76ers-Grizzlies Preview

By MATT BEARDMORE
Posted Feb 21 2012 1:00AM

The Philadelphia 76ers are assured of heading into this weekend's All-Star break with the Atlantic Division lead.

It could have been a much larger advantage had they been better in close games.

Philadelphia will try to snap a season-high three-game losing streak Tuesday night when it visits the Memphis Grizzlies, who are looking to bounce back from their first loss in five games.

While 76ers coach Doug Collins is proud of his team's perseverance through a recent rough portion of its schedule, he's still concerned about his players' ability to close out games. Philadelphia (20-12) has lost seven times this season by seven points or fewer including Sunday's 92-91 defeat at Minnesota.

Kevin Love hit two game-winning free throws with 0.1 seconds left following a foul on Philadelphia forward Andre Iguodala.

"It's a shame we haven't been able to get that critical stop," said Collins, whose team holds a 4 1/2-game divisional lead over New York and Boston.

The league's best scoring defense (87.3 points per game) has helped Philadelphia win seven times by at least 20 points, but the team has come out on top just four times in games decided by fewer than 10.

"We've just got to find a way to regroup and find a way to finish these games off," forward Elton Brand said.

The 76ers are now trying to avoid dropping four in a row for the first time since a five-game skid Nov. 10-17, 2010.

The Grizzlies (18-15) were hoping to carry a five-game winning streak into this contest, but they lost 97-93 at Houston on Monday.

Memphis' four consecutive wins were all decided by 10 points or fewer, including consecutive one-point victories Friday and Saturday on tip-ins in the closing seconds.

"We played it right to the end," coach Lionel Hollins said.

The Grizzlies, who are playing their final game before the All-Star break, go for their third consecutive victory over Philadelphia as these teams meet for the only time in 2011-12. Memphis completed its first season sweep of the 76ers since 2004-05 with a 102-91 victory at FedExForum on Feb. 15, 2011.

Mike Conley scored all 22 of his points in the second half of that game as the Grizzlies avoided a fourth straight home loss in the series.

On the downside for Memphis in that contest, Rudy Gay was lost for the rest of the season after injuring his left shoulder on a foul by Philadelphia's Evan Turner.

Gay is scoring 21.1 points per game - 2.1 more than his season average - over his last eight games, six of them Grizzlies wins.

Power forward Marreese Speights is averaging 12.5 points and 10.4 rebounds in that stretch, providing a huge lift with Zach Randolph still trying to return from a torn MCL. Speights will face his former Sixers teammates for the first time since being traded to Memphis on Jan. 4 in a three-team swap.

Speights and All-Star center Marc Gasol won't have to contend with 76ers center Spencer Hawes, who will miss his eighth straight game with a strained left Achilles'. Hawes is not expected back until after the All-Star break.

"Our offense is not the same without Spencer," Collins said following Monday's practice. "... What's happened now is the floor has shrunk on us a little bit, and we end up having to shoot a lot of jump shots."

The 76ers are averaging 88.1 points on 41.4 percent shooting over their last seven games.

Gasol, Gay lead Grizzlies past 76ers, 89-76

Posted Feb 22 2012 12:20AM

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) When the Memphis Grizzlies lost Zach Randolph to a torn ligament on Jan. 1, the question then was whether they could remain a playoff-caliber team in his absence.

If the first half of the season is any indication, it looks as if Memphis plans on being in the thick of the playoff race when Randolph returns.

Marc Gasol had 15 points and 14 rebounds, Rudy Gay scored 14 points and the Grizzlies beat the Philadelphia 76ers 89-76 on Tuesday night to remain in seventh place in the Western Conference.

"I think a lot of us don't understand how well we've done for ourselves without having Zach there," point guard Mike Conley said. "He's a big part of our team going forward and last season in the playoffs. With his absence, still being in the hunt and in the playoffs like we are is amazing."

Memphis has gone 18-12 in Randolph's absence and won for the fifth time in its last six games.

O.J. Mayo added 13 points and Marreese Speights had 12 to help the Grizzlies (19-15) move a season high-tying four games above .500.

Gasol, who's headed to this weekend's All-Star Game in Orlando, finished three assists shy of a triple double.

"Marc was solid," Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins said. "He was around the basket. He was rebounding. He was passing the ball. He does what Marc does. He's a little tired. I told him to just go to the All-Star game and drink a couple of mojitos and enjoy himself. You know, don't play.

"He said he's going to take a couple charges though. You know Marc. He's going to go out there and compete and play because that's who he is."

Jrue Holiday scored 22 points - none in the fourth - for the Atlantic Division-leading Sixers, who shot just 37 percent while losing their fourth straight and sixth in their last eight. Rookie Lavoy Allen had 14 points for Philadelphia, and Andre Iguodala added 11 on 5-of-14 shooting.

"We just haven't been good offensively for a week or two now. We've been in a little funk offensively," Iguodala said.

Philadelphia trailed by 20 after the first quarter before rallying to pull within three late in the second, and was down 47-42 at halftime.

Holiday, who finished 9 for 18 from the field, scored nine of Philadelphia's first 13 points of the third quarter to keep the Sixers close. His 3-pointer with 3:30 left made it 61-55.

Reserve guard Louis Williams hit another 3-pointer with 46.2 left in the third to pull Philadelphia to 64-60, but Memphis pushed its lead back to nine on back-to-back buckets by reserves Quincy Pondexter and Hamed Haddadi.

"It's simple to me," Williams said. "We're just not competing at our highest level right now, and we're getting beat."

The Grizzlies allowed Philadelphia to get no closer than four points in the fourth. Tony Allen made a pair of key defensive plays down the stretch for the Grizzlies, forcing an airball by Iguodala with Memphis leading by five, and later getting a steal on a Sixers fast break.

Gay then put the game out of reach with a 3-pointer with 2:10 left, helping Memphis improve to 6-3 this season on the second game of back-to-backs. The Grizzlies lost 97-93 at Houston on Monday.

"Losing Zach was big we all know. We turned into a makeshift team again. We lost Rudy Gay (to a shoulder injury) last year," Allen said. "All we can do is try to hold down the fort until (Randolph) gets back. From what I hear, he's having a great recovery."

Playing a Sixers team that came into the game ranked first in the NBA in scoring defense, Memphis made seven of its first nine shots in building a 15-7 first-quarter lead. A Philadelphia timeout didn't slow the Grizzlies, who scored the next 12 points - including two 3-pointers by Mayo - to take a 27-7 lead.

Gasol was at the center of the run, getting four points, five assists and four rebounds in the first quarter.

Philadelphia trailed 30-10 after the first after shooting 4 of 20 from the field in the period. The 76ers' 10 points were the fewest Memphis has allowed in any quarter this season.

"Horrible start," Sixers coach Doug Collins said. "We dug ourselves a huge hole and fought out, but made mistakes at the wrong time. Once again, we hold a team to 40-percent shooting, and we are struggling mightily to score.

The Sixers finally got into an offensive rhythm in the second quarter, outscoring Memphis 9-2 over the first 3 minutes.

Holiday then made his first of three 3s in the period with 5:13 left to cut Philadelphia's deficit to 10. He scored 13 straight points for the 7ters to pull them to 43-40 late in the quarter.

After an abysmal first quarter, the Sixers connected on 13 of their first 17 shots in the second and trailed by five at halftime.

NOTES: 76ers F Elton Brand (right thumb sprain) was a game-time scratch. ... Former world champion boxer James "Lights Out" Toney was among the 14,258 in attendance. ... At halftime, Memphis' mascot, Grizz, was introduced to the crowd as the team's second All-Star. Memphis' mascot has been selected to join Gasol at this weekend's All-Star festivities in Orlando.

Notebook: Grizzlies 89, Sixers 76

Posted Wednesday February 22, 2012 12:13AM

By Marlon W. Morgan, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Looking like a team that couldn't wait for their NBA All-Star break to begin, the Memphis Grizzlies managed to overcome a 29.7 percent shooting effort in the second half to defeat Philadelphia 89-76. The Grizzlies head into the break having won seven of their last nine games to improve to 19-15. The 76ers will take a four-game losing streak into Wednesday's game against Houston.

QUOTABLE: "You don't even understand. We've had six games in the last nine days. The last two minutes, I just couldn't wait for that time to be over."
-- Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo on welcoming the All-Star break

THE STAT: Normally a strength for Philadelphia, its bench didn't produce enough to compete with a Grizzlies bench that normally doesn't pack a lot of scoring punch. The Sixers bench was outscored, 33-21, and shot just 20.6 percent from the floor.

TURNING POINT: Philadelphia pulled to within 74-70 with 8:38 remaining on a 3-pointer by Lou Williams. But the Grizzlies responded on both ends of the floor, closing the game out with a 15-6 run.

HOT: On a rare night when the Grizzlies starters struggled, their bench was able to come through. They scored 33 points on 14-for-24 shooting (58.3 percent) from the floor, led by Mayo's 13 points.

NOT: Philadelphia's top two reserves, Williams (15.9 points) and Memphis native Thaddeus Young (12.7) combined to shoot 5-for-26 (19.2 percent) from the floor as both finished with eight points.

GOOD MOVE: A night after trying to match Houston's small lineup in a loss, Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins declined to do that against Philadelphia. Instead, he countered the Sixers' small ball by playing big and employing a zone defense. That cut off the easy drives to the baskets as the Grizzlies recorded a season-high 11 blocked shots. It also helped them outrebound the Sixers, 47-36.

QUOTABLE II: "We've played good enough basketball to beat a lot of teams and now we're not playing to the best of our abilities. Whether you want to blame it on injuries or any of that, we're not competing at the highest level, and it's showing on the floor."
-- Philadelphia's Williams

NOTABLE: The Grizzlies head into the All-Star break staring at a much-needed five days' rest. They return Monday with a rare two days of practice before resuming their schedule Feb. 29 against Dallas. They are looking to welcome back forward Zach Randolph to practice. Randolph has been out with a torn right MCL. ... Grizzlies center Marc Gasol is preparing to make his first NBA All-Star appearance in Orlando after being named as a Western Conference reserve. He is the third player in club history to be named to the All-Star team, joining his brother, Pau, and Randolph. Gasol capped off the first half with 15 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and five blocked shots against the Sixers. ... The Sixers were led by point guard Jrue Holiday, who had a game-high 22 points after making four of his five 3-pointers. ... The Grizzlies held Philadelphia to 10 first-quarter points, the lowest for a Grizzlies' opponent this season. ... Playing against his former club for the first time, Grizzlies forward Marreese Speights had 12 points and two rebounds.

UP NEXT: For the Sixers, Wednesday @ Houston, Feb. 28 @ Detroit, March 1 vs. Oklahoma City. For the Grizzlies, Feb. 29 vs. Dallas, March 2 @ Toronto, March 3 vs. Detroit

• 76ers: Brackins
• Grizzlies: Arthur, Randolph, Selby

• 76ers: Iguodala
• Grizzlies: --

• Lead Changes: 0
• Times Tied: 0

• Arena: FedExForum, Memphis, TN
• Officials: #36 David Jones, #32 Eddie F. Rush, #76 Steven Anderson
• Attendance: 14258
• Duration: 2:06