Lakers-Grizzlies Preview

By JEFF MEZYDLO
Posted Mar 12 2012 9:44PM

A stop in Memphis might not provide the Los Angeles Lakers with the best opportunity to win back-to-back road games for only the second time this season.

The Lakers will look for a third straight victory overall Tuesday night, but to do it they'll need to snap the Grizzlies' season-high six-game home winning streak.

Los Angeles (25-16) pulled out a 97-94 home win over Boston on Sunday, two days after snapping a three-game road skid with a 105-102 victory at Minnesota. Beating the Timberwolves merely improved the Lakers to 7-14 on the road, where they last won consecutive games Jan. 29 and Feb. 3.

After scoring 34 at Minnesota, Kobe Bryant posted 10 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter Sunday and hit the go-ahead jumper with 41.7 seconds to play. Andrew Bynum had 20 points and 14 rebounds, securing the win with a hook shot over Kevin Garnett in the final seconds.

It was Bryant's decision during a timeout to get the ball to Bynum for the decisive basket.

"I just think that Kobe has always continued in that evolution in terms of doing different things to try to get us to the top and trying to get us to a championship level team," guard Derek Fisher told the Lakers' official website. "I believe we have always been pretty dangerous down the stretch because it's difficult to decide what to do. It's tough for teams to make a choice."

Giving the ball to Bynum has been the right choice lately. He's averaging 23.8 points on 68.4 percent shooting in his last four games.

"He's a player you have to focus on," Bryant said.

Though the Grizzlies have held Bynum to averages of 8.5 points and 5.9 boards in 17 career meetings, he had 15 points and 15 rebounds in Los Angeles' 90-82 home win over Memphis on Jan. 8.

Bryant, who scored 26 in that contest, had a modest 19 points in a 93-84 win at Memphis on Feb. 7, 2011. It was the only time in his last 10 games at the FedEx Forum that he failed to score at least 25.

Gasol, who could be dealt before Thursday's trade deadline, had 13 points and 15 boards against the Grizzlies earlier this season. The Lakers held his brother Marc to two points and 0-of-9 shooting in that meeting, though he did have 11 rebounds and seven assists.

Memphis (24-16) is trying to win seven straight at home for the first time since an 11-game run Dec. 18, 2009-Jan. 25, 2010.

The Grizzlies return home after concluding a 2-1 trip with a 94-91 win at Denver on Sunday. O.J. Mayo had 22 points off the bench, including a key 3-pointer in the final seconds, to help Memphis overcome 21 turnovers to win for the 12th time in 15 games.

Memphis came out ahead despite a total of just 45 points from its starters.

"We have a team full of hard workers," Mayo told the Grizzlies' official website. "It's all about opportunities and rhythm, timing and everything."

Rudy Gay (18.8 points per game) was held to seven points while shooting 3 of 13 on Sunday, but scored 19 of the Grizzlies starters' 36 total points at Los Angeles in January.

The Lakers have won the last three overall meetings in this series and seven of their last 10 visits to Memphis.

Bynum, Bryant help Lakers beat Grizzlies in 2 OTs

Posted Mar 14 2012 2:20AM

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) It took two overtime periods, but the Los Angeles Lakers eventually made sure the Memphis Grizzlies stayed behind them in the Western Conference standings.

Andrew Bynum had a season-high 37 points and 16 rebounds, Kobe Bryant scored 22 of his 34 points after halftime, and the Lakers beat Memphis 116-111 in double overtime on Tuesday night.

The Lakers entered the game a half-game ahead of Memphis, which had won 12 of 15, for the third spot in the West.

"They're a young team, they're hot, and they were coming for our spot," Bynum said. "We had to defend it, and we did that."

Pau Gasol added 14 points and eight assists for the Lakers, who won their third straight. Bynum and Bryant accounted for the Lakers' last 10 points after Steve Blake connected on a 3-pointer to open the second extra period.

Bynum went 15 of 18 from the field. Bryant said Bynum's performance was indicative of a change the Lakers have made in their offensive approach, running more things through the 7-foot center.

"The big games he had at the start of the season, he was having good games, but he wasn't being featured," Bryant said. "This is different. We're featuring him, and we're looking for him to make plays out of double-teams, and make plays for others, not just himself."

Marreese Speights led the Grizzlies with a season-high 25 points, while Marc Gasol finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Tony Allen had 18 points, and O. J. Mayo scored 14, but was 7 of 25 from the field. Mike Conley finished with 10 points and 11 assists for Memphis.

The Grizzlies took an early lead in the second overtime, but the Lakers clicked off six straight points, including a pair of baskets by Bynum, for a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

"We played a great game, and we should have won the game," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. "We had a few mental lapses at key times. As I'm always telling those guys, it's the small things that win or lose games."

Memphis played without leading scorer Rudy Gay, who was still suffering from concussion symptoms after a blow to the head in Sunday night's game at Denver.

The biggest difference in the game was at the free throw line, where the Lakers were 28 of 34, while Memphis hit all five of its free throws - two of them on technicals called against Metta World Peace and Bryant.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the discrepancy in free throw attempts matched a Grizzlies franchise record dating to April, 1999, when the Seattle SuperSonics shot 29 more free throws than the then-Vancouver Grizzlies.

Memphis led 80-71 entering the fourth after outscoring Los Angeles 28-20 in the third behind 15 points from Speights. During that time, Memphis built its largest lead of the game at 72-55 just past the midway point of the period.

"I thought our guys a few times during the course of the ballgame could have folded," Lakers coach Mike Brown said. "That's just not in their makeup. .There's never a panic with this group. The group just stayed the course, stayed the course and stayed the course."

Consecutive jumpers from Bryant cut into the lead early in the fourth, and when Bynum got free for an alley-oop dunk, the Lakers were within 88-86 with 5:40 left.

Speights scored on a rebound basket for a 95-90 lead with 2:28 left. But Bryant's 3- pointer tied the game at 95, then he fed Gasol for a dunk, giving the Lakers a 97-95 lead with 50 seconds left.

Marc Gasol scored inside for Memphis with 36.1 left, tying the game at 97 at the end of regulation.

Bynum's dunk with 1:20 left in overtime tied it at 103.

The Grizzlies carried a 52-51 lead into the halftime break on a 3-pointer by Quincy Pondexter with 26 seconds left after an intensely played first half that saw the Lakers commit 10 turnovers while shooting 50 percent.

Bynum was dominating inside, hitting 7 of 9 for 18 points. Bryant was 4 of 5, while adding 12 points.

The Grizzlies opened the second half on a 20-4 run, keyed by 13 points from Speights.

Then Memphis began misfiring and Bryant started to score. Allen, Memphis' top defender, was saddled with fouls and Pondexter had Bryant much of the time after intermission.

"The toughest thing defensively is not getting discouraged when he makes shots," Pondexter said. "We've all seen him through the years, and when he makes shots, you can't get discouraged."

But it was Bynum against Marc Gasol in a battle of Western Conference All-Star centers that was the most intense matchup. And, in the end, Bynum, who entered the game averaging 23.8 over the last four games, carried the night.

"They're trusting me now," Bynum said of his teammates. "They're just looking to get me the ball. When I get it, I'm doing decent things with it. Cutting down the turnovers. But it's part of learning and being a dominant player."

Asked how long Bynum can keep the pace, Bryant replied: "He can do it every night. He's been doing it every night."

NOTES: Pau Gasol was booed like every other Laker in the pregame intros, despite his years in Memphis. ... Sam Young started in place of Gay. ... Derek Fisher's 3-pointer from the left corner with 5:16 left in the first quarter put him over 10,000 points for his career. .The crowd of 18,119 marked the Grizzlies' third sellout of the season. ... Memphis lost for the first time this season after surpassing the century mark. The Grizzlies are 12-1 when scoring 100 points. .The Lakers are now 8-14 on the road. They won at Minnesota on Friday and with the win over Memphis have consecutive road wins for the first time since Jan. 29 and Feb. 3. .Memphis set a franchise record with 116 shots from the field, and it was a season high in the league.

Notebook: Lakers 116, Grizzlies 111

Posted Wednesday March 14, 2012 12:47AM

By Marlon W. Morgan, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: The Los Angeles Lakers fell behind 17 points, 72-55, midway through the third quarter, then used a rally led by Andrew Bynum, Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol to pull out a 116-111 double-overtime victory over the Memphis Grizzlies before a sold out crowd of 18,119 at FedExForum. Bynum led the Lakers with 37 points while Bryant added 34.

QUOTABLE: "There's never been a panic with this group. The group just stayed the course, stayed the course, and stayed the course. As a coaching staff, you like that because there is still a lot of basketball left. ... That's what they did tonight. They played the game the whole time. Nobody panicked."
-- Lakers coach Mike Brown

THE STAT: With both teams hesitant to make substitutions late in the game, a total of six players played more than 46 minutes, while four others totaled at least 34 minutes. Bryant and Mike Conley of the Grizzlies each played more than 51 minutes.

TURNING POINT: Through three quarters, the Grizzlies were shooting 49 percent and held an 80-71 lead. But from that point on, they shot .366 (15-41) and scored just 31 points.

GOOD MOVE: As the Lakers were chipping away, coach Brown listened to the suggestions his team was making during timeouts. That paid off as the suggestion of running pick-and-roll with Bryant and Gasol led to Gasol serving up several alley-oops to Bynum. Gasol finished with a team-high eight assists.

BAD MOVE: Grizzlies guard Tony Allen spent most of the fourth quarter on the bench with four fouls. But he was inserted late in the quarter with the Grizzlies clinging to a 95-90 lead. After a basket by Bynum and a missed shot by the Grizzlies, the Lakers Pau Gasol had the ball out near half court. Allen, who was guarding Bryant, went over the help on Gasol, who passed to the open Bryant for a game-tying 3-pointer that eventually helped the Lakers send the game into overtime.

QUOTABLE II: "We played a great game and should have won the game. We had a few mental lapses at key times. As I'm always telling those guys, it's the small things that win or lose games. We gave up a 3 when we were up three, and there was no reason to give up a 3."
-- Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins

HOT: From start to finish, Bynum, the starting center for the Western Conference in the NBA All-Star game, had his way with reserve All-Star Marc Gasol. Bynum was an unstoppable force in the paint, making 15 of 18 shots for a game-high 37 points, while grabbing 16 rebounds.

NOT: The Grizzlies scored 60 points in the paint, but couldn't buy a basket from 3-point range. They were 2-for-19 from long range with guard O.J. Mayo going 0-for-8.

NOTABLE: Bryant was an efficient workhorse in his nearly 52 minutes on the court. He made 11 of 25 shots for 34 points while grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out five assists, with just three turnovers. Gasol had 14 points to go with his eight assists, and Steve Blake played 36 minutes off the bench, finishing with nine points, five assists and five rebounds. ... The Grizzlies were led by forward Marreese Speights, who had 25 points, 15 in the third quarter, and seven rebounds. Marc Gasol added 20 points and 11 boards. ... Not having good shooting nights were Lakers forward Metta World Peace (1-for-7 shooting for five points), Grizzlies guards Conley (5-for-15) and Mayo (7-for-25). ... The Lakers shot 34 free throws, compared to just five by the Grizzlies, tying the largest free throw disparity in Grizzlies' history.

UP NEXT: For the Lakers, Wednesday @ New Orleans, Friday vs. Minnesota, Sunday vs. Utah. For the Grizzlies, Friday vs. Toronto, Sunday vs. Washington, Tuesday @ Sacramento.

• Lakers: Morris
• Grizzlies: Arthur, Randolph

• Lakers: Bryant, World Peace
• Grizzlies: --

• Lead Changes: 7
• Times Tied: 13

• Arena: FedExForum, Memphis, TN
• Officials: #41 Ken Mauer, #65 Sean Wright, #77 Karl Lane
• Attendance: 18119
• Duration: 2:43