Despite Rough Start, Grizzlies Win 8th In A Row

Feb 27, 2013; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Allen (9) finishes a dunk as Dallas Mavericks guard Mike James (13) looks on at the FedEx Forum. Memphis defeated Dallas 90-84. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

When the Grizzlies were down by 38-19 at the end of the first quarter, it looked like their streak had finally run it’s course. The starters with bricking every shot in sight, and the Mavericks were running them ragged. In the end, however, the Grizz overcame their rough start, and wound up taking their eighth consecutive game, trumping Dallas by a final of 90-84.

The game turned around when the Grizzlies defense finally got in gear. After allowing 38 points in the first quarter, the Grizz would allow just 22 in the second and third combined (in the third, the Mavs only scored five points…no, seriously). Over the course of the second and third quarters, the Grizzlies would go on a stunning 36-4 run. There was a huge portion of this game where Dallas was simply incapable of doing anything whatsoever. The Mavericks would finally get things together in the 4th, where they put up a valiant fight with 24 points, but the damage had already been done. Two solid quarters of no offense whatsoever from Dallas was enough to secure the victory for Memphis.

The star of the night for Mavs was Shawn Marion, who put in 16 points on 8-13 shooting, and added eight rebounds. Marion has quietly had a very strong season, so this wasn’t too shocking. Perhaps key to the Grizzlies eventual victory was a poor shooting night from Dirk Nowitzki, who had just 10 points on 4-11 from the field. Dirk had finally been getting his groove back, but he was thoroughly stifled in Memphis on Wednesday.

Once again, it was the guys up front leading the way for the Grizzlies. Z-Bo had 22 points and 10 boards, while Marc Gasol had a muscular 21-12. It’s redundant to keep saying this, but the Grizzlies look like a far more natural team with Gasol and Z-Bo as the first two options on offense. Things just make way more sense for this team when the damage is being done in the post.

The bench was solid tonight as well. before halftime, Darrell Arthur had a spectacular dunk that came on a steal, which was a key moment in the Grizzlies grabbing the momentum. Meanwhile, Austin Daye was back in the lineup, scoring 10 points, all of which came in the first quarter. A bit of an odd coincidence, but hey, whatever works. Quincy Pondexter was extremely efficient last night, scoring 12 points on only four shots. Pondexter is an excellent three-point shooter, and the Grizzlies offense benefits greatly from the ability to spread the floor with him in the lineup.

I know I  harp on this a lot, but really…five minutes for Ed Davis??!! Ugh! Just when he was finally getting some time! Look, I know the team is winning anyway, but a player this good should not be wasting away on the bench like this. Well, I already wrote a whole post about that so I’ll just leave it there……#FreeEdDavis

The Grizzlies win streak faces its toughest challenge yet this Friday when the Grizzlies take on the Miami Heat. the Heat have an even bigger streak than the Grizz do, as they have won 12 consecutive games. Someone will have to go down in Miami on Friday, and since the Grizzlies have done pretty well against the Heat since the beginning of the Big Three, I’m feelin’ lucky.