Court Vision: Another Randolph double-double nets Grizzlies third straight win
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- It wasn't a strong finish, but the Memphis Grizzlies notched their third straight win Monday with a 103-94 win against Orlando (15-33). The Grizzlies (32-12) scored 67 points in the first half and only 36 in the second.
1. CONLEY'S HAND: "IT'S PRETTY PAINFUL."
There was a bit of gloom in a win. Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley caught his wrist in a jersey at the end of the first half and later had ice on it. He self-diagnosed it as feeling "like a sprain."
He played 21 minutes, 57 seconds and scored only five points on 2 of 8 shooting and sat the entire fourth quarter.
"Just wanted to rest it. It was painful there in the second half," Conley said. "So we're gonna see how it goes for tomorrow. It's painful."
Conley's status at Dallas is in the air and the last thing on his or the Grizzlies' mind is his all-star status.
Backup Beno Udrih has shown his ability to step into the role. Monday he scored 15 points on 6 of 8 shooting and had five assists. Udrih had four steals and only one turnover in 26 minutes. But Conley's role can be filled only by Conley, who routinely takes hard shots on screens.
"It's part of the league. It's physical," Conley said. "I've just got to be prepared for it and pray everyday that I don't get hurt."
There were likely a few fans who went to bed in Memphis with that prayer.
2. Z-BO FLIRTED WITH A TRIPLE-DOUBLE
Reality set in early in the fourth quarter that Zach Randolph was not going to get a triple-double.
No shame in the final numbers, though. The big fella finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. He had 18, seven and four by the half.
"Just playing," Randolph downplayed it. "Just out there feeling good, getting in a rhythm. We're playing for something, trying to get there."
Randolph was super close to his third 3-pointer of the season (it would have been his second straight with a bomb), but he was a big toe away with a long jumper in the second quarter. He took another from the corner in the third quarter. There was probably a little too much kidding around. A once 20-point-lead down to 10 late in the fourth, Randolph checked back in with starters Courtney Lee and Marc Gasol to restore order. Then on a break, Randolph tried an errant alley-oop to Lee and turned the ball over.
It would have been an assist closer to the first Grizzlies' triple-double since Pau Gasol's in 2007. Randolph got his ninth-straight double-double and a career-best 15th straight double-digit rebounding effort.
All-star reserves are announced on Thursday. Asked if he cared whether or not he made the roster, Randolph replied: "I don't care. I don't care. I want Mike to get it."
Conley, his point guard, has a case (17.7/5.8/3.4), but Randolph's case may defy his own argument (16.7/12).
3. RUNAWAY GOT SERIOUS IN THE FOURTH QUARTER
The Grizzlies were toying with Orlando. Like a cat does with a mouse it has already violently torn both legs off of. Memphis did that to the Magic in the first half, scoring a season-high 67 points.
"They get the best look out of every play," Orlando forward Tobias Harris said. "That's tough on the defense to do, but that's why they are one of the best teams in the NBA."
But while many of the 15,000 at FedExForum were tweeting and instagramming, some of them on Beale, Orlando got within 10 points as Memphis coach Dave Joerger pulled starters Randolph, Jeff Green and Courtney Lee off the bench.
"We were hoping the other group could finish, but I think the other group did a really good job in the first half," Joerger said.
The bench provided 24 points in the first half in nearly 45 minutes. In the second half, the Grizzlies committed nine of their 15 turnovers.
Memphis had five in double figures, including 15 from Udrih off the bench, but the 15 turnovers resulted in 21 Magic points. That could equal a loss Tuesday at Dallas.
"The little stuff is bothering me right now," Joerger said. "Did we get the win? Yes. And by-and-large we're playing pretty well. When you go to Dallas and see some of these teams in the Western Conference we've been playing in the playoffs ... it adds up, so we just have to keep getting better."
Orlando got 18 each from Nikola Vucevic and Victor Oladipo.
The Grizzlies face six straight Western Conference teams before hosting the red-hot Hawks on Feb. 8.
4 -- The number of times Grizzlies center Marc Gasol (16/10) headed the basketball, soccer-style, in the second quarter. The fourth time nearly added two points to his line.
48-40 -- The Grizzlies were outscored in the paint. Memphis averages an NBA-best 47.7 points in the paint.
