Grizzlies-Hornets Preview

By NOEY KUPCHAN
Posted Dec 06 2012 4:08PM

Apparently determined to avoid the early season struggles that have plagued them for years, the Memphis Grizzlies have gotten off to the best 16-game start in team history and own the best record in the NBA.

Memphis looks to keep rolling Friday night when they visit the New Orleans Hornets, who continue to falter with Anthony Davis sidelined.

After getting off to poor starts the previous six seasons, the Grizzlies (13-3) have been winning with improved offensive play as well as strong efforts at the defensive end. Memphis is scoring 99.3 points per game and holding teams to 91.3 - third in the league.

"Guys were already shape, using training camp to get ready for the first preseason game," said point guard Mike Conley, averaging a career-high 15.0 points. "We were just taking it step-by-step. But the first game, I thought guys' minds were in midseason form, and we were clicking in so many different areas as opposed to the past seasons where we started out sluggish and slow."

The Grizzlies suffered a 99-95 overtime loss at San Antonio on Saturday but regrouped three nights later, beating Phoenix 108-98 in OT.

Memphis outscored the Suns 60-38 in the paint and held a 50-32 rebounding edge thanks largely to Zach Randolph, who had 38 points and 22 boards in an effort reminiscent of his play during the team's 2011 playoff run.

"I saw the Zach from two years ago," Conley said of Randolph, who missed 2 1/2 months last season with a knee injury. "The one where everybody is chanting: `Z-Bo.' That's what we like to see. We don't want him to have to go for 40, or whatever he went for, every night, but we'll take it whenever he wants to give it to us."

Tied for the league lead with 14 double-doubles, Randolph could be in for another big game Friday with Davis likely out again. The star rookie big man has missed the last nine games due to a stress reaction in his left ankle.

The Hornets (5-12) lost for the 10th time in 12 games Wednesday, 103-87 to the Los Angeles Lakers. Ryan Anderson scored 31 points and went 5 for 8 from 3-point range, but the Hornets were outscored 30-16 in the third quarter after taking a one-point lead into halftime.

"I just didn't think our defense was there, especially that first five or six minutes of the third quarter. Our defense was really poor, and we can't afford those lapses," coach Monty Williams said.

"We looked like a young team. That's the thing that hit me as it was happening. We are just a young team."

Coming out sluggish in the second half is nothing new for New Orleans, which has been limited to 15.3 points and 30.8 percent shooting in the third period during its last three losses.

"We have had a little bit of trouble with that this year, and it's something that we will need to tighten up on and come together as a group," said Anderson, averaging 24.7 points in his last three games.

The Hornets have struggled against the Grizzlies of late, averaging 89.2 points in losing five of six. New Orleans is scoring a league-low 87.9 points at home.

Gay leads Grizzlies past Hornets, 96-89

By BRETT MARTEL
Posted Dec 07 2012 11:46PM

NEW ORLEANS (AP) As animated as Quincy Pondexter was on a night when he couldn't miss, it looked as though he wanted the team that traded him away to notice how well he's doing these days.

Pondexter denied it, to which teammate Rudy Gay said, "I don't believe him at all."

Gay tied a season-high with 28 points, Pondexter matched his season-high with 16, and the Memphis Grizzlies maintained their NBA-best winning percentage with their second-straight victory, 96-89 over the struggling New Orleans Hornets on Friday night.

Pondexter hit all six of his shots, including four 3-pointers.

"I didn't look at it as I'm playing against my old team," Pondexter said. "I looked at it as we needed a win and I'm really glad our guys pulled it off tonight. It wasn't I was extra assertive or anything tonight. I was just making the right basketball plays."

New Orleans put up resistance, despite losing for the 11th time in 13 games, and Memphis needed Gay's 3-pointer with 2:10 left to get some breathing room.

"We just toughed it out," Gay said. "This is one of those games that a young team probably wouldn't win, but the fact that we've been around and know how it is, the fact that this is the NBA and everybody has a chance to win, that's what got us over the hump."

Zach Randolph added 15 points and Marc Gasol 13 for the Grizzlies, who improved to 14-3 (.824). Pondexter, the Hornets' first-round draft choice in 2010 who was traded for Greivis Vasquez shortly before last season, appeared to be engaging in a measure of trash talk as he made his way down the court followed each basket.

"He was yapping with them and stuff like that. That's how it is sometimes. Guys find ways to get yourself in rhythm and get yourself pumped up," Gay said. "There's a lot of games. You've got to find whatever you can to get up. It probably does feel good for him to play against them like that, to be able to win and play well."

Ryan Anderson, Austin Rivers and Brian Roberts each scored 15 points for the Hornets, who were within one possession of tying or leading several times in the fourth quarter. Xavier Henry, making his first start this season, had 12 points.

"It's close to the right effort," Hornets coach Monty Williams said. "I'm proud of how we competed but my heart aches because you lost a game you had a chance to win.

"That we held a good team to 45 points in the second half says a lot about how our guys competed," Williams added.

Henry started for Al-Farouq Aminu, who did not play at all despite being healthy. Williams did not explain the lineup change in detail other than to say he wants to give chances to those who understand that playing in the NBA is a privilege and who play with passion.

Rivers' point total was a season high for the rookie, drafted 10th overall.

Both teams shot well in a crowd-pleasing contest, with Memphis hitting 50 percent (36 of 72) and New Orleans 48 percent (36 of 75). The Hornets were 8 of 16 from 3-point range and the Grizzlies 8 of 17.

Memphis dominated inside, however, outrebounding New Orleans 46-29 and outscoring the Hornets 46-36 in the paint. The Grizzlies also had 17 second-chance points, thanks in part to 11 offensive rebounds.

New Orleans close to 86-85 when Jason Smith snagged Roberts' lob feed at the front rim and laid it in. Memphis responded with Randolph's inside basket and Gasol's 8-foot turnaround bank shot as he was fouled by Smith. Rivers' one-handed pull-up cut the Grizzlies' lead to 91-87 before Gay drilled his key right win 3 to quiet the New Orleans Arena crowd.

Memphis appeared to be taking control in the last five minutes of the second quarter with a 12-4 run that began with Gay's 3-pointer. Conley and Pondexter also hit from deep, giving the Grizzlies their first double-digit lead at 43-33.

Memphis' lead grew to 14 before Anderson's tip-in cut it to 51-39 at halftime.

New Orleans slowly clawed back in the third quarter, though, closing the period with an 8-2 spurt, featuring 3s by Rivers and Roberts, that cut the Grizzlies' lead to 71-66 and setting up a tense final 12 minutes.

NOTES: Hornets F Anthony Davis, the NBA's top overall draft choice, missed his 10th straight game. New Orleans is 2-8 during that stretch. ... G Tony Allen (right groin strain) started after missing Memphis' previous three games. He finished six points. ... New Orleans, which plays in Miami on Saturday night, closed out its five-game home stand 1-4. ... Gay has scored at least 14 points in every game this season. ... Memphis had its highest overall and 3-point shooting percentages of any half this season, hitting 55.3 percent over all (21 of 38) and 55.6 percent from deep (5 of 9).

Notebook: Grizzlies 96, Hornets 89

Brian Alleewalsh, for NBA.com
Posted Fri Dec 07, 2012 11:43 PM - Updated Fri Dec 07, 2012 11:50 PM

THE FACTS: The Memphis Grizzlies continued their winning ways Friday night at The Hive, overcoming a game-but-outclassed New Orleans Hornets 96-89 to improve their NBA best record to 14-3.

QUOTABLE: "We had a great defensive effort tonight. To hold a team like that to 45 points in the second half says a lot about this team.''
-- Hornets Coach Monty Williams after his team outscored the Grizzlies 50-45 in the second half and closed a 51-39 halftime deficit to within one point on several occasions in the fourth quarter.

THE STAT: The numbers don't lie. The Grizzlies front line of Rudy Gay (28-8), Zach Randolph (15-7) and Marc Gasol (13-9) combined for 56 points and 24 rebounds to win the battle of the bigs in impressive fashion. The Hornets' inside trio of Xavier Henry (12-3), Ryan Anderson (15-2) and Robin Lopez (2-3) paled in comparison, combining for 29 points and just eight boards.

TURNING POINT: With the Hornets (5-13) hanging tough, down just 91-86 late in the fourth quarter, Rudy Gay knocked down a 3-ball to give the Grizzlies breathing room late in the fourth quarter. Gay matched his season-high of 28 points but that 3-pointer with 2:10 remaining dashed the Hornets' upset hopes.

QUOTABLE II: "We don't want a moral victory. We want a real victory.''
-- Hornets rookie SG Austin Rivers, who scored a career-high 15 points.

HOT: Grizzlies' reserve F Quincy Pondexter haunted his former team, matching his season high of 16 points with a perfect 6-of-6 from the floor in 13-plus minutes of court time. He made all four attempts from 3-point range. The Hornets traded Pondexter to Memphis on Christmas Eve in 2011 for point guard Greivis Vasquez, who scored four points and handed out eight assists. "It was one of those nights; the shots were falling,'' Pondexter said. "A win is a win, it doesn't matter who it comes against.''

NOT: Hornets starting SF Al-Farouq Aminu had the night off, courtesy of Coach Monty Williams who felt the time had come to shake up the look of his backcourt. Aminu's replacement Xavier Henry acquitted himself well, scoring a season-high 12 points on 4-of-6 from the floor.

GOOD MOVE: The decision by Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins to go small in the second half to match the Hornets' energy and intensity. Pondexter came off the bench to score eight points in the fourth quarter and keep the Grizzlies in front. "We can go with a small lineup, we can go with a big lineup,'' Pondexter said. "We have the ability to go out and win with any lineup and that's the mark of a good team.''

BAD MOVE: Not necessarily bad, just a sign of the times in New Orleans. The Hornets bench outscored the starters 48-41 and tried to overtake the Grizzlies in the waning minutes with an all-rookie backcourt of rookie Austin Rivers and Brian Roberts. Meantime, the orgfanization is awaiting the return of SG Eric Gordon and PF Anthony Davis, the No. 1 overall pick in the June draft who is scheduled to return next week after missing the past 10 games with a badly sprained ankle.

NOTABLE: With 28 points Friday night, Grizzlies SF Rudy Gay now has scored at least 14 points in a career-high 20 consecutive games. It represents the fourth-longest active streak in the NBA. "

UP NEXT: For the Hornets, Saturday @ Miami, Tuesday vs. Washington, Wednesday @ Oklahoma City. For the Grizzlies, Saturday vs. Atlanta, Wednesday @ Phoenix, Friday at Denver.

• Grizzlies: Wroten
• Hornets: Gordon

• Grizzlies: --
• Hornets: --

• Lead Changes: 4
• Times Tied: 2

• Arena: New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, LA
• Officials: #14 Ed Malloy, #20 Leroy Richardson, #44 Eli Roe
• Attendance: 13698
• Duration: 2:04