MEMPHIS - The Grizzlies (8-5) place the Southwest Division's best record on the line Friday and look to avenge an earlier loss in Sacramento when they face the Kings (8-6) at FedExForum.
Bear Necessities is a game-day spotlight on some Grizzlies' notes of note to stay informed entering tonight's matchup.
Here are a few things to watch:
- Memphis has seen a significant uptick in production this season in “clutch” situations (game play in the final five minutes of regulation or overtime where the winning team is ahead by five points or less). The Grizzlies have a net rating (point differential per 100 possessions) of plus+23.5 (4th in the NBA) after the team posted a minus-5.4 net rating (21st) last season. The Grizzlies are 3-3 this season in “clutch” games after going 12-29 (.293) last season.
- With the win at Milwaukee, Memphis improved to 5-0 this season when scoring 110 or more points and is 2-2 when giving up 110 or more (3-24 last season).
- The Grizzlies are in the midst of an eight-game stretch in which they will not play consecutive games in the same city (Nov. 12-25).
- Marc Gasol needs just 15 more rebounds to surpass current Kings' power forward Zach Randolph (5,612) as the Grizzlies’ all-time leading rebounder. Gasol is coming off a season-high 29 points Wednesday at Milwaukee, tying a career high for threes made (6) and setting a new personal best for threes attempted (12).
- Mike Conley is averaging 27.3 points in his last three games, scoring at least 24 points in each outing. He is shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from three-point range in the last three games after shooting 35.8 percent overall and 30.0 percent from distance through the first 10 contests of the season.
- The Grizzlies own the best scoring defense in the NBA, holding opponents to just 101.6 points per game. They are second in steals per game (9.7), and score an average of 6.3 points off turnovers more than opponents per game.
- Kings' guards Buddy Hield and De'Aaron Fox scored 27 of their combined 44 points after halftime as Sacramento rallied from a double-digit deficit for a 97-92 win Oct. 24 in Sacramento. Conley scored 20 of his game-high 27 points in the second half for the Grizzlies, who look to even the series at 1-1 Friday, with two more games left.
- For the Grizzlies complete game notes, check here: Grizzlies Game Notes
Mike Conley speaks to Grind City Media's Michael Wallace about how the team is building the resolve that is making the Grizzlies one of the NBA’s most productive teams in “clutch situations".