NBA: On the Grizzlies: One Fan's Obsession

2008-11-26T12:41:00.001-06:00

5 things to watch in tonight's game against the Jazz (yeah, again!) I want to win this time!

2008-10-30T08:53:00.001-05:00

Vote on Tuesday! November 4th is the day.

2008-10-16T14:27:00.000-05:00

As of this posting, only 15 days, 4 hours, 30 minutes, and 17 seconds to opening night!

Reminiscing

2008-07-14T12:40:00.003-05:00

I was just thinking about ancient times, when we watched basketball in pyramids. The FedEx Forum is nice, of course, but don't you miss the Pyramid? It's so cool to have a building that doesn't match anything else in town.

Covering Cohn

2008-07-14T12:03:00.002-05:00

This doesn't have anything to do with the Grizzlies, but it's sort of Memphis-y so it's close enough. My friend and I were talking the other day about concerts and theater tickets we've bought in the past, and it turned out we'd both seen Marc Cohn perform "Walking in Memphis" live.

We both love the song, but I hadn't realized how many other people do, too. Just check out all these artists on YouTube who have covered it. I know there are lots more, but here's a sampling:

Gavin DeGraw
Cher
Lonestar
this America's Got Talent dude

And of course the original, Marc Cohn

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?

What can you come up with?

2008-02-18T11:27:00.003-06:00

Got some free time and some creativity that needs an outlet? Try the Grizzlies official site caption contest.

My caption for this week?

"2 points, nothin' but floor!"

Memphis Grizzlies sign Jacobsen

2007-07-25T12:21:00.000-05:00

Looks like free agent guard/forward Casey Jacobsen is coming to the Memphis Grizzlies after a stint playing in Germany, of all places. Hope he remembers the NBA way after being so far off for so long!

Gay named to All-Rookie First Team

2007-05-10T15:41:00.000-05:00

The NBA announced that Grizzlies guard Rudy Gay has been selected as a member of the NBA All-Rookie First Team. That's about as good as you can do without getting Rookie of the Year...congrats Rudy!

Memphis Money

2007-03-09T12:18:00.000-06:00

If money talks, the lowly Grizzlies have something to say. With 20-something games left until the NBA playoffs, Chauncey Billups is considering his options. The Grizzlies need a point guard and have their checkbook out. I am thinking Billups likes honey.

Grizzlies still in hibernation

2007-01-17T16:43:00.000-06:00

The Grizzlies ran from the Sun, but still lost Monday night. Final score was 137-122 and there were plenty of witnesses as it was an announced sellout crowd of 18,119.

The giving continues

2006-12-17T01:22:00.000-06:00

So the Memphis Grizzlies continue their 5-game losing streak against the Miami Heat, which I suppose is nice of us, consiering the Miami Heat just recently ended their 16-game winning streak against the Washington Wizards. Mighty nice of us, don't you think?

The spirit of giving

2006-12-09T15:21:00.000-06:00

Okay, so the Knicks beat the Memphis Grizzlies 98-90 this week for their second home victory of the season. Well, I suppose if we're not winning, the least we can do is lift the spirits of other teams who aren't winning either, you know? Merry Christmas, Knicks fans!

Ho ho ho.

I'm not listening...

2006-12-02T14:04:00.000-06:00

Well, the Memphis Grizzlies are 4 and 11, tied with Charlotte for worst record in the league. Looks bad, doesn't it? But don't forget we started the season off by losing 8 of the 9 first games. It's looked a lot better since, even if it still isn't pretty. No matter what the news says, I have faith that the team isn't as bad as the numbers look. Optimism is the ticket to happiness, right?

2 for 22

2006-11-15T18:55:00.000-06:00

This Friday When the Memphis Grizzlies take on the Dallas Mavericks at The Fed Ex Forum marks Rudy's 2 for 22 where the first 3,000 fans will receive a replica Rudy jersey. A little something for you to wear to show your support after the season when the weather warms again.

The NBA All-Star voting is on! The Grizzlies have 3 candidates and ask you to put them in the game. Pau Gasol, Mike Miller, and Eddie Jones represent the bears on thier 2007 All-star ballot. Get the move on and cast your vote today!

Burnt hair

2006-11-09T15:29:00.000-06:00

The Memphis Grizzlies got singed by the Houston Rockets earlier this week. The bears, who never led the game, did manage to tie it up in the 3rd quarter as mike miller hit consecutive 3 pointers to tie it up at 45 but then Houston went on a run of 9 points decimating the scoreboard. This game was really about Shane Battier who was on the Grizzlies for 5 consecutive years but traded over the summer to Houston. He received a standing ovation in Memphis which was probably nice, but i think he might have enjoyed being victorious even more.

Grizzlies almost claw back

2006-11-02T16:20:00.000-06:00

Isiah Thomas, who knows something about basketball, was talking about the one point victory his New York Knicks managed to survive with, after our season opener with them went into triple overtime. He said, “It was nothing we [the Knicks] did wrong. It was everything they did right. They were making shots and taking it to the rim.”

Way to go, Grizzlies! Losing by a point is hard, but when you were down by 19 in the 4^th quarter…well, that puts things in a different perspective. So don’t beat yourselves up. (Just do practice those free throws!)

Team time

2006-10-25T18:40:00.000-05:00

The Memphis Grizzlies, with only 7 days until the season starts, will be traveling all throughout thier fair city chatting with fans and hopefully raising support. Everyday the Grizzlies will be at least 2 places signing posters and giving away Grizzlie collectibles. Oct. 26th is the due date for the Grizzlies website relaunch and I am anxious to see what the tech guys over there can do. The Grizzlies go against the Pistons tonight. lets hope these shaggy bears can win one and bring thier preseason record to a not so shameful 4/4.

Here's a Tip

2006-10-18T13:48:00.000-05:00

Attend the Tip-off luncheon with The Grizzlies if you find yourself in the Memphis area Oct. 27th. I don't mean to be an advertising tool but you have to admit that it is pretty cool to hobknob with the entire Grizzlie Team and Coaching Staff. Tables will be set up where the players are most comfortable, the arena floor at thier home, The Fed Ex Forum. Accompanying the meal, as if that isn't enough, will be both a silent and live auction with all money raised going to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of greater Memphis. These guys do good work. I wish they could have against the Bulls, ouch! Grillies lose 87-78. You will have another chance guys no worries!

I'll take a preseason win, Grizzlies

2006-10-16T10:10:00.000-05:00

I especially loved the streak in the final quarter when we were down by a point and then scored 20 to their (Detroit Pistons') 6. Almost half of that (9 points) came from rookie Rudy Gay--way to go, Rudy!

I know the preseason is not the "real" thing, but games that stay close, then explode (in favor of Memphis, of course) are my favorites. Hope we can pull off the same thing against the Chicago Bulls tonight!

Great Grizzly!

2006-10-11T12:19:00.000-05:00

The grizzlies started the preseason off right with a win over The Rockets in Houston. Not to say they did not have trouble. The Memphis team was down 12 points at halftime but The Grizzlies held The Rockets to a mere 20 points total in the entire second half while putting 38 points on the scoreboard for themselves. We will have to see how it goes when the Rockets actually have Yao on the floor.

An exciting time

2006-10-05T11:27:00.000-05:00

This is an exciting time for basketball and the Grizzlies are no exception. With preseason just around the corner all the buzz is aroudn training camp. It's time for constant updates on returning veterans, rookie stars, and thoughts from the staff on how they anticipate this season will start. With training camp, promotional parties and meet and greets, it is a very social time for the entire team as they gear up for yet another season. All eyes however are on team's current owner, Micheal Heisley, who is preparing to sell his 70% ownership in the team to Brian Davis. Davis, who plans to move his family into this new community if the sale goes through, promises he can be involved with the team in a way Heisley, who is based in Chicago, could not. It will indeed be an exciting time in preseason.

changes in training staff

2006-10-02T18:36:00.000-05:00

Jerry West, President of Basketball Operations, announced last week that Drew Graham will be replacing Scott McCullough at head athletic trainer. Graham spent the last six season as an assistant trainer with the Nets, assisting in the off-season as well as during the regular season. As for McCullough, he will be returning home to Canada to be with his family, and has taken a position with the Toronto Raptors.

no lay-uppers equals big downers

2006-07-10T13:04:00.000-05:00

Does anybody else feel a little wary of the draft process this year? I have been living in Memphis for a couple of years and following the Memphis Grizzlies, it seems to me that teams are made or broken by their draft picks. The 2006 NBA Playoffs were centered around the experience of the Steve Nashs and the Shaquille O’Neals. I propose the best way to beat this kind of tall jump shot play is to bombard the hoop with some new young and speedy lay-uppers.

Paying respect to the King

2006-06-30T15:01:00.000-05:00

Biggest news in Grizzlie Town today is a couple of distinguished visitors to Graceland: President Bush and the Japanese Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi. Evidently, Koizumi is a huge Elvis Presley fan—as Bush himself said, "Officially, he's here to see the president, but I know the highlight of his visit will be paying his respects to the King."

What can we say? Elvis rocks.

Playoffs going strong without the Grizzlies

2006-05-28T16:10:00.000-05:00

I suppose I am hoping the Dallas Mavericks go all the way. It will make our loss to them seem a little less painful if they end up being the NBA Champs. Do you know what I mean?

They got over the hump of beating the former champs in the second round and now are facing their biggest rival the Phoenix Suns. Josh Howard gave the Suns a lot of trouble and DeSagana Diop played well at center. I think the Mavericks have the momentum to go all the way to the Finals.

Let’s see a big come back, please.

2006-04-30T15:31:00.000-05:00

The Memphis Grizzlies played impressive defense on Saturday, holding the Dallas Mavericks to under 100 points even throughout extra minutes. The Grizzlies maintained the lead for a majority of the game yet could not hold on to it near the end of the game. We will be hard pressed to prevent a shut out in game 4 on Monday. Go Grizzlies!

Too Many Road Blocks in the Way.

2006-04-04T23:53:00.000-05:00

The Memphis Grizzlies ended their three game losing streak against the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday and outscored the Golden State Warriors 100-75 tonight. Chucky Atkins has been essential this season and a powerful force in our last two games. He is my favorite Grizzlies player. Do you think there is any chance of Memphis seeing the post season?

College Ball Turns My Head

2006-03-19T13:10:00.000-06:00

I am very distracted by March Madness right now. I know the Memphis Grizzlies are played the Denver Nuggets Friday, but I was more interested in watching the Texas Longhorns beat Pennsylvania. College basketball is so raw and entertaining. I feel the same way about college football. I just can’t get enough of watching these young guys blossom and find their talents.

Shane Battier is all grown up now…

2006-02-03T22:48:00.000-06:00

Shane Battier has been getting pretty vocal lately on the court. He is talking more to his Memphis Grizzlies teammates and arguing with the referees openly and loudly. I see it as him trying to take on a leadership role and show his teammates his fervor to win by communicating openly on the court from experience and with confidence.

Really,Tell Me

2005-06-07T19:45:00.000-05:00

Tell me the Truth, how many of you Grizzlie fans out there are really Grizzlie fans?

How many of you fans jumped on the band wagon because of the play off birth this past season?

For those of you who followed Memphis all season, when did you become a Grizzlie Fan?

How and why did you become a Grizzlie fan?

Draft

2005-05-31T17:14:00.000-05:00

After the draft lottery, the Memphis Grizzlies have been slotted to the #19 spot for their first round pick. Our 48th pick is going to Seattle.

Ron Artest

2005-05-29T14:17:00.000-05:00

There has been talk whether Ron Artest would help out the Grizzlies. Personally, I don’t think this is where we should be pursuing new talent. We already have Pau Gasol, who would have to move to center if this was the case.

Artest is kind of the loose cannon when it comes to ballplayers. No one wants to add a psycho unless they know they can keep him under control and take use of his skills, like Dennis Rodman. That guy dressed like a queen, but he still was able to produce.

Who do you think we need and why?

Draft Workouts

2005-05-26T19:33:00.000-05:00

- from the official site of the Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies continued evaluating talent at a draft workout session this morning in preparation for the 2005 NBA Draft.

Participating in today's workout were the following: Dwayne Jones, Marcus Campbell, Duane Erwin, Ronny Turiaf.

Crazy Highlights of the Year

2005-05-24T16:55:00.000-05:00

One of the stupidest moments of the Memphis finish has got to be fining Memphis point guard Jason Williams for being rough with the media after the 0-4 sweep by Phoenix. Not like it wasn’t pretty much expected, but no one can be too thrilled with themselves after losing something that they have worked so long to achieve.

Williams, like any other human, got a little peeved by being misquoted in a previous article and went a little bit berserk on the columnist who had wrote it. But, is it really needed to fine him $10,000 for taking his pen and yelling at him? Van Gundy being fined for starting a crazy controversy over the officials pulling faulty calls on Yao, maybe, but this is just a case of too much crap piled on all at once.

2005 Summer Camps

2005-05-19T13:58:00.000-05:00

All teams are starting to get into their summer camp programs and what better way to endorse one than talk about our own 2005 Summer Hoops Program. The program was started to give a chance for kids to come out and participate in a fun and safe environment, while learning from the best how to shoot some hoops.

The dates for the camps are set below: (check out the Grizzlies official website to get more info)

June 6-9 - Jonesboro, AR - Meet NBA great Sidney Moncrief.
» Get Registration Form.

July 6-8 - Germantown Centre
Call 205.1246 for information.

July 11-14 - Singleton Community Center and Little Rock, Ark

July 25-29 - FedExForum
» Get Registration Form

August 1-5 - Jewish Community Center
» Get Registration Form or call 205.1246 for information.

$100K in a 100 Days

2005-05-15T15:51:00.000-05:00

- excerpt taken from NBA.com

The Memphis Grizzlies Charitable Foundation today issued a ‘$100K in 100 Days Campaign’ challenge grant to Memphis Athletic Ministries (MAM) in an effort to help fund expansion of MAM’s four newly refurbished neighborhood centers.

The challenge begins today, and the Grizzlies will match, dollar for dollar, all funds raised up to $100K through August 13.

To date, the Grizzlies have provided over $3 million in gifts to MAM used for the construction of the Memphis Grizzlies Athletic Center, a state-of-the-art basketball complex for youth, in addition to year-round camps and clinics, coach development programs, and league support. Memphis Athletic Ministries is the Grizzlies’ primary partner in sports outreach, reaching some 7,500 youth per year through various sports, primarily basketball, as a vehicle to teach social and life skills and foster positive self-esteem.

Pau Gasol

2005-05-10T17:38:00.000-05:00

- from NBA.com

Won the NBA’s Rookie of the Year Award and was named to the All-Rookie First Team

Was the NBA’s got milk? Western Conference Rookie of the Month for November, January and March

Finished first among all rookies in scoring, rebounds, blocks, field goal percentage and blocks

Grizzlies Reward Students for Near-Perfect Attendance

2005-05-06T16:15:00.000-05:00

- from the official site of the Memphis Grizzlies

Students from Vance Middle School and Westside High were recently recognized for maintaining attendance of 95% or better in the 2005 Grizzlies Stay in School Challenge. Antonio Burks and Pau Gasol attended a special reception at FedExForum to honor the students.

0-4 Out of the Running

2005-05-02T16:32:00.000-05:00

- from NBA.com

The top-seeded Suns wrapped up the first four-game sweep in club history behind a fast start in Sunday's 123-115 victory in Game 4 in Memphis. Joe Johnson scored 16 of Phoenix's 39 first-quarter points and led the team with 25. Steve Nash added 24 points and nine assists, while Shawn Marion scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. The Suns will play the Rockets vs. Mavs winner in the second round.

Game 1 Recap

2005-04-26T19:18:00.000-05:00

With a 114-103 loss against Phoenix, the Grizzlies are showing that they are not giving up without a fight. Although this was a loss, the Grizzlies were able to keep neck and neck until the end. Phoenix kept the lead through most of the gain allowing Memphis to only get close to gripping it while Nash was sitting out.

"They made their shots in the first quarter and we knew they would with the excitement of the building. They scored entirely too many points in the first quarter and it is tough when you start in a hole like that. After that every time we made a push, they made big shots."
- Mike Miller

The next two games of the first round will be held in Memphis.

Latest Game

2005-04-10T19:31:00.000-05:00

- from the official site of the Memphis Grizzlies

Mike Miller scored nine of his 30 points in the first quarter and Jason Williams scored all but two of his 13 points in the opening period when the Grizzlies took permanent control of a 97-81 win over the visiting Heat on Friday. Memphis, which also got 17 points from Pau Gasol and 15 from Bonzi Wells, powered to a 25-point halftime lead before crusiing to victory. Should Denver lose its game Friday night, the Grizzlies will be tied with the Nuggets for the seventh seed in the West.

Grizzlies come down a Peg

2005-04-07T17:42:00.000-05:00

After not having too good of a roll, the Grizzlies have slid down to the 8th spot; giving up the 7th spot to the Nuggets. Minnesota has a chance to take it from Memphis, but this isn’t very likely even though they have been doing better than Memphis overall.

Pau Gasol recently returned to the game off of a foot injury. The injury kept him out of a lot of games, but he showed that he was fully recovered for the game against the Raptors. Gasol put in 26 points, making 10-14 from the field.

Grizzlin

2005-03-24T18:30:00.000-06:00

As of now, the Memphis Grizzlies are still stuck in the 7th position in the playoff run. Their record is 38-28 and places the Grizzlies only about 3 games behind the Rockets. Out of the last 10 games, Memphis has racked up 7 wins and only 3 losses; matching the record of the Rockets and the Cavaliers for the last 10 games.

The battle is getting furious. All the top teams are playing to their potential and trying to move around in the order. Only the Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs have a clinched Playoff berth.

In their last game, the Grizzlies lost to the Phoenix Suns in a very close game. The score came out to 97-91. The Suns will be the Grizzlies first-round opponents in the Standings hold.

Grizzlie Women

2005-03-22T18:19:00.000-06:00

-from the official site of the Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies players aren't the only athletes on the court at FedExForum. With their fast-paced dance moves and exciting routines, the Grizzlies Dance Team rocks FedExForum at every home game. Throughout the season, these dancers entertain arena audiences with high-energy dance routines that keep the crowd excited during timeouts, between quarters and selected half-time intermissions.

Away from the arena, the dancers add a special touch to Grizzlies community and special events with their infectious personalities and ability to make every Memphian feel like part of the Grizzlies family. Choreographer Kathalene Taylor, a native Memphian, has guided the team with a wealth of experience in coaching, teaching and choreographing dance routines from across the US and Europe.

This group of dancers not only wows the crowd with their dancing skills, they also wear the hottest outfits in the NBA!

Grizzlies take down Hornets

2005-03-17T18:11:00.000-06:00

- from FOXSports.com

Posey scored 20 points and Earl Watson 16 as Memphis emerged with an 88-82 triumph Wednesday night.

"I was trying to stay positive with my shot selection. I tried to take a lot of easy shots," Posey said. "You know it's about rhythm, and that is something I had tonight."

Watson scored seven of his points late in the fourth quarter, hitting a 3-pointer for the 12th and final lead change of a tight final period. He followed that with a long jumper that made it 84-80 with under two minutes remaining.

"He hit some tough shots - one jumper over me - so I give him a lot of credit because he stepped up and got it done," said Hornets forward P.J. Brown, who had 14 points and 13 rebounds.

Brian Cardinal added 14 points and Lorenzen Wright 11 for the Grizzlies, who played more than half the game without Mike Miller, who was in foul trouble.

The Grizzlies also were without Jason Williams (right ankle), Stromile Swift (left ankle), Bonzi Wells (back) and Pau Gasol (left foot).

Grizzlies play Jazz

2005-03-12T15:39:00.000-06:00

Miller had a great game to assist the Memphis Grizzlies in their 94-82 victory over the Utah Jazz. This was the first season series sweep over Utah in franchise history for Memphis. Miller scored 11 of his 24 points in the third quarter. Memphis was shooting 80 percent during the final quarter.

"It's big. The Jazz are always a tough team to beat, especially here. (But) every game is crucial right now with the race we're in. We need to keep hoarding these wins."
- Shane Battier

As of now, the Grizzlies are in the #7 slot barely behind the Houston Rockets. With each win, they give more of a present force that they will not be giving up their slot in the Southwest Division.

Grizzlies take down Raptors

2005-03-06T13:17:00.000-06:00

In a career-high scoring game for Shane Battier, the Memphis Grizzlies took down the Toronto Raptors with a score of 86-75. This makes win #33 for the Grizzlies. Not only did it make a career-high scoring game for Battier, but it also gave the 600th coaching victory for Mike Fratello.

"I would like to thank my assistants because I asked them three or four times to take Shane out to get him a breather. Thank them for me not taking him out. They said, 'He has it going and we have to ride him.' But to be completely honest with you, the only thing I was worried about tonight was getting win No. 33 (of the season). All of that other stuff is secondary."
- Mike Fratello

Battier scored 33 points, overlapping his last high-scoring game of 25 points against Golden State.

Grizzlies vs. Celtics

2005-02-20T14:58:00.000-06:00

In an unbelievably close game, the Boston Celtics took the victory from the Memphis Grizzlies in a score of 90-88. With 3.9 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Ricky Davis nailed a jump shot to seal the deal.

"The (play) was pretty much just get it in and get that handoff to Paul Pierce and let him got to work, but Shane Battier was kind of overplaying him and I couldn't hand it off to him, so I just took it and went to work myself. I saw Miller on me, so that's an obvious mismatch. I just wanted to go at him and make the shot."
-Ricky Davis

Mike Miller made a critical 3-pointer to help the Grizzlies advance to a tie. But, when it came down to it, he couldn’t force the ball to go in again.

Stromile Swift scored 19 points for the Grizzlies but had to leave during the third quarter due to a sprained ankle. This adds to the Grizzlies injury list already having both forwards Pau Gasol and James Posey out with injuries.

Grizzlies vs. Sixers

2005-02-10T14:57:00.000-06:00

Memphis came out with a victory on a game where either team could have seized the edge at the end. This did not happen for the Sixers. Allen Iverson, who was just getting over the flu, had an immaculate game. He led scoring with 38 points and 10 assists. But, the Grizzlies still came out on top.

"I thought we wasted a great effort by Allen Iverson. I thought he was absolutely terrific. He showed a lot of guts coming back from the flu. Thirty-eight points and 10 assists was a brilliant performance by him. It's sad that we couldn't pull the game out."
-76ers coach Jim O'Brien

Dahntay Jones led the Grizzlies with a career high scoring game of 23 points. Of their last six games, the Grizzlies have won five overall; making a record of seven of nine on the road. Swift also scored 17 points.

Grizzlies fight off the hawks

2005-01-30T14:27:00.000-06:00

From sports.yahoo.com:

A 20-hour trip and late arrival didn't take the fight out of the Atlanta Hawks.

The Hawks made their way through a winter storm to get to Memphis, but played hard for 48 minutes once they did before the Grizzlies escaped with an 84-83 victory Saturday night.

``It was an unbelievable effort,'' Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. ``We came in and fought from beginning to end. ... I would loved to have seen us come out of here with a win.''

The Hawks were stranded in Atlanta overnight as icy conditions prevented them from flying out after Friday's loss to Miami. The team arrived at the FedExForum with a police escort about 90 minutes before the 8 p.m. CST tip-off-- an hour later than originally scheduled.

Jason Williams scored 23 points and had eight assists, while Mike Miller added 21 points to lead the Grizzlies.

Tyronn Lue's fall-away 10-footer at the horn for Atlanta bounced off the rim, sending the Hawks to their fourth straight loss.

``We had a chance to win that game,'' Lue said. ``We tried to go inside to Al (Harrington), but they switched to a different front, and we couldn't get it in like we wanted to, so we had to attack the basket.''

Despite the extended travel, Atlanta had enough energy to build a third-quarter lead and hold an advantage until a 3 by Miller and a jumper by Williams in the final 2:03 gave Memphis the lead for good.

``That three that Miller hit, I mean with the clock going down, that was a big shot,'' Woodson said.

Shane Battier finished with 15 for Memphis, which has won seven of its last nine.

Harrington led the Hawks with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Lue and Antoine Walker had 17 points each. Tony Delk scored 15 off the bench.

Memphis players sensed the long trip may have given the Hawks a boost, instead of worn them out.

``They are going to come out and try to prove something,'' Miller said. ``It was one of the slugfests really. The bottom line is we got the win.''

The Grizzlies were effective early with a fast-paced transition game, but seemed to abandon the strategy, settling for jumpers with less success. That, coupled with poor ball-handling and ineffective half-court offense, provided the Hawks with a seven-point lead early in the final period.

Memphis, playing without injured forwards Pau Gasol and James Posey, shot 62 percent in the first quarter, and had 18-2 scoring advantage in the paint. The Grizzlies led 27-19 after the first quarter.

Delk and Josh Smith, who finished with 10 points, led a Hawks' second-quarter rally. Delk hit three 3-pointers, and Smith connected on three straight Atlanta buckets, including a thunderous dunk. Another Smith dunk near the end of the quarter tied the game 46.

Memphis still couldn't shake the Hawks through the third, and Atlanta closed the quarter with five straight points for a 69-64 lead entering the fourth.

Atlanta managed just 14 points in the fourth quarter.

``We didn't have as good a defense in the second or third, but in the fourth we stepped it up,'' Memphis coach Mike Fratello said. ``We had two turnovers there toward the end but were fortunate to escape without any damage.''

With 2 big scoring guys on the IL, this game would definatley be a hard fought victory.Both Posey(who was put on the IL right before the game) and Gasol were out, but Jason Williams stepped up and led us too a close victory. We are slowly climbing up, but we need more wins, and faster. Lets keep up the good work guys!

4 Game Streak is Broken...

2005-01-22T14:08:00.000-06:00

From sports.yahoo.com:

Darting through the lane, dipping past defenders, Earl Boykins was a blur on the hardwood.

The NBA's smallest player had 25 points and a season-high 10 assists to lift the Denver Nuggets to a 92-82 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.

This performance came on the heels of Tuesday's win over Seattle in which the 5-foot-5 guard set a league record with 15 points in overtime. It never got that close this time around.

``I'm surprised every time he steps out on the court,'' Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin said. ``A guy that size. The things he can do. He's got the heart of a lion. It just shows that when your heart's that big and you care that much about playing the game, good things will happen to you.''

Denver snapped Memphis' four-game winning streak and gave interim coach Michael Cooper the first winning streak of his own since taking over the team on Dec. 31. The Nuggets, who have struggled all season, pulled within four games of Memphis for eighth place in the Western Conference -- and the last playoff spot -- with the midpoint of the season close at hand.

Lorenzen Wright scored 17 points and former Nugget James Posey had 15 on five 3-pointers for the Grizzlies, who lost for just the second time in 12 games and only the eighth time in the 25 games since Mike Fratello took over for Hubie Brown as coach.

Memphis played just hours after the sudden death of play-by-play voice Don Poier, 53, who had been calling games for the franchise since its conception in Vancouver in 1995.

``I can't say that the news today affected us,'' Fratello said. ``We had a job to do tonight. We have to sharpen our play.''

Like Boykins, Marcus Camby had a second-consecutive big game, finishing with 18 points, 13 rebounds and six blocked shots after a 25-point, 24-rebound night against the Sonics. That helped the Nuggets win easily without Carmelo Anthony, who sat out after hurting his right ankle Tuesday.

Since Anthony went out in the third quarter of that game, the Nuggets have played better, cutting and moving on offense, pushing the ball when they can and playing more aggressively everywhere on the court. The results on this night were telling: Denver shot 49 percent and outrebounded Memphis 49-24.

A lot of the Denver rebounds resulted in a quick outlet pass to Boykins or Andre Miller, who pushed the pace and helped the Nuggets find easy shots. Miller finished with 14 points and six assists.

``We want to do that all the time,'' Cooper said of the rebound-and-run method. ``Now, they see we're successful when the ball is in Earl's and Andre's hands. Those guys are capable and willing to pass the basketball.''

Fittingly, though, it was a shot by Boykins that essentially sealed this game. Pounding the dribble, Boykins took one big step into the lane, got his defender back on his heels, then stepped back himself for a fadeaway 16-foot jumper. It gave Denver an 87-74 lead with 3:54 left and marked the start of garbage time.

``I feel I shouldn't miss an open shot and I shouldn't turn over the ball,'' Boykins said. ``Slowly but surely, Coop is changing our offense. We're running different plays each game and that makes it tough to scout us.''

Martin returned from missing a game with strep throat and had 13 points and eight rebounds. Martin reared back as if to punch Pao Gasol (eight points, four rebounds) after a hard foul early in the fourth quarter, but the two didn't come to blows and it was nothing like the scene last Friday night when Nene got into a fight with Michael Olowokandi of the Timberwolves.

``K-Mart is a lot like Shaq in that people want to foul him because they know he's a questionable free-throw shooter,'' Cooper said. ``His reaction was great. He knows he's going to get the hard fouls. He bites the bullet and walks away from it.''

Nene missed his third game of a four-game suspension due to the fight.

Gasol really didn't bring his best stuff to the game, and it really showed. He had 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. However, Lorenzen Wright had a great game, but not good enough. This game brought a bad end to our streak in this disappointing loss. Lets hope Gasol brings his "A" game to the court against the Jazz. Start a new streak Grizzlies!

Grizzlies 96, Clippers 76

2004-12-28T18:31:00.000-06:00

by Associated Press, from Foxsports.com

The Memphis Grizzlies dominated the Los Angeles Clippers from start to finish.
Memphis benefited from poor early shooting by Los Angeles, controlled the Clippers' top scorers - Corey Maggette and Elton Brand - and built an early lead before coasting to a 96-76 victory on Monday night.

"That was the way to do it," said Pau Gasol, who led the Grizzlies with 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds. "We have to do that more often at home."

Gasol, who had 18 points in the first half, shot 9-of-13 from the field, and reserve Bonzi Wells added 18 points for Memphis, which snapped a two-game losing streak.

Maggette led the Clippers with 14 points, but shot just 3-of-15 from the field. Chris Wilcox had 12 points, while Bobby Simmons finished with 11.

Memphis led by as many as 23 in the fourth period and sent the Clippers to their seventh loss in eight games. Along with Maggette's problems, Elton Brand was held to eight points on 1-of-7 shooting.

"You don't have to say much more about the way we played - just look at the stat sheet," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said. "We were 4-of-22 and we got nine turnovers from our top two. Anybody who does that is going to have a real tough time winning a ballgame."

The game was part of a back-to-back set for the Clippers, who lost Sunday at Houston and are dealing with injuries.

"We just really need to come together as a team, without the coaches, and decide what we want to do," Maggette said. "Are we going to (give up) or are we going to try? It's not one single thing. There's a lot of things we need to work on.

"When you are winning, you don't see it. But when you've losing, you see a lot of stuff."

The Clippers, who never led, struggled from the floor early. They made only five of their 18 first-quarter shots and turned the ball over seven times in falling behind 29-12.

Meanwhile, Gasol barely missed - connecting on seven of eight shots in the first half and leading the Grizzlies to a 51-40 halftime lead.

"We've been getting a 15- to 16-point lead, then letting teams chip away and chip away and make a game out of it," Wells said of the Grizzlies' early season struggles. "We have to learn to play a full 48 minutes together, and when we've got a team down, stomp on the back of their necks and keep them down."

Memphis led by as many as 19 in the first half and maintained a 15- to 19-point advantage through much of the second period. The Clippers scored the last eight points of the half to cut Memphis' lead to 11.

The Grizzlies increased the lead to 20 after back-to-back 3-pointers by Jason Williams and Mike Miller midway through the third and carried a 75-55 lead into the final period.

The defensive effort was a major factor in the team's first playoff appearance last season.

"We've been playing better team defense, and that is what made us very successful," Gasol said. "We were successful and won so many games last year because of our defense and stopping teams on runs. We're going to try and work on our defense a little more and be a little stronger." previous low was 14 against Memphis on Dec. 19. ... The Grizzlies are 4-0 vs. Los Angeles teams this season. ... Kirk Penney, signed by the Clippers earlier this week, scored his first points of the season on a 15-foot jumper in the fourth. ... Memphis F Shane Battier was instrumental in holding Brand, his former roommate at Duke, to 10 points under his 18.7 scoring average. "Hopefully I got him back for waking me up all those times in the middle of the night," Battier said.

Burks Out With Fractured Right Pinkie Finger

2004-12-15T18:00:00.000-06:00

from NBA.com

The Memphis Grizzlies announced today that point guard Antonio Burks will miss the next 6 - 8 weeks due to a fractured right pinkie finger sustained in the fourth quarter of last night’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Burks will undergo surgery on the finger tomorrow at the Campbell Clinic.

Burks started the season on the injured list but was activated on December 7 and played five games, averaging 4.6 ppg and 2.4 apg in 13.0 minutes per game. Last night against Cleveland, he had a career-high seven points on perfect 3-3 shooting from the field, along with three assists and only one turnover. He had a career-high six assists in his NBA debut on Dec. 7 vs. New York.

Interesting, Hubie retires and 2 wins in a row.

2004-11-28T16:41:00.000-06:00

I am not saying that there is any correlation there but...

The 33-year basketball coaching career of Hubie Brown came to a close Thursday. On Friday, he addressed the media about his decision.

Memphis Grizzlies president of basketball operations Jerry West announced that Brown was retiring Thursday and that assistant Lionel Hollins has been named the team's interim coach.

"Since we started in October and then as we started the season I've had things come up," Brown said. "You're body gives you a warning sign and you'll see, but until you get up there you're not going to understand it. For guys like me the medical stuff is private."

"Obviously this is not something we had planned," West said. "For me, this is not a good day, and I don't think a good day for our franchise. But hopefully the start of something new and exciting in Hubie's life."

Brown, 71, became the sixth coach in Grizzlies history on November 12, 2002 and immediately reversed the fortunes of the franchise. In his first full season with Memphis in 2003-04, Brown earned NBA Coach of the Year honors leading the Grizzlies to a 50-win season and their first playoff appearance.

"Just off the top, I would just like to say this. I'm tremendously indebted to Mr. Heisley and to Jerry because they had faith that we could do this," Brown said. "They had to be courageous to bring someone back at 69 years of age. Then you feel a great indebtedness to them because they had that confidence to do this."

Brought in by West to teach a young and inexperienced team, Brown was criticized by some who felt he was too old to deal with today's NBA player and was out for the game for too long.

The second-guessing was unwarranted as Brown turned in what may be regarded as his best coaching job while with the Grizzlies.

"To have a chance to work with a man of this caliber and this integrity is something that I will cherish when I'm gone from this league," West said. "I think the organization is so much better off from having a man who is this committed to bringing excellence to a franchise that had little or no success."

Brown coached 15 seasons in the NBA, leading the New York Knicks to the playoffs twice in five seasons and the Atlanta Hawks to three postseason appearances in five years. Brown also won an ABA championship in 1975 with the Kentucky Colonels.

"I need on a daily basis an energy and stamina, and then with me it's a spirit," Brown said. "They're the things that drive me into the passion that you have for your game. The spirit is what gives you passion on a daily basis. Well, one day you wake up and you don't have that, and that's when you've got to understand that it's the time that you've got to walk."

I hope this keeps up. I am sad that a legend has retired but they have to move on. Lets keep up the streak Grizzlies!

Posey injured, We were just starting to get things on the right track

2004-11-18T18:21:00.000-06:00

From sports.yahoo.com:

Hobbled by a sprained right foot, James Posey will miss at least the next five games.

The Memphis Grizzlies placed the veteran forward on the injured list Friday.

Posey had missed Memphis' last two games Tuesday against Houston and Thursday against the Los Angeles Lakers due to the foot injury. He averaged 3.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 22.7 minutes over the first three games.

Known for his strong defensive play, Posey averaged a career-high 13.7 points for the Grizzlies last season.

The Grizzlies also activated second-year forward Ryan Humphrey, who has been on the injured list since the start of the season. He averaged 1.0 points and 1.5 rebounds with Memphis in 2003-04.

With Posey injured, it will be harder for us to make a run up the standings. Lets keep up the good work you guys, and rally to the top!

Grizzlies Too Swift for Bucks

2004-11-01T13:12:00.000-06:00

From NBA.com

GREEN BAY, Wis., Oct. 28 (Ticker) -- The Memphis Grizzlies ended their preseason schedule in fine fashion.Stromile Swift scored 24 points as the Grizzlies led most of the way en route to a 99-92 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Memphis, which was 37-of-47 from the line, finished its exhibition season with four wins in their last five games and 6-2 overall. It opens the regular season Wednesday vs. Washington.

Swift, whose scoring average has dropped in each of the last two seasons with the Grizzlies, posted his preseason high and reached double figures for the fifth time. He was 8-of-12 from the field and had four blocked shots.

After a pair of free throws by Joe Smith gave Milwaukee a one-point lead with just over two minutes left, Troy Bell hit a 20-footer and Brian Cardinal made two from the line for a 95-92 lead.

Earl Watson added 12 points and 12 assists for the Grizzlies, who opened a 55-45 halftime lead.

Michael Redd scored 20 points for the Bucks (4-4), who erased an 18-point deficit but lost for the third time in four outings. Erick Strickland added 18 points for Milwaukee.

The Bucks visit Orlando in their season opener Wednesday.

new grizzlies blog

2004-09-06T16:24:00.000-05:00

hey folks! just getting this blog started for the 2004-05 season, come back soon!