Timberwolves-Grizzlies Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Feb 09 2013 1:38PM

After getting a much-needed victory, the revamped Memphis Grizzlies appear to have a prime opportunity to keep their momentum going over the next two weeks.

The Grizzlies begin a string of five games versus sub-.500 opponents Sunday against the injury-plagued Minnesota Timberwolves, who've lost 14 of 16 and seven straight on the road.

Memphis (31-18) dropped three of its first four after dealing leading scorer Rudy Gay to Toronto on Jan. 30 - the second of two recent trades - and that caused coach Lionel Hollins to address his team before the start of a three-game homestand Friday.

"My conversation to them was about believing that they were a good team and committing to the process of being a good team again because we haven't been since we made the trades," he said.

The Grizzlies responded with a 99-93 victory over Golden State, a team that's in sixth place in the Western Conference and just behind Memphis in the standings. Marc Gasol had a team-best 20 points and 11 rebounds while Austin Daye, one of the players acquired in the Gay deal, scored 12 off the bench while hitting 3 of 4 from 3-point range.

Daye had totaled four points on 1-of-7 shooting from the field in his first three games with Memphis.

"It was a little step forward," Gasol said. "We've got to be consistent now, get our rest, tomorrow come back and get some work and get ready for Minnesota."

The Grizzlies have a good chance to build that consistency thanks to a favorable stretch in the schedule, during which they'll face five consecutive opponents that are each more than 10 games under .500.

Memphis will try to add to Minnesota's woes while extending an eight-game win streak in the series. The Timberwolves (18-29) head into the first of three meetings with the Grizzlies this season having lost six in a row in Memphis since a 94-87 victory Jan. 6, 2009.

Minnesota's last six defeats overall have come by an average of just 6.0 points. The Timberwolves led New York by 11 with seven minutes remaining Friday before losing 100-94 to finish a 1-5 homestand.

"If we keep playing like that, we're going to win games," coach Rick Adelman said. "We just play with the people we have and make plays."

Minnesota has played without star forward Kevin Love since Jan. 3. Chase Budinger, Brandon Roy, Malcolm Lee and Andrei Kirilenko have also been out, with Kirilenko missing the past two games due to a strained right quadriceps.

The Timberwolves do have J.J. Barea, who scored 28 points in the most recent meeting with Memphis on April 17. Nikola Pekovic added 16 and 11 rebounds, but Minnesota managed only 28 points in the second half of a 91-84 home defeat.

Ricky Rubio missed that game following his ACL tear, but he has been coming on stronger lately, posting double-digit assists in each of his last three games after failing to do so even once in his first 19 contests after returning. He also had a season-high 18 points against the Knicks.

Prince scores 18 as Grizzlies beat Wolves 105-88

By CLAY BAILEY
Posted Feb 10 2013 10:29PM

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) The new guys are making the Memphis Grizzlies look pretty good.

Tayshaun Prince scored 18 points, hitting all eight of his shots from the field, and the Memphis Grizzlies pulled away in the second quarter before coasting to a 105-88 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.

"I wasn't. I missed a free throw," Prince said with a small smile when asked about his perfection, which matched a franchise record for field goals made in a game without a miss.

Austin Daye, who along with Prince was obtained from Detroit in the three-team trade that sent leading scorer Rudy Gay to Toronto on Jan. 30, was one of three Grizzlies to score 16 points. He was 6 of 9 from the field, including 2 of 4 outside the arc. Ed Davis, who came from Toronto in the swap, was 2 of 3, making the newcomers a combined 16 of 20 in the game for 38 total points.

"Nothing's really changed," Daye said of his recent shooting success. "I'm just playing more. When you are out there for 3- or 4-minute spurts it's hard to hit a lot of shots.

"It's difficult at times to really find a rhythm out there when you are not playing a lot of minutes or straight minutes. I don't think Michael Jordan can go out there and play 3 minutes and have 40."

Mike Conley and Zach Randolph each finished with 16 points. Conley also handed out eight assists, while Randolph grabbed eight rebounds to help the Grizzlies win their second straight. Marc Gasol added nine points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

Luke Ridnour and Ricky Rubio led the Timberwolves with 17 points apiece, and both finished with four assists. Mickael Gelabale scored 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting and Alexey Shved had 10 points and nine assists for Minnesota.

Rubio's 17 were one short of his season high.

The loss continues a tailspin for the Timberwolves, who have lost 15 of their last 17 - including eight straight on the road.

"We've got to take care of the ball," said Timberwolves forward Dante Cunningham, who finished with nine points and five rebounds in his return to Memphis where he played last season. "We let them get out in the open court. That is tough to get back on a team that is so aggressive. They took advantage of it, and it was hard for us to get back in the game."

Memphis outscored the injury-depleted Timberwolves 50-32 in the paint, and had a 20-4 advantage in fast-break points. The Grizzlies, as they did in Friday's win over Golden State, did a good job in spreading the ball, recording a season-high 30 assists on 41 field goals.

"The ball movement is getting contagious," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. "Everybody is moving the ball. It's nice; giving goals to Zach (Randolph), guys cutting. The whole team is just looking to make the extra pass and the extra play."

The fast-break difference was particularly troubling for the Timberwolves, who could never get anything going in transition and were hampered by 20 turnovers.

"We like to play in the fast break," Rubio said, "but (the Grizzlies) get back on the defense pretty good, and that is why they are a good team. They are a hard team to beat. They didn't let us get any easy baskets."

There were six ties and six lead changes in the game, but all of those were in the first half. Memphis has held opponents under 100 in all 28 home games so far, the longest such streak to start a season in the NBA since the shot-clock era began.

Memphis matched its biggest lead at 78-57 early in the fourth quarter. The Timberwolves would put together nine unanswered points to pull within 11 near the 7-minute mark, but they could get no closer the rest of the way.

By that point, Prince had made his eight shots, and Hollins hesitated to put him back in so he wouldn't ruin the perfect shooting night.

"I've just been in the gym getting extra shots up, trying to get in a good rhythm," Prince said. "Since I got here, my legs have been a little heavy. .. Obviously, I don't expect to have games like that, but I had a good rhythm and good flow. "

Memphis carried a 47-37 lead into halftime. Conley had 12 points, connecting on 4 of 8 shots, including 2 of 3 outside the arc, in the opening half. Memphis was already establishing its advantage in transition, outscoring the Timberwolves 16-0 on the fast break.

"That was a big difference," Minnesota coach Rick Adelman said.

NOTES: The wounded Wolves were without F Chase Budinger, F Andrei Kirilenko, F/C Kevin Love, G Malcolm Lee and G Brandon Roy because of an array of injuries, leaving Minnesota with only 10 players. J.J. Barea didn't play because of a left foot sprain. ... Memphis is 15-0 when scoring at least 100 points. ... The Timberwolves have not won in Memphis since Jan. 6, 2009. ... Grizzlies F Quincy Pondexter played for the first time since suffering a left MCL sprain on Dec. 29 against Denver. He played 4 minutes in the first half and did not score, missing his only shot. ... Minnesota coach Rick Adelman arrived about 4 minutes into the game. He flew in Sunday after spending time with his wife, who is dealing with seizures. . Prince's perfect shooting matched Memphis G Tony Allen's 8-for-8 performance on Jan. 4, 2012, also against Minnesota.

Notebook: Grizzlies 105, Timberwolves 88

Marlon W. Morgan, for NBA.com
Posted Sun Feb 10, 2013 10:03 PM - Updated Sun Feb 10, 2013 10:03 PM

THE FACTS: The Memphis Grizzlies found their offense in the second half, outscoring Minnesota, 58-41, while shooting 57 percent as they won their second game in a row, 105-88. The Grizzlies had four players score in double figures, led by Tayshaun Prince's 18 as he was a perfect 8-for-8 from the floor. Zach Randolph, Mike Conley and Austin Daye chipped in with 16 each. The Timberwolves got 17 from Ricky Rubio and Luke Ridnour.

QUOTABLE: "I really think once we start moving the ball, it gets contagious. Guys want to make plays for one another. Tonight was a great example of ball movement. The pace was better."

-- Grizzlies guard Mike Conley on the team's season-high 30 assists. He and Marc Gasol each had eight.

THE STAT: The one stat that doesn't show up on the stat sheet that Grizzlies' coach Lionel Hollins puts a lot of stock in is defensive deflections. Hollins was proud that the Grizzlies were able to disrupt the Timberwolves' flow offensively with their 27 deflections. He was particularly pleased with defensive specialist Tony Allen, who had nine of those deflections. Allen also led the Grizzlies with four steals.

TURNING POINT: The Grizzlies were able to expand their 10-point halftime lead by getting hot offensively in the third quarter. In that period, which began with a 15-4 Memphis run, the Grizzlies shot 64.7 percent (11-for-17). Prince was 5-for-5 from the floor and scored 12 points in the third, as the Grizzlies managed to take a 76-56 lead into the fourth quarter.

HOT: The three newest Grizzlies -- Prince, Daye and Ed Davis -- all looked comfortable in their fifth game since being acquired in the three-team trade for Rudy Gay. The three players combined for 38 points on 16-for-20 shooting.

NOT: While the Timberwolves managed to get plenty of scoring from their three guards -- Rubio, Ridnour and Alexey Shved -- the trio had a hard time taking care of the basketball. The three combined for 12 of Minnesota's 19 turnovers, led by Shved's five, as they clearly missed backup J.J. Barea, who was out with a sprained foot.

QUOTABLE II: "They let us know when we got on the plane that the airport was closed. It would have been nice to have let us known out in the lobby area rather than sit on the airplane the whole time, but that's all right. I have been through worse things this year."

-- Minnesota coach Rick Adelman on his Sunday flight to Memphis being delayed

NOTABLE: Prince tied a franchise record for most field goals without a miss, joining Tony Allen, who also went 8-for-8 on Jan. 14, 2012 at Minnesota. ... The Grizzlies have now beaten the Timberwolves nine consecutive times. This was their first of three with Minnesota this season. ... Before the game, Hollins said guard/forward Quincy Pondexter would be activated but wouldn't play unless the game was a blowout either way. But with 1:41 left in the first quarter, Pondexter, who had been out for 22 games with a grade-2 sprained MCL, checked in with the Grizzlies clinging to a two-point lead. Hollins said "The moment just felt right. Everybody is going to say I lied. I had no intention of playing him." Pondexter played four minutes and did not score in his first game since Dec. 29. ... In his last two games, Daye has given the Grizzlies something they have sorely lacked -- an outside threat. In the two games, Daye has made 10 of 15 shots from the floor, including 5-for-8 from 3-point range. ... Rubio's 17 points were one shy of his season high. His four assists snapped a three-game streak of 10-plus assists. ... Minnesota forward Dante Cunningham was playing in his first game back in Memphis since being traded to the Timberwolves for Wayne Ellington last summer. Cunningham had nine points and five rebounds against his former teammates. ... The Grizzlies improved to 15-0 when scoring 100 or more points. Meanwhile, Minnesota is now 0-11 when scoring below 90 points. ... The Grizzlies have held all 28 opponents at FedExForum under 100 points this season, the longest streak to start a season by any NBA team in the shot clock era. The previous record of 23 was held by Detroit during the 1996-97 season.

UP NEXT: For the Timberwolves, Monday @ Cleveland, Wednesday @ Utah, Feb. 20 vs. Philadelphia. For the Grizzlies, Tuesday vs. Sacramento, Feb. 19 @ Detroit, Feb. 20 @ Toronto.

• Timberwolves: Budinger, Lee, Roy
• Grizzlies: --

• Timberwolves: --
• Grizzlies: --

• Lead Changes: 6
• Times Tied: 6

• Arena: FedExForum, Memphis, TN
• Officials: #55 Bill Kennedy, #56 Mark Ayotte, #73 Tre Maddox
• Attendance: 16023
• Duration: 2:07