Grizzlies Lacked Grit and Grind in Loss Against Indiana
The Grizzlies (34-25) come out of the All-Star break with a whimper, dropping a doozie against the Pacers (30-28) in Indiana.
Oh no! I said that the Grizzlies didn’t show grit and grind. I might have to take cover before I’m bombarded with remarks about this game being “Chandler Parsons’ fault.”
Yeah, he played pretty bad, scoring only four points without much to offer. However, it wasn’t just Chandler Parsons.
The Bruise Brothers, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, combined for a terrible 9-for-28 shooting from the field. Mike Conley lacked aggression, only scoring 10 points on nine shots. But, hey Tony Allen had 11 rebounds, seven rebounds and five steals. Ah ha! Grit and grind is alive!
I forgot to mention that he turned the ball over four times and that he had five fouls.
Troy Daniels was the only real contributor. Daniels came in and popped four three-pointers. Even though he only played 15 minutes, he led the team in scoring with 13 points. In addition, Daniels had three steals. Take that, defensive haters!
The Other Side
The Indiana Pacers couldn’t miss tonight, shooting 51.3 percent from the field. That number may not seem high, but they were at over 60 percent even in the third quarter.
The Grizzlies did a good job of containing Paul George, holding him to only nine points on 3-for-12 shooting. However, once again, the role players showed out. CJ Miles (five triples) and Monta Ellis led the game in scoring with 17 and 16, respectively.
In addition, Lavoy Allen capitalized on Randolph’s below-average defense, finishing with a double-double (10 points and 10 rebounds).
Overall, the Pacers just outplayed the Grizzlies. Plain and simple.
Marc Gasol: Point God
Marc Gasol pulled the classic “nutmeg” on Myles Turner, but did it with an extra twist.
Thank you, Marc, for giving us a bright spot in this game.
Next: All-Star Break Review: Marc Gasol
Looking Ahead
The Grizzlies will travel to Denver to battle the Nuggets on Sunday. They must be on their A-game before Nikola Jokic and company make them look foolish.