Gameday: Grizzlies 111, Lakers 116

POSTGAME QUOTESMike Brown:

On the win:
“It was a long night for both teams. I thought our guys a few times during the course of the ballgame could have folded. That’s just not in their makeup. We were down in Minnesota. We were down obviously tonight, a couple times. Our guys just stayed with it. You have to give kudos to Kobe (Bryant)’s line – 35, nine and five. He played 52 minutes. Wow! That’s three turnovers with as much as he handled the basketball. You give kudos to Pau Gasol for 14 points, two blocks and, just as important, eight assists. He facilitated a lot of good things leading in that category for his teammates. Then, Andrew Bynum, to go 15 for 18 from the floor, 16 rebounds and 37 points was a huge night for him. Give Memphis credit. They did a nice job hanging in there, but our guys just found a way to win on the road.”

On the Lakers:
“There’s never been a panic with this group. The group just stayed the course, stayed the course, and stayed the course. As a coaching staff, you like that because there is still a lot of basketball left. As a coach, you don’t want to always get bent out of shape. At times, you may have to tell them what is going on and have to get a little stern, but you just keep coaching the game and they’re going to keep playing the game. That’s what they did tonight. They played the game the whole time. Nobody panicked. We knew there was a lot of basketball left, and we were just going to keep playing the way we knew how to play.”

On Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum’s dynamic:
“I think we just have to give stuff time. I wish it could have happened yesterday. Drew is in a new role for us this year. I don’t know if he has ever been in this role before. So, whether it was since the All-Star Break or before, as a team we are starting to play a little bit better basketball.”

On tomorrow night’s game against New Orleans:
“We’re coaching to win. If I feel like I have to go with another guy, these guys will figure out the time to get that. We’re not practicing anyway. When we do stuff they know it. These guys are in shape.”

Kobe Bryant:

On Andrew Bynum:
“It’s a big game. Memphis is a very physical team. Down low, they are very big. Marc (Gasol) is very big and good defensively. It should give him a great deal of confidence. To do what he did against this team was awesome.”

“This is different. The big games that he had at the start of the season were good games, but he wasn’t being featured. This is different. We are featuring him. We are looking for him to make plays, get out of double teams and make plays for others and not just himself.”

On staying in the game:
“You just have to be patient. I’ve been in so many of these types of games. You just have to play with poise, be patient and take opportunities that are given to you.”

On the Grizzlies:
“It was typical Grizzlies basketball. They are well coached. They have a lot of weapons. They play very well defensively. The thing that really carries them is their opportunity to get steals, which leads to fast break points. The first time we played them we had 27 turnovers, but somehow managed to win the ball game. They have quick hands and are great defensively.”

Pau Gasol:

On the game:
“It was a big game and a big win for us, there is no doubt about it, especially with the way we have been struggling on the road. To be able to come here and fight until the end, continue to battle against this team and work so hard all over the place, I’m glad we could come back from the big deficit and not the other way around. That has happened to us a few times.”

Andrew Bynum:

On the game:
“I felt great, confident, strong and just played basketball.”

On his team:
“They are trusting in me now. They are giving me the ball. When I get it, I am doing decent things with it. I could cut down on turnovers, but it is a part of learning how to be a dominant player.”

On the Grizzlies:
“This is a young team. They are hot. They are 12 of 15, and they were coming for our spot. We had to defend it, and we did that.”

Metta World Peace:

On the game:
“It was a long game. Guys locked in.”

On the fourth quarter:
“Everybody started picking up the pace. Coach made some good subs. The second unit came in and really had us back in the game. They pulled it out.”

Lionel Hollins:

On the game:

“We played a great game and we should have won the game. We had a few mental lapses at key times. As I’m always telling those guys, it’s the small things that win or lose games. We gave up a three when we were up three, and there was no reason to give up a three. We lose Kobe (Bryant) a couple other times when we could have gotten to him. The guy that was supposed to be guarding him could have gotten to him. Those are the things that kill you in big basketball games.”

On Kobe Bryant:

“Kobe just kept battling. We got the lead all the way up to 17, and Kobe kept bringing them back. He just kept them close until he actually won the game for them. He made a couple good plays on passes, the last one to Pau (Gasol) that put them ahead.”

On the Grizzlies:

“I’ve got no problem with my team. Our guys played hard. They played with a lot of energy and a lot of heart. We lost to a team that played better. We’ve got to give them their due, and we’ve just got to get ready to come back on Friday.”

“We just didn’t make shots down the stretch. We had a lot of guys that were tired, and we were trying to go for two. We went for the lob and they didn’t really play it the way we would hope they would play it. We came back and drove, threw it back out, and when you’ve got wide open threes you’ve got to take them. Mike Conley’s was wide open, Juice (O.J. Mayo) had a bunch of wide-open shots. Juice was 7-for-25. Just couldn’t make the shot. Sometimes it’s like that. They’re playing their butts off and trying to do what’s right. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out.”

On the end of regulation with a foul to give:

“We were just trying to run a pick-and-roll. I told Mike (Conley) to go early, because I knew they were going to foul, but he didn’t go early and then they fouled and there was like five seconds left. I didn’t have any more timeouts left.”

“It was a heck of a basketball game, and the fans got their money’s worth. I just hope they keep coming out, because we’re gonna keep giving ours out there so that they know they’re gonna play with a lot of heart and a lot of grit.”

Marc Gasol:

On the loss:
“Little details. There were small plays and a couple of mistakes. They made us pay and they deserve it.”

On playing without Rudy Gay:
“We’re not going to complain about that. We are who we are. We know the guys that matter are the guys who were dressing out tonight. We’re missing Rudy, so Sam (Young) steps up and does a good job after not playing much lately. He does a good job being physical.”

On the Lakers’ defense:
“They take away the paint. They do a great job taking away the paint, and they make you shoot jumpers all night. We make them good, but eventually we’re a team that we like to attack the paint. We like to live in the paint and create shots from there, but they collapse the paint with their length and their strength. So they did a good job. But we still got pretty good looks. I think we fought and the effort was there. If we play that way with all the games, I think we’ll be okay.”

Tony Allen:

On the loss:
“It was definitely a tough one. We had our chances to seal the deal. Like coach said, it was the little things that did it. Me personally, I came in and gave up a three. That’s one thing coach made emphasis on coming into here. We were up three. I played good defense and made him shoot a tough shot. He hit it. I don’t give up a three, they’re still down one. We come down and execute, but things happen. We had our chances. We can’t pin-point what lost the game. We definitely got a lot of (field goal) attempts up today, so it’s the little things.”

On the atmosphere:
“It felt like a playoff atmosphere, and that’s playoff basketball. Like Coach says, it’s going to boil down to the little things. I think it helped us in the term of we have to be more focused throughout the game, and be able to make better decisions down the stretch.”

Quincy Pondexter:

On playing without Rudy Gay:
“It’s tough to play without Rudy. He’s one of our best players on this team and he’s one of the best players in this league so playing a game without him, and we’re still waiting to get Zach Randolph back it’s tough. But at the same time, we came out and competed. We were right there to win the game, and it took two overtimes. But at the same time, we played really well.”

On the atmosphere:
“It was a lot of Lakers fans out there, but Memphis fans did a better job I think. The fans really supported us, and I’m disappointed that we let them down. But at the same time, I wish they could come out like that more often. I think this will be a tough place to play.”

On defending Kobe Bryant:
“The toughest thing defensively is not getting discouraged when he makes shots. He’s a tremendous player. We’ve all seen him through the years, and when he makes shots you can’t get discouraged. You have to keep going at him on both ends of the floor, and make his touches very hard to get. At the end of the day, you have to leave it up to your chances.”

Lakers-Grizzlies Preview

By JEFF MEZYDLO

A stop in Memphis might not provide the Los Angeles Lakers with the best opportunity to win back-to-back road games for only the second time this season.

The Lakers will look for a third straight victory overall Tuesday night, but to do it they’ll need to snap the Grizzlies’ season-high six-game home winning streak.

Los Angeles (25-16) pulled out a 97-94 home win over Boston on Sunday, two days after snapping a three-game road skid with a 105-102 victory at Minnesota. Beating the Timberwolves merely improved the Lakers to 7-14 on the road, where they last won consecutive games Jan. 29 and Feb. 3.

After scoring 34 at Minnesota, Kobe Bryant posted 10 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter Sunday and hit the go-ahead jumper with 41.7 seconds to play. Andrew Bynum had 20 points and 14 rebounds, securing the win with a hook shot over Kevin Garnett in the final seconds.

It was Bryant’s decision during a timeout to get the ball to Bynum for the decisive basket.

“I just think that Kobe has always continued in that evolution in terms of doing different things to try to get us to the top and trying to get us to a championship level team,” guard Derek Fisher told the Lakers’ official website. “I believe we have always been pretty dangerous down the stretch because it’s difficult to decide what to do. It’s tough for teams to make a choice.”

Giving the ball to Bynum has been the right choice lately. He’s averaging 23.8 points on 68.4 percent shooting in his last four games.

“He’s a player you have to focus on,” Bryant said.

Though the Grizzlies have held Bynum to averages of 8.5 points and 5.9 boards in 17 career meetings, he had 15 points and 15 rebounds in Los Angeles’ 90-82 home win over Memphis on Jan. 8.

Bryant, who scored 26 in that contest, had a modest 19 points in a 93-84 win at Memphis on Feb. 7, 2011. It was the only time in his last 10 games at the FedEx Forum that he failed to score at least 25.

Gasol, who could be dealt before Thursday’s trade deadline, had 13 points and 15 boards against the Grizzlies earlier this season. The Lakers held his brother Marc to two points and 0-of-9 shooting in that meeting, though he did have 11 rebounds and seven assists.

Memphis (24-16) is trying to win seven straight at home for the first time since an 11-game run Dec. 18, 2009-Jan. 25, 2010.

The Grizzlies return home after concluding a 2-1 trip with a 94-91 win at Denver on Sunday. O.J. Mayo had 22 points off the bench, including a key 3-pointer in the final seconds, to help Memphis overcome 21 turnovers to win for the 12th time in 15 games.

Memphis came out ahead despite a total of just 45 points from its starters.

“We have a team full of hard workers,” Mayo told the Grizzlies’ official website. “It’s all about opportunities and rhythm, timing and everything.”

Rudy Gay (18.8 points per game) was held to seven points while shooting 3 of 13 on Sunday, but scored 19 of the Grizzlies starters’ 36 total points at Los Angeles in January.

The Lakers have won the last three overall meetings in this series and seven of their last 10 visits to Memphis.

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SEASON & SERIES NOTES; CONNECTIONS
The Lakers currently lead their season series with the Grizzlies 1-0 after splitting last
season’s series 2-2. This will be the 62nd meeting between the two franchises and the
39th since the Grizzlies moved to Memphis. In that time, the Lakers have lost just two
season series to the Grizzlies (2004-05, 2005-06). The Lakers lead the all-time series 45-
16 but are just 23-15 versus the Grizzlies since the team moved to Memphis. In their last
10 meetings with Memphis, the Lakers are 7-3 overall. The Lakers are 5-1 in their last six
home games against Memphis and 16-6 all-time at STAPLES Center against the
Grizzlies. In Memphis, the Lakers have gone 7-3 in their last 10 road games at
FedExForum. In their first meeting of the 2010-11 season, the Lakers scored a serieshigh 124 points in a 124-105 victory 11/2/10 vs. Memphis. In their last meeting of the
2008-09 season (4/12/09), the Lakers held Memphis to a series low 75 points, surpassing
the old record of 79 points (2/14/05 @ MEM). Individually, Kobe Bryant is averaging 24.8
points for his career against the Grizzlies (55 games, 48 starts). In 2007-08, Bryant
scored an NBA season-high 53 points 3/28/08 vs. Memphis. Four seasons ago in
Memphis (3/22/07), Bryant scored a series-high 60 points, becoming only the 3rd player in
NBA history to score 50+ points in three consecutive games. Additionally, the Lakers
acquired Pau Gasol from Memphis in exchange for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton,
Aaron McKie and the draft rights to his brother, Marc Gasol, on February 1, 2008. On
December 22, 2008, the brothers Gasol faced off in the NBA for the first time, with Pau
(15 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks) bettering his brother Marc’s line (8 points,7
rebounds). In 10 games against his former team, Pau is averaging 15.6 points, 10.6
rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.45 blocks. Both brothers played for Spain in the 2008 Beijing
Olympics. Pau remains the franchise leader in a number of statistical categories,
including points (8,966), rebounds (4,096) and blocks (877), in 6-plus years with Memphis.
Also, Lakers forward Josh McRoberts played on the same high school AAU team (Spiece
Indy Heat) as Grizzlies guard Mike Conley Jr. (Greg Oden & Daequan Cook were also on
team).

BRYANT YOUNGEST IN NBA HISTORY TO 29,000 POINTS; 5th EVER TO REACH MILESTONE
With a free throw at the 2:05 mark of the second quarter March 9th at Minnesota, Kobe Bryant reached 29,000 points for his career. In doing so, Bryant became the
youngest to 29,000 points in NBA history (33 years, 199 days), surpassing Wilt Chamberlain (34 years, 198 days), who reached the milestone back on March 7, 1971.
Michael Jordan (35 years, 45 days), Karl Malone (35 years, 105 days) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (35 years, 298 days) round out the five players in NBA history to score
29,000 points. Additionally, in reaching 29,000 points in 1,143 games, Bryant became the 5th fastest in terms of games. Chamberlain was the fastest to reach 29,000,
doing so in 874 games, followed by Jordan (922), Abdul-Jabbar (1,056) and Malone (1,113).

Earlier this season, with a free throw at the 10:43 mark of the 3rd quarter January 1st at Denver, Kobe Bryant reached 28,000 points for his career, becoming the youngest
to 28,000 points in NBA history (33 years, 131 days), surpassing Wilt Chamberlain (34 year, 109 days) who reached the milestone back on December 8, 1970. Michael
Jordan (34 years, 333 days), the only other guard in NBA history to score 28,000 points, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (34 years, 363 days), Karl Malone (35 years, 212 days), and
Shaquille O’Neal (37 years, 319 days) round out the top six. The youngest player in league history to accumulate 19,000 – 20,000 and 23,000 – 29,000 points, Bryant was
the 16th fastest to 18,000, 15th fastest to 19,000, 15th fastest to 20,000, 12th fastest to 21,000, 12th fastest to 22,000, 11th fastest to 23,000, 9th fastest to 24,000, 9th
fastest to 25,000, 8th fastest to 26,000 points, 5th fastest to 27,000 points and 5th fastest to 28,000 points in terms of games.

LAKERS MAKE IT 18 STRAIGHT AGAINST THE TIMBERWOLVES
Despite trailing by 14 points in the first quarter, the Lakers rallied to defeat the Timberwolves 105-102 on March 9th, extending their win streak against Minnesota to 18
games, the longest active win streak by one NBA team against another. The streak is the longest by the Lakers against another team since they defeated the Dallas
Mavericks 19 straight times from 1995-99. The 14-point lead on 3/9/12 was the Timberwolves’ largest in any of their 18-straight losses to the Lakers, with their only other
double-digit lead being a 10-point advantage on 3/18/11 at STAPLES Center.*

WORKING OVERTIME
The Lakers 85-88 overtime loss 3/6 at Detroit was the team’s 3rd overtime contest of the season. The Lakers are now 2-1 in overtime games this year, after going a perfect
4-0 in overtime games last season. Prior to their overtime loss 3/6 at Detroit, the Lakers had won six straight overtime contests. During the 2009-10 season, the Lakers
finished 4-1 in overtime games, after going 2-1 in three overtime games in the 2008-09 season and 4-0 in four overtime games during the 2007-08 campaign. The Lakers’
10 overtime contests in the 2006-07 season established a new Los Angeles era record for overtime games in a single season. With their overtime loss at Detroit, the
Lakers all-time overtime record is now 137-91 (.601).

BRYANT SETS ALL-TIME RECORD FOR POINTS SCORED AT ONE ARENA
With 38 points in the Lakers 115-107 victory over the Sacramento Kings March 2nd at STAPLES Center, Kobe Bryant set the all-time record for points scored at one arena
on the 50th anniversary of fellow Philadelphia native Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game. Bryant has now scored 13,788 points at STAPLES Center, passing Hakeem
Olajuwon’s mark of 13,783 points tallied at Compaq Center, former home of the Houston Rockets. Olajuwon held the record since taking it from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
(12,529 points scored at the Forum) in March 1998.*

*Statistical research assistance provided by the Elias Sports Bureau