Memphis Grizzlies Weekend Roundup – November 2, 2014
By Nir Regev
Nov 1, 2014; Charlotte, NC, USA; Memphis Grizzlies head coach David Joerger yells out during the first half against the Charlotte Hornets at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Three Game Winning Streak, Courtney Lee Out with Concussion, Kalin Lucas and Patrick Christopher Waived and more in this Memphis Grizzlies Weekend Roundup!
Three Game Winning Streak
The Memphis Grizzlies awoke from hibernation for the season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves.. And they were hungry. Memphis feasted on the Timberwolves defenseless frontcourt. They were absolutely merciless, pawing Andrew Wiggins debut game out to pasture.
The high scorer for the night was Marc Gasol who scored 32 points on 12-17 shooting (8-10 from the charity stripe) and grabbed 9 rebounds. Finishing second was Zach Randolph, with an impressive 25 points on 12-16 shooting and 13 boards. It looks like for Minnesota, these wolves won’t hunt. If they can’t run with the big dogs, they better stay on the porch.
Final score of the night: MEM 105 – MIN 101. Grizzlies Victory.
Game 2 of the season saw Zbo and the gang clawing away the Indiana Pacers. Zach Randolph continued his strong play inside to the tune of 22 points on 7-14 shooting (8-10 from the charity stripe) and grabbed 13 rebounds. Finishing second was Marc Gasol who posted a simmering 20 points and 6 boards.
Final score of the night: MEM 97 – IND 89. Grizzlies Victory.
Drowsy from a lengthy summer slumber the Memphis Grizzlies struggled their way to a Game 3 win. The opponent Charlotte Hornets proved a formidable foe. Shooting was off across the board with an unfortunate 3-14 night from Mike Conley. The high scorer for the night was Marc Gasol who posted 22 points and 8 rebounds. Zach Randolph would finish second with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Messy game, looks like the Hornets were tougher than a $2 dollar steak.
Final score of the night: MEM 71 – CHA 69. Grizzlies Victory.
Injury News
Courtney Lee suffered a concussion during the first half of Indiana Pacers game. Coach Joerger reports Lee will be out for a while. Tony Allen, Vince Carter and Quincy Pondexter should see increased minutes as a result.
Grizzlies Waived
Kalin Lucas and Patrick Christopher were waived by the Memphis Grizzlies on October 25th. The two guards were both signed as free agents a month earlier on September 25th. Lucas averaged 3.1 points and 1 assist in 8 preseason showings. Christopher put up 4.5 points and 0.6 rebounds in the same 8 preseason games.
Former Grizzlies
Ed Davis and OJ Mayo have had impressive openings to their seasons. Mayo has been on a roll for the Bucks scoring 25 and 17 his first two games, with one dud last night. Davis has been a bright spot off the bench for the Lakers, averaging 12 points and 6.8 rebounds. Rumors are swirling Davis may start for the Lakers later this season. Former Memphis Grizzlies guard Jerryd Bayless had 20 points (8-8 from the charity stripe) for Milwaukee last night.
Fantasy Stat Highlights
Marc Gasol is decimating opposing front courts out there. He’s averaging 26 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.3 steals through three games.
Zach Randolph is similarly taking over in the post. Zbo is averaging 19.7 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals through the early stages of the season.
Tony Allen has been on a tear, averaging 4 steals a game and is a quality waiver wire pickup.
Fantasy Stat Woes
Tayshaun Prince is having a slow start to the season. Prince scored 6 points against the Timberwolves and 2 points against the Hornets. He’s being limited to around 18 minutes a game. Time will tell if Prince regains his minutes and former Piston form.
Postgame Conference
Check out Coach Dave Joerger’s postgame conference transcript in the aftermath of the Grizzlies opener. Original NBA.com video available at this link!
Next Game:
Tomorrow night, the Memphis Grizzlies take on the New Orleans Pelicans. This will be the Grizzlies first true front court challenge, as Anthony Davis and Ömer Aşık visit the Memphis Fedex Forum.
Will the 3 game winning streak extend? Early going success? Or a sign of the future? No crystal ball required. Simply, tune in tomorrow to find out. One thing is for sure, Gasol and Randolph are playing with intensity.
A tried and tested duo. If the Memphis Grizzlies can find the perimeter shooting they need.. They will be strong favorites to win the whole rodeo. Tomorrow, the first roadblock to success is met. The Memphis front court will face the music. Feast or famine. Strong play early, strong finish.
That’s all for this Weekend Roundup! See you next time Memphis Grizzlies fans!