Grizzlies fall short to Pelicans before All-Star Weekend

Last night, the Grizzlies fought their way back into the game with the Pelicans. But in the end, Anthony Davis and the Pelicans were too much.

Well, the Grizzlies started out on fire. Mike Conley came out rolling as he scored the first five points of the game, giving the Grizzlies an early 12-3 lead over the Pelicans.

Chandler Parsons connected on a three-pointer early in the game, and it looked the Grizzlies were hitting all cylinders.

That changed quickly.

The offense became stagnant, the defense broke down and the Pelicans got hot. At the end of the half, the Pelicans took the lead 50-43 and never looked back.

By the end of the third quarter, their lead jumped to 77-61. But the Memphis Grizzlies never die easily.

In the fourth quarter, the Grizzlies turned on the switch thanks to a surge from Toney Douglas. The boys in Beale Street Blue kept chopping at the Pelicans’ lead. With 48.8 seconds left, Vince Carter splashed a three-pointer, cutting the lead to 92-91. It just wasn’t enough in the end.

Three words.. Freaking Anthony Davis.

Anthony Davis responded with an amazing jumper from the top of the key with JaMychal Green drapped all over the him to put the Pelicans back up 94-91. The Grizz had a chance to take this one, but fell the short in the end.

Stats of the Night

For the Pelicans, Solomon Hill finished with a career-high 23 points. Anthony Davis knocked down 18 points, Jrue Holiday added 19 and Alexis Ajinca ended with 12.

Mike Conley led the team in scoring with 19 points and four assists. Backup point guard Toney Douglas continues to shine as he topped off the night with eight points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Marc Gasol earned a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Zach Randolph ended with 16 points and nine rebounds.

Overall, they didn’t shoot well as a team, shooting 37 percent from the field and connecting on only six out of 33 three-point attempts.

They also ended the night with 15 turnovers.

Grizzly fans, do not panic..

Don’t panic about this loss, Grizzly fans. It was the day before the All-Star break, and the effort was just not there until late in the game.

This game was just weird in general. The Grizzlies know if they turned on the switch on earlier in the game, they could have easily won this game.

The good thing is that they fought back. You can always count on the Memphis Grizzlies to go out with a bang.

In the end, it’s an unfortunate loss, but there’s no reason to worry. It was a bad game, and the Grizzlies will bounce back after some much-needed rest.

Some positive news: the Grizzlies have the sixth seed going into the break, they have a winning record, and they are healthy (continues to knock on wood).

From this point on, the Memphis Grizzlies will just get better. They don’t to make any roster moves.

Must Read: Trade Deadline Options

Assuming the way Toney Douglas has performed lately, the Grizzlies should sign the new backup point guard for the rest of this season.

Brandan Wright looks healthy, and he will continue to get more comfortable after the break.

Also, yes, I’m about to say it. Chandler Parsons is getting back to form. With each game, he gets a little better.

Last night, he had a nice take to the basket, finishing with both hands. He also knocked down a three early and made some good defensive plays. Continue to be patient with Chandler.

If he can be the Dallas Chandler Parsons in the playoffs, the Grizzlies would be deadly.

Trust me.

More Records?

In this game, the Grizzlies made some changes to the record books.

What’s coming up for the Grizz?

The Grizzlies will be back in action again on February 24th to take on the Indiana Pacers.

The boys won’t be back in the Forum until February 28th when the Phoenix Suns come back into town.

That should be interesting.

Related Story: Grizzlies/Suns end with brawl

Also, make sure to check out Marc Gasol in the All-Star game this weekend.