Westbrook fell one rebound short of breaking The Big O’s single season triple-double record, while the Grizzlies fell three points short of a much-needed W.
With Russell Westbrook coming into Wednesday night’s game on a red-hot streak, fans and analysts alike assumed that his streak would continue in Memphis. He had an impressive stat line of 40/13/10 against the Hornets four nights ago, and 12/13/13 against the Bucks just two nights prior. The All-Star finished with 45 points on 8-for-13 shooting beyond the arc, nine rebounds and 10 assists.
After Mike Conley suffered an eye laceration in their matchup against the Spurs, fans assumed that Fizdale would look towards the team’s younger talent to replace the star point guard in a matchup against Russell Westbrook.
Andrew Harrison started in place of Conley, scoring only 12 points in 36 minutes of play. Wade Baldwin, recently recalled from the D-League, scored two points during his 12 minutes on the hardwood.
What Did The Grizzlies Do Wrong?
Up until the fourth quarter, the Thunder’s frontcourt significantly out rebounded the Grizzlies’ bigs. These missed opportunities led to 26 fast break points, which took a big hit on our momentum going into the fourth.
The Thunder also shot 45 percent from 3-point land – most of which came from Westbrook’s explosive shooting performance. A lack of production from the starters also contributed to the loss as JaMychal Green only scored three points in 18 minutes and Carter with 10 points on 3-for-10 shooting.
Leading Up to the Playoffs
The Grizzlies have three more regular season games. They’ll face off against the Knicks, Pistons and Mavericks in the Grindhouse.
Fizdale should rest the key players for the rest of the season to help guarantee a prime, fresh performance in their first-round matchup. In doing so, the younger talent
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should get some much needed playing time so that they’re more comfortable in real-game situations.
The Bottom Line:
Coach Fizdale needs to stick with the lineups that work. The combination of Conley, Carter, Green and Gasol has worked against top tier teams, but he has yet to further explore the huge impact that those four could have on the court.
Marc Gasol, whom has improved his game tremendously in the past few seasons, has to stop being lazy on the court. Missed rebounds and low-effort defensive possessions both add up towards the end of the game, and if he continues to not put forth 100%, the Grizzlies will continue to lose games that could’ve easily been in their favor.