Grizzlies at Bulls
Both Memphis and Chicago will be looking for a bounce-back win when they meet Monday in the Windy City. The Grizzlies opened a four-game road trip Saturday with a 95-89 loss at New Orleans, blowing an 18-point lead in the process. The setback has Memphis - which has split its last eight road games - clinging to a 1 1/2-game lead over Houston in the race for the second seed in the Western Conference with 20 games to go.
The Bulls were holding the second spot in the East before an 0-2 road trip - capped by Sunday's 116-105 loss in San Antonio - helped Cleveland take over that spot with the stretch run looming. Pau Gasol continued to be the one steady presence for Chicago with his league-leading 42nd double-double (23 points, 15 rebounds), but his team committed 22 turnovers, two shy of a season high. Memphis opened the season 21-4 before a 103-97 loss to Chicago at home on Dec. 19 started a four-game losing streak.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBATV, SportSouth (Memphis), CSN Chicago
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (44-18): The loss to New Orleans featured a rare off night for both Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, as the two big men combined for 15 points on 5-of-17 shooting and nine rebounds. The pair had a collective three points on 1-of-8 from the floor after halftime, part of a swoon that resulted in the largest lost lead of the season for Memphis. "If we want to be a good team, a championship team, we can't play like that," Randolph told reporters.
ABOUT THE BULLS (39-25): Chicago's 22 giveaways Sunday led to 32 points for San Antonio, which posted the third-highest scoring total against the Bulls this season in a regulation game. One bright spot was the continued surge of power forward Nikola Mirotic, who hit all nine of his free throws en route to 19 points off the bench. Mirotic, who has attempted 49 free throws in five games this month, hit a personal-best six 3-pointers in as many tries to help Chicago top Memphis in the previous encounter.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Chicago is 64-of-74 from the line over its last three games.
2. Grizzlies SF Tony Allen is 16-of-22 from the floor and has 21 rebounds and eight steals over his last three games.
3. Gasol is one double-double shy of matching his career high set in 2010-11 with the Los Angeles Lakers.