Gametime
FINAL: Grizzlies 81, Pacers 82 MLK, Jr. Celebration Day and Game January 21, 2013
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Key Stat of the Night
- The Pacers finished shooting .493 from the floor (34-for-69) while the Grizzlies were held to .422 (35-for-83)… Memphis is now 8-12 went outshot by their opponent (18-2 when outshooting opponents).
Key Run of the Night
- Down six (72-78) with 4:29 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Grizzlies scored seven unanswered points, capped-off with a three-point basket by Mike Conley, to take a one-point lead with 2:10 left in regulation… Paul George connected on a three-point basket to give the Pacers’ a two-point lead with 1:16 remaining… Zach Randolph would tie the game for the Grizzlies one last time with 10.5 seconds on the clock before George Hill went 1-for-2 from the free throw line to secure the victory for Indiana.
Starters
- Wayne Ellington scored a game-high 17 points off the bench (7-for-9 FG), including 3-for-3 from three-point range, after scoring 22 points total in his previous seven outings… Ellington now has led the Grizzlies in scoring three times this season.
- David West recorded a team-high 14 points and a season-high five blocks.
- Paul George finished with 12 points (5-for-13 FG) and a team high in rebounds (10) and assists (9)… George narrowly missed becoming the third Pacer to record a triple-double this season (Hibbert, West).
Rudy Gay's potential game-winning shot was ruled to be released after the buzzer and the Grizzlies fell 82-81 at home to the Pacers in the 11th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Day. Wayne Ellington led Memphis with 17 points off the bench in a matchup between the top two defensive teams in the NBA.
The 11th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Game hosted by the Memphis Grizzlies, National Civil Rights Museum, City of Memphis and Shelby County and presented by FedEx, Hyde Family Foundation, Lexus, Delta Air Lines, C-Spire and MLGW. Associate Game Sponsors include SunTrust, McDonald’s of the Mid-South and State Farm.
Highlight
Game Notes
- The Grizzlies fell to 11-4 vs. Eastern Conference opponents (7-3 at home).
- The Pacers improved to 12-6 against Western Conference foes (4-4 on the road)… Indiana’s next three opponents are against Western Conference opponents on the road, starting with Portland on Wednesday.
- Indiana recorded 11 blocks today, the Pacers’ second consecutive game with double-digit rejections and fifth-straight game with seven or more… Indiana entered the game ranked third in the league in blocks per game, averaging 6.88.
- Memphis outscored Indiana 44-32 in the paint after the Pacers had outscored their previous four opponents 206-144 inside.
Next Game:
- Get Tickets: Grizzlies vs. Lakers, 7pm
Grizzlies Den Team Store FedExForum: Item of the Game presented by Adidas Look for the Adidas Item of the Game at every Grizzlies Home Game. See your game program for details. Plus, gear up for the holidays at the Grizzlies Den Team Store at FedExForum or shop online now at Grizzliesstore.com.
Grizzlies Tickets
2012-13 Season Tickets, Group Tickets and Single Game Tickets are on sale now. Call 901.888.HOOP (4667) to learn more. Find single game tickets online at Ticketmaster.com, at local Ticketmaster Ticket Centers or via phone at 1-800-4NBA-TIX.
Postgame Quotes
Coach Hollins
On tonight’s game:
“Well, we labored to score during the whole game. When you set up against a good defensive team and don’t get easy buckets, it’s tough. They have great length and they blocked shots. They had 11 blocked shots in the game. I thought the one group, we spread the court a little bit, and started attacking, making shots, which was good. Ultimately, the three-point line really hurt us. Neither team really got to the free throw line. They made 8-of-17 and we were 4-of-10. If you look across the board with what went on with our big people, it was tough. We just couldn’t attack them inside. They did a great job and when we had a few moments when we did.
"I just want to commmend Tony [Allen]. His will to win and effort down the stretch nearly got us a win. If we could have made the shot at the end it would have been very rewarding because of what he did: getting loose balls, getting rebounds and just doing all of the things to try and win the game. I thought we came out in the game and were a little flat. We didn’t have that effort and energy that we needed. We eventually got down and battled back with the second unit. In the second half, the starters took the lead and then we made a sub, and the group that was in there kept it, but at the end of the quarter we lost it. We gave up a couple of threes when we shouldn’t have and turned the ball over a couple of times. We just couldn’t close the quarter. When you play a good defensive team like that, you have to keep executing and you can’t give them extra opportunities, and we did. They made some big plays. David West made some plays; Paul George hit a big three; [D.J.] Augustin hit a three; George Hill hit a three. They had three threes where we shouldn’t have given up those threes, but we did."
On the Pacers’ defense:
“Well, they’re just committed to it [defense] and they play hard. It’s just like the Chicago Bulls are committed to it and play hard. They have a lot of length. They had 11 blocked shots. Of those 11 blocked shots, [David] West had five of them and [Roy] Hibbert had four. Their two inside guys were helping in getting the red layups at the basket that we normally make, but we didn’t even have a chance to get up at the basket because it was blocked.”
On the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration game:
“It’s definitely a thrill, honor and privilege to be able to play on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and all that it means. This is just a game. The life of Martin Luther King, Jr. is a big part of why we’re doing what we do. Why we live and how we live as African-Americans, Americans in general, playing for civil rights, is more important than a game. As much as I love to compete and win, I keep it in perspective that it is a game. What he did – gave his life – were not giving our life out there for anything. We lost, but we didn’t lose our life. We’ll be able to fight again on Wednesday.”
Tony Allen
On the game
“We knew it was going to be a defensive battle and that it was going to be a tough game. They made plays down the stretch. We have to pay attention to details. We have to communicate on the defensive end and execute offensively. I think they did a better job of doing that today.”
On the team’s effort
“I feel like we played with more of a sense of urgency late in the game. I think we started off good….It was just a slow fourth quarter. Like I said, they won. The other team executed offensively and played good defense. Our effort – I thought we had more of a sense of urgency in the second effort.”
Mike Conley
On his last foul
“I should have stopped him from getting into the paint. It shouldn’t have gotten to that point. They did their job and I have to do mine.”
On the Grizzlies’ intensity:
“I think we just get too complacent. I think we start the game one way, up tempo and in the flow, and as soon as that happens we try to get the ball inside and try to slow it down. We’re playing two ways. We just have to find one easy flow and keep the momentum.”
On the Pacers:
“It’s tough. They have a great front line, just like we do. They did a very good job both offensively and defensively. They stayed on our heels. The game went very well, so it’s tough to play against them.”