The Grizzlies (12-10) have gone from a seven-game winning streak to a four-game losing skid to a two-game winning string over two of the league's better teams.
In between an overtime win over the Nuggets on Tuesday and a 96-77 pounding of the Hawks on Thursday to start a three-game road trip, Memphis got good news: All-Star forward Zach Randolph's torn MCL in his right knee is healing as hoped.
Randolph sustained the injury on Jan. 1 when teammate O.J. Mayo fell into him. Doctors didn't recommend surgery, saying the knee would heal on its own given two months.
Grizzlies physician and orthopedic surgeon Dr. Fred Azar said he's "pretty sure" that Randolph will return this season. The projected date has been March 2, when the Grizzlies play at Toronto.
If Randolph returns then, he will have missed 31 games with 31 remaining. Randolph can work with weights, and then the next step is jogging in a pool on an underwater treadmill. Then it's on to a regular treadmill.
"A key is Zach staying in shape with his conditioning as he does the rehab simultaneously," Azar said. "We expect him to go back to playing with a protective brace."
Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley has requested that Randolph only be allowed to play when he is completely healed, and not before.
The Grizzlies, who play at Oklahoma City on Friday night, are 11-7 without Randolph.
NOTES, QUOTES
Until Thursday night in Atlanta, the Grizzlies hadn't scored more than 91 points in regulation in six straight games. And Memphis entered the night as the Western Conference's lowest-scoring road team (85.8 per game) and was sporting a three-game road losing streak.
But the Grizzlies changed that with defense that shut down Hawks star Joe Johnson, holding him to 10 points. Memphis, the NBA leader in steals, bettered its 10.4 average with 14 steals to hand the Hawks just their second home loss this year.
Memphis hadn't won in Atlanta since November 2005.
For the second straight game, coach Lionel Hollins didn't trust rookies Josh Selby or Jeremy Pargo with the backup point guard duties. He turned them over to shooting guard O.J. Mayo, who scored 18 points.
If the Grizzlies' Marc Gasol is named a reserve center for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game, it won't be an upset. He's had five straight double-digit rebounding games.
F Rudy Gay had three steals to give him 525 in his career, moving him ahead of Shane Battier's 523 to become the Grizzlies' all-time franchise leader in steals. Gay got the mark playing in 25 fewer games (394 to 419).
QUOTE TO NOTE
"I'm feeling good tonight and I can't tell you why." -- G Tony Allen on the team bus going to Thursday night's game at Atlanta, in which he had 18 points, six rebounds, four assists and a steal.
ROSTER REPORT
F Mareese Speights started slowly against the Hawks and gave off some negative body language, and coach Lionel Hollins didn't hesitate replacing him with Dante Cunningham.
It was a great move. Cunningham had eight points and a team-high 13 rebounds, one shy of his career high, and he shut down Josh Smith.
"We knew one thing we didn't want to do, because we have a back-to-back Friday at Oklahoma City, was start out sluggish and expend a lot of energy coming back," Cunningham said. "My job is to lift everybody's energy and do the little things."
Hollins said, "We put Dante on Josh Smith, and that took away the run-outs they (Hawks) had been getting. We started executing and our defense just took over after that."
G Tony Allen, as in Tuesday's OT win over the Nuggets, affected Thursday's win at Atlanta with smothering defense on Joe Johnson, his quick hands and an aggressive style.
Allen's highlight was a first-half steal and slam over Atlanta high-flyer Josh Smith.
"Great momentum and great poise on the road from start to finish -- it's one of our best games," Allen said. "We played hard 48 minutes start to finish. Guys were in passing lanes. All five guys were boxing out and rebounding."
