Lopez provided 17 points to help his team claim that victory and had 26 during a 101-94 win in Memphis on Dec. 21, 2010.

The Grizzlies have split their last four games in New Jersey, and Gay has averaged 24.7 points on 56.1 percent shooting in the past three.

"We've got to do it like we did (against Houston) and come out early, play hard and attack," Gay said. "We can't lay back and play from behind with a team like that. They're dangerous no matter their record. They are still dangerous so we've got to play hard."

Nets star point guard Deron Williams, meanwhile, has averaged 22.3 points over his last six games against Memphis and will face the Grizzlies for the first time as a member of the Nets. Williams has scored 24 or more points in five of his last six home games and at least 25 in each of the past three.

The Nets, though, are on the verge of their first five-game skid at home since dropping a franchise-worst 14 in a row Jan. 29-March 22, 2010, and their first seven-game overall losing streak since eight straight defeats Nov. 30-Dec. 14, 2010.

Gay has 25, Allen 21 to help Grizzlies beat Nets

By TOM CANAVAN
Posted Feb 16 2012 12:57AM

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) There's nothing complex about the Memphis Grizzlies. They just play old-fashioned basketball.

It's defense first, and offense by committee. Rudy Gay leads the way most of the time but anyone can step up in the clutch. Tony Allen and Marresse Speights did it against the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday night.

Gay scored 25 points, Tony Allen matched his season high with 21 and Speights had a season-best 20 points and a career-high 18 rebounds in a 105-100 victory that sent the Nets to a season-high seventh straight loss.

"At the end of the day it's about the Grizzlies getting a W, whether it's pretty or ugly," said Allen, who also matched his season high with five steals. "We try to do it together. This is a team thing. Ain't nothing pretty for us. We're not going to come out here like the Lakers, where one guy can get it done. We have numerous guys who can get it done."

Mike Conley added 16 points and 10 assists for the Grizzlies, who won for the fourth time in five games despite giving up 100 points for only the fourth time this season.

"We all have our roles and we have nights where our guys fill their role and more," Gay said. "That's what `Mo' did today and Tony did the same thing."

Speights, acquired from Philadelphia in January, was big in the second half, scoring 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting and adding 10 of his 18 rebounds. His previous career high was 15.

"A lot of people said I couldn't do this and do that, so this is a fresh opportunity," Speights said.

Deron Williams scored 20 of his 26 points in the first half for the Nets, who committed four turnovers in the final 2:40 in handing the game to Memphis. Anthony Morrow added 17 points, hitting 3 of 8 from long range.

Neither team led by more than three points in the opening 10 minutes of the fourth quarter with Allen putting the Grizzlies ahead for good at 95-93 with a 3-pointer from the right wing with 2:57 to play. It was only his fourth 3-pointer of the season.

"I'm not going to turn down any shots," said Allen, who was 3 of 7 from long range coming into the game. "As hard as I work on the defensive end, you give a dog a bone every now and then, so I shot it with confidence and it went in."

After Williams and Morrow miscommunicated on a pass for a turnover, Gay missed a jumper. With a chance to tie it again, MarShon Brooks missed Williams with a pass and Gay made them pay this time with a jumper for a 97-93 lead with 1:53 to go.

"It was tough, we got a little careless with the ball," said Morrow, who will complete in the 3-point competition at the All Star game. "Me and Deron one time weren't on the same page and it was probably my fault. I just read my man wrong."

Once again Williams threw a pass away on the ensuing possession and Allen scored on a layup to push the lead to six at 99-93 with 1:38 left and the Nets never got close again.

"The difference between where we want to be at and where we are right now, right now we are a team that turns the ball over three of four possessions with the game on the line," said forward Kris Humphries, who added 10 points. "It's no one's fault, in particular, we just have to tighten and be able to play under pressure in the fourth quarter. There is no play you can draw up for that. We just have to play basketball and execute. We didn't give ourselves a chance to win."

Trailing 77-69 with 4:20 to play in the third quarter, the Nets closed the period with a 9-0 run that Sundiata Gaines capped with a 3-pointer.

The Nets played one of their best halves of the season in the first 24 minutes. Williams scored 20 points and the Nets shot nearly 53 percent but the performance only gave them a two-point lead.

Memphis even picked up some late momentum when Gay hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cap a 16-point half and get the Grizzlies to within 55-53. Memphis led most of the third quarter but it missed its final seven shots and trailed by a point entering the final 12 minutes.

NOTES: Gay had a highlight reel reverse dunk late in the first half when set up by Conley on a 2-on-0 break. ...Nets backup point guard Jordan Farmar was a late scratch with a groin injury, leaving New Jersey with only nine players, including Andre Emmett who was signed to a 10-day contract earlier this week. ... New Jersey won both games with Memphis last season. ...The Nets honored the late Whitney Houston by playing her rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" from the 1991 Super Bowl before the game. ... Memphis is 8-1 vs. sub .500 teams.

Notebook: Grizzlies 105, Nets 100

Posted Wednesday February 15, 2012 10:47PM

By Abe Schwadron, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Deron Williams scored 26 points, but had zero in the fourth quarter as the New Jersey Nets were burned by turnovers late in a 105-100 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies at home. Rudy Gay had 25 points and Marreese Speights finished with 20 points and 18 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who scored 22 fast break points and improved to 16-14 on the year.

QUOTABLE: "Speights really hurt us on the boards tonight. Tony Allen was all over the floor. He hit probably one of the few threes he's hit all year."
-- Nets coach Avery Johnson

THE STAT: New Jersey lost despite shooting better than 50 percent from the field and going 15-for-15 from the free throw line.

TURNING POINT: The Nets led by one with just under three minutes to play, before Allen hit his only 3-pointer of the night to give Memphis a two-point lead. Down two points with 2:39 to play, New Jersey turned the ball over on three consecutive possessions (two by Deron Williams) and the Grizzlies took a 99-93 lead on back-to-back buckets by Allen and Gay. The Nets finished with 20 turnovers for the game.

QUOTABLE II: "They changed how they were playing me. They definitely trapped me a little bit more in the second half, tried to get the ball out of my hands, make things difficult for me, and I missed a lot of shots."
-- Nets point guard Deron Williams

HOT: Even with the New Jersey crowd taunting him, Allen sparked the Grizzlies on both ends of the floor. He filled up the box score with 21 points, five steals, four rebounds and three assists, and was a menace on the defensive end, wreaking havoc and forcing turnovers. He also had one showtime move on the fast break in the third quarter, faking a behind-the-back pass a la Rajon Rondo before keeping it himself for a layup.

NOT: DeShawn Stevenson. Maybe it was rust (Stevenson missed the previous seven games) or maybe he's still not totally healthy (knee pain), but Stevenson shot 0-for-5 for zero points, and missed all three of his 3-point attempts in 18 minutes of action. He finished with as many fouls (two) as he did assists.

GOOD MOVE: After racking up just 15 points and 16 rebounds in his past two games combined, Lionel Hollins kept Speights on the floor for 38 minutes, and he delivered a huge game, as he shot 10-for-13 and six of his 18 boards came on the offensive glass.

BAD MOVE: Johnson trotted out the 15th different starting lineup the Nets have employed this season, and the lack of chemistry was clear at times. The shake-ups have been due primarily to injuries, and New Jersey suffered another one when Jordan Farmar was a late scratch with a strained right groin.

QUOTABLE III: "We couldn't guard them for a stretch and they took the lead on us. We just kept battling and battling, until we could find something that we could do. We threw the ball down into the post. The Nets had small guys in the wrong spots at the wrong times."
-- Hollins

INSIDE THE ARENA: Both teams came into the game with 0-2 records while wearing their throwback ABA uniforms, which were on display at the Prudential Center. Memphis snapped the curse of the Tams jerseys, while the New York Nets unis have still yet to bring New Jersey a victory.

NOTABLE: One-time Grizzlies forward Andre Emmett made his Nets debut after getting the call-up from the D-League's Reno Bighorns. With New Jersey hampered by injuries, he played 15 minutes, contributing four points, one rebound and one blocked shot.

UP NEXT: For the Nets, Thursday @ Indiana, Saturday @ Chicago, Sunday vs. Milwaukee. For the Grizzlies, Friday vs. Nuggets, Saturday vs. Warriors, Monday @ Houston.

• Grizzlies: Arthur, Randolph, Selby
• Nets: James, Lopez, Williams

• Grizzlies: --
• Nets: --

• Lead Changes: 13
• Times Tied: 7

• Arena: Prudential Center, Newark, NJ
• Officials: #20 Leroy Richardson, #14 Ed Malloy, #34 Kevin Cutler
• Attendance: 10885
• Duration: 2:15