Grizzlies at Timberwolves
The Memphis Grizzlies were on the verge of a five-game losing streak before Zach Randolph’s last-second tip fell through the net on Friday, and now things are looking up. The Grizzlies will try to make it two straight wins when they visit the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday afternoon.
The Grizzlies spent the last few seasons enforcing their style of play on opposing teams and dominating in the frontcourt with Randolph and Marc Gasol. Memphis would still like to tighten things up on defense after allowing the Portland Trail Blazers to shoot 47.8 percent from the floor in Friday’s 101-100 win, but at least Gasol and Randolph outscored the opposing frontcourt starters 46-13. The two veterans could be in for more of a challenge from Timberwolves rookie center Karl-Anthony Towns, who fell one rebound shy of his seventh double-double in a 107-103 loss at Indiana on Friday. Minnesota has dropped three straight and is still looking for its first home win after falling to 0-4 in its own building with a loss to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday.
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Memphis), FSN North (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (4-6): Another big change for Memphis on Friday was the presence of guard Mario Chalmers, who was acquired from the Miami Heat earlier in the week and scored 11 points off the bench in his debut. The Grizzlies are near the bottom of the pack in the NBA with a total of 48 made 3-pointers on the season and Chalmers, who went 1-of-2 from beyond the arc on Friday, can help stretch the floor. “My teammates made me feel comfortable and the coaching staff made me feel comfortable,” Chalmers told reporters. “It can only go up from here.”
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (4-5): Solid team defense seems like a necessary next step for the talented young Minnesota team, which has surrendered an average of 113.3 points in the last three games. Second-year guards Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine each put up 26 points while Towns added 12 points and nine rebounds on Friday, but a 27-point hole late in the third quarter proved to be too much to overcome. “We’re learning to play,” Timberwolves coach Sam Mitchell told reporters. “We’re learning how to grow up and be mentally tough. There were a lot of good things in that game.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Grizzlies F Brandan Wright (knee) sat out the last three games and is questionable for Sunday.
2. Timberwolves G Ricky Rubio (hamstring) missed the last three games and remains day-to-day.
3. Memphis took two of the three meetings last season, including a 101-97 triumph at Minnesota on Feb. 28.