Cavaliers-Grizzlies Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Nov 25 2012 6:00PM

The Memphis Grizzlies responded in positive fashion after the end of one of their longest win streaks in franchise history and might have the opportunity to start another run during the remainder of their season-high homestand.

The Grizzlies will welcome three struggling opponents in a row to FedExForum, beginning with Monday night's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Memphis fell just short of a franchise-record ninth consecutive win and lost for the first time in 16 regular-season contests at home last Monday, 97-92 to Denver. After getting a couple days off, the Grizzlies responded with a 106-98 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday.

Rudy Gay scored 21 points while helping his team extend its best start in franchise history and Zach Randolph recorded his 11th consecutive double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. The Grizzlies (9-2) also scored 29 points off 18 turnovers, extending the NBA's longest active streak of 10 or more to 115 games.

"It was good to get the bad taste out of our mouth," center Marc Gasol said. "We really wanted to come out and show our fans we want to play."

The Grizzlies might provide some more wins for their fans over the next three games with Cleveland (3-10), Toronto (3-11) and Detroit (3-11) visiting this week. The Cavaliers are among the worst defensive teams in the league, allowing 102.2 points per game, and have especially labored to contain opponents while going 1-8 on the road.

"We've got to get up for every game," Randolph said. "(Cleveland is) going to play hard so we've got to have energy. Everyone's going to come with their 'A' game so we have to be ready."

The Cavaliers have given up more than 100 points in all but one game away from home this season and allowed a combined 218 in closes losses to Orlando and Miami to open a three-game road trip.

After falling 108-104 to the Magic on Friday, Cleveland allowed the Heat to rally from a seven-point deficit in the final 1:53 of a 110-108 loss. Former Grizzlies guard Jeremy Pargo and Cavaliers first-round draft pick Dion Waiters each had 16 points to lead eight players in double figures.

"Our guys showed a lot of guts, but it's just the little things that are killing us, the little things that are killing us especially at the end," coach Byron Scott said. "We just haven't figured it out yet and we did a couple of bonehead things towards the end of the game."

The Cavaliers have lost by a combined 17 points in their last three visits to Memphis and allowing an average of 110.7 points in those games hasn't helped. The Grizzlies pulled away late in last season's only matchup, a 109-101 victory in Memphis on April 23.

They earned that win despite Randolph producing just three points and five rebounds over 20 minutes. He totaled 61 points and 27 rebounds in the previous two visits from Cleveland.

Kyrie Irving had a team-best 25 points for Cleveland in last year's trip to Memphis but won't play in this game. The reigning rookie of the year, averaging 22.9 points in 10 games this season, is out for at least three more weeks with a broken left index finger.

Grizzlies overcome slow start to beat Cavs 84-78

By CLAY BAILEY
Posted Nov 27 2012 12:06AM

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) For three quarters, the Memphis Grizzlies were out of sync and appeared to be just going through the motions.

But a fourth-quarter rally fueled by a more energetic defense allowed Memphis to overcome its lethargic performance for an 84-78 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night.

"We knew coming into this game that it was going to be a tough game," said Memphis forward Zach Randolph, who finished with 19 points. "The guys didn't play too well. It was a fight to the end."

Marc Gasol matched Randolph with 19 points for the Grizzlies. Rudy Gay added 15 points and Quincy Pondexter had 10, including 2-of-3 shooting from outside the arc, as NBA-leading Memphis (10-2) won its second straight.

Memphis played without starting point guard Mike Conley, who sat out with flu-like symptoms, and his absence was evident within the offense. Jerryd Bayless started in Conley's place, scoring nine points with six assists, while committing three turnovers. The lack of consistency resulted in only 16 assists and a season-low in points for Memphis, which entered the game averaging 100.7 points.

"It wasn't tough. It was just different," Bayless said of the starting role. "I don't play with (the starters) ever. I always play with (the reserves). It's a much different setting. .I've never really practiced with them either, so it was different trying to get used to that. We won, and that's all that matters."

Anderson Varejao had 15 points and 22 rebounds - including eight on the offensive glass - and Dion Waiters also scored 15 to lead Cleveland. Daniel Gibson added 11 points for the Cavs, who lost their third straight and ninth in their last 10 games.

The Cavaliers still held a six-point lead with 8:28 left, but Memphis closed the game on a 16-4 run. The Grizzlies outscored Cleveland 22-9 in the fourth quarter.

"We took some bad shots," Varejao said. "We only shot 20 percent, I believe, in the fourth quarter. It was just bad decisions, and then we had to find a way back into the game.

"We are playing as good as them for the whole game, and the last 2 or 3 minutes are where we are losing."

Cleveland had a 41-33 advantage on the boards, while Memphis outscored the Cavs 44-38 in the paint.

The Memphis offense was sporadic at best through the first three quarters, leading to Cleveland holding a seven-point lead at that point. But Memphis opened the final frame with a 12-5 run, tying it at 74 on back-to-back 3-pointers from Pondexter and Gay.

Cleveland wouldn't surrender the lead until Tony Allen hit a pair of free throws with 2:49 left to give Memphis a 78-76 lead.

Randolph's inside basket with 1:29 to play extended the margin to 80-76, but a rebound dunk by Alonzo Gee with 44.5 seconds left cut the lead to 80-78. Cleveland got no closer as Bayless, who was only 3 of 11 from the field on the night, hit a jumper with 24 seconds left then converted two free throws for the final score.

"I believe in myself and I got a good look, so I let it fly," Bayless said of the jumper. "I shot terrible. I didn't play well, and honestly it wasn't me, it was the guys who really picked us back up. It was my fault we got in the hole, and I've just got to play better."

Cleveland used 50 percent shooting and a much more spirited approach than the Grizzlies to take a 47-42 lead at the half. Varejao had 11 points and 12 rebounds at the break.

"He's got a motor," Randolph said of Varejao. "He's non-stop movement. He reminds me of myself a couple of years ago. You've got to give him a lot of credit. He works hard. He's non-stop."

Randolph already had 13 points at the half, and Gasol and Gay had 10 apiece.

While both teams committed eight turnovers before the break, Memphis seemed to be sleepwalking through the motions.

"We should have played better," Gasol said. "We played their game, and we shouldn't have done that."

Memphis came out in the second half and still appeared sloppy, allowing Cavs to build the lead to 10, their biggest of the game. Varejao was getting on the boards, and Cleveland continued shooting at a 50-percent clip in the third.

Allen and Gasol were providing the only energy for Memphis at the midway point of the third quarter as Cleveland maintained a lead of about five points.

Varejao's jumper as the horn sounded at the end of the third gave Cleveland a 69-62 lead entering the fourth - the first time this season Memphis has trailed at the end of three.

But Memphis clamped down the defense with Allen guarding Waiters and holding the Cavaliers' second-leading scorer scoreless in the fourth, part of Memphis limiting Cleveland to a 4 for 20 shooting touch in the fourth, including misfiring on nine of 10 from outside the arc.

"As I told our guys, we just have got to keep competing like this," Cleveland coach Byron Scott said. "Sooner or later being in this situation this many times, we will find a way to break through it."

NOTES: Memphis caused 18 turnovers, the 116th consecutive game where the Grizzlies have forced at least 10 - the longest such streak in the NBA. ... Jeremy Pargo, who played for Memphis last season, is starting at guard for Cleveland with Kyrie Irving out because of a left index finger injury. Pargo finished with nine points. ... It was Varejao's ninth double-double of the season. His 22 rebounds were one short of his career high set earlier this season against Washington. ... Randolph ended the night with eight rebounds, marking the first time this season he hasn't recorded a double-double.

Notebook: Grizzlies 84, Cavaliers 78

Marlon W. Morgan, for NBA.com
Posted Mon Nov 26, 2012 11:44 PM - Updated Mon Nov 26, 2012 11:44 PM

THE FACTS: The Grizzlies trailed Cleveland for the majority of Monday night's game at FedExForum thanks to a lackluster defensive effort, but when they needed it most, the defense showed up in the fourth quarter allowing them to pull out a tougher than expected, 84-78 win. The Grizzlies ended the game with a 10-2 run with guard Tony Allen coming up with two crucial steals that preserved the victory.

QUOTABLE: "I don't think we ever gave up. All we kept thinking about was the Denver game where we didn't have much energy. We didn't want to let this one slip. We just clawed and clawed and clawed. We were just able to get some stops to sustain the lead and came away with the win." -- Grizzlies guard Allen.

THE STAT: Offensively, the Cavs had their way with Memphis for most of the night, shooting above 50 percent for a good portion of the game. They were at 48 percent heading into the fourth quarter. But the Grizzlies played locked down defense in the final period, holding Cleveland to just 20 percent (4 of 20) shooting in the fourth. The Cavs made just one basket in the final 5:57 of the game.

TURNING POINT: Grizzlies point guard Jerryd Bayless, starting in place of Mike Conley who was out with the flu, was having an off night, to say the least. But even when he went the wrong way on a play called, he was able to hit a jumper that ignited a 7-0 run that put the Grizzlies up for good late in the fourth.

HOT: Anderson Varejao epitomized the Cavs effort as he was all over the place. His 22 rebounds were more than Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph and Rudy Gay combined. He also made 7 of 11 shots for 15 points, including a long jumper at the buzzer to end the third quarter.

NOT: Bayless, making his first start of the season, was just 3 of 11 from the floor, scoring nine points. Bayless struggled getting the Grizzlies into a consistent offensive rhythm for much of the night, however, he did manage to pick up six assists.

QUOTABLE II: "Both teams are very good, Miami and Memphis. We have to play smarter. We took some bad shots. We only shot 20 percent, I believe, in the fourth quarter. They outscored us 22-9. It was just bad decisions and then we had to find a way to get back into the game. We are playing as good as them for the whole game and the last two or three minutes are where we are losing." -- Varejao after back-to-back close losses at Miami and Memphis.

NOTABLE: Randolph scored 19 points for the Grizzlies but he eight rebounds prevented him from extended his double-double streak to 12 games. Gasol also had 19 for the Grizzlies to go along with six rebounds. Gay added 15 points and six boards. ... Cleveland point guard Jeremy Pargo, starting in place of the injured Kyrie Irving, was playing against the team where he served as a backup for most of last season. Perhaps his nerves got the best of him early on as he missed the first shot of the game and then committed a turnover on the Cavs next possession. Pargo, who was averaging 19.7 points in three games as a starter including a career-high 28 against Philadelphia, was just 4 of 12 from the floor for nine points. ... The Grizzlies had just 16 assists, one more than their season-low of 15 against New York on Nov. 16. .. Despite being outrebounded for the fifth time this season (41-33) , the Grizzlies improved to 4-1 in those games.

UP NEXT: For the Cavs: Tuesday vs. Phoenix, Friday @ Atlanta, Saturday vs. Portland; For the Grizzlies: Wednesday vs. Toronto, Friday vs. Detroit, Saturday @ San Antonio.

• Cavaliers: Harangody, Irving
• Grizzlies: Wroten

• Cavaliers: --
• Grizzlies: --

• Lead Changes: 4
• Times Tied: 4

• Arena: FedExForum, Memphis, TN
• Officials: #24 Mike Callahan, #26 Pat Fraher, #64 SirAllen Connor
• Attendance: 13485
• Duration: 2:07