preseason

admin

Zach Randolph had 14 points to lead the Grizzlies and former Buckeyes guard Mike Conley added four points as the Grizzlies sailed past the Cavs, 91-81, on Monday at Ohio State.

The Grizzlies outscored the Cavs in the paint 22-16 and outrebounded the Cavs, 39-29.

With tonight's win, the Grizzlies advance to 3-0 in the preseason and will return home on Friday to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder.

SidelinedFor the Cavaliers, F Kevin Love (dislocated shoulder), G J.R. Smith (hamstring), G Mo Williams (maintenance), G Kyrie Irving (fractured knee cap) and Iman Shumpert (wrist). For Memphis, F Jarrell Martin (foot fracture).

Box Score | Discuss the game on the Fan Boards.

The Grizzlies will return to FedExForum on Friday, Oct. 16 to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder.

grizzlies-defeat-cavs-at-osu-91-81

Grizzlies defeat Cavs at OSU, 91-81

photos-grizzlies-vs-rockets

Photos: Grizzlies vs. Rockets

A  strong third quarter performance and solid free throw shooting in the final  minutes helped the Grizzlies overcome a halftime deficit to defeat the Houston  Rockets 92-89 in both teams’ preseason opener at FedExForum on Tuesday evening.

After  the Rockets tied the game at 86 with 2:03 remaining, Russ Smith, Lazeric Jones and Sampson Carter were a perfect 6-of-6  at the line to hold off Houston. The visitors had a chance to tie the game with  four seconds left, but were unable to get off a shot.

Smith  paced Memphis and tied for a game-high in points with 12, and also added three  rebounds, two assists and a steal. Marc  Gasol led the team with eight rebounds in a little under 16 minutes of  action. Trevor Ariza led the Rockets with 12 points, while James Harden  finished right behind him with 11 points. The stingy Grizzlies defense kept  Harden in check beyond the arc, where he finished 1-of-7 in 21 minutes.  

The  first half was a back-and-forth affair that offered six lead changes and three  ties. The Grizzlies held an 11-point lead at the end of the first quarter, but  the Rockets chipped away in the second and used a 16-5 run to finish the half  strong with a 48-43 advantage.

With  the starters, save for Jeff Green, and  many of the first players off of the bench resting after the opening 24  minutes, the second half was an opportunity for some of the younger guys to  prove themselves, and Smith took advantage. The second-year guard scored 10 of  his 12 points in the third quarter, including 6-7 from the line as the  Grizzlies outscored the Rockets 30-17 in the third frame and took a 73-65 lead  into the final quarter.

Smith’s  first points of the game came four minutes into the third quarter, when he  knocked down a pair of free throws to tie the game at 56. He followed that up  with a three-point play to give Memphis the lead after Green blocked a shot on  the other end. Although the Rockets would eventually tie the game in the  fourth, Memphis would never trail again.

The  preseason opener also gave Memphis fans a chance to see veterans Matt Barnes and Brandan Wright put on a Grizzlies uniform for the first time.  Wright put in a little more than a 17-minute shift and dropped in 10 points on  4-of-6 shooting. He got the crowd on its feet for the first time as a Grizzly  at the beginning of the third quarter when he threw down an alley-oop pass from  Vince Carter and also added a thunderous block in the same frame.

Memphis  returns to action in the preseason with a matchup against Maccabi Haifa on  Thursday night at FedExForum. It will be the second meeting between the  hometown team and the visitors from Israel. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and fans  can catch the action on 92.9 FM ESPN Radio. &lt;  (By Jared Emerson, Grizzlies.com)

Grizzlies preseason action continues at FedExForum on Thursday vs. Maccabi Haifa.

grizzlies-roll-past-rockets-92-89

Grizzlies roll past Rockets, 92-89

preseason-hawks-vs-grizzlies

Preseason: Hawks vs. Grizzlies

none

<a href="https://fedexforum.com/arena-policy-updates" target="_blank">CLEAR BAGS ONLY: FEDEXFORUM NOW REQUIRES CLEAR BAGS FOR ALL GAMES &amp; EVENTS!</a>