Grizzlies at Thunder
The Memphis Grizzlies are proving they can play fast or slow on their way to the win column and showed off both styles while taking their last two games. The Grizzlies will try to enforce their own style and earn a third straight win when they visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.
Memphis exploded offensively at Golden State on Friday with a combined 49 points in the fourth quarter and overtime to earn a 128-119 win and slowed things down on Sunday in an 88-79 triumph over the Utah Jazz. "We communicated, and we were very unselfish, defensively," center Marc Gasol told reporters after Sunday's triumph. "We did a great job moving and using and sacrificing our bodies in multiple efforts, multiple times. That is what it is going to take for us to win." The Thunder are winners of back-to-back games as well and have the most electrifying player in the NBA, Russell Westbrook, playing at the top of his game. “My hand is always on the game," Westbrook told reporters after handing out 14 assists in a 109-94 win at Chicago on Monday. "I just pick my spots and see what’s open and what’s not,” Westbrook explained. “They were collapsing so I was just trying to make some passes."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (24-16): Veteran power forward Zach Randolph is playing well off the bench but is making the case to coach David Fizdale that he should be sharing the court more with Gasol. "I think teams are happy with the way we're playing, taking pressure off of them honestly," Randolph told ESPN. "Some guys told me that on other teams: 'Shoot, we're happy y'all guys aren't playing together anymore. It gives us a break.' ... It's already been proven. We've done proved enough and showed it." Fizdale is concerned about the team's ability to guard the 3-point line with the two on the floor but relented and played both together down the stretch in the last two games.
ABOUT THE THUNDER (23-16): Oklahoma City splits up its big men as well but is plenty happy with the arrangement, especially after watching starting center Steven Adams and backup Enes Kanter combine for 42 points on 20-of-25 shooting on Monday. “The ball is going through them and they’re almost playing like point guards," Thunder coach Billy Donovan told reporters of the pair. They’re reading the defense, they’re making the extra pass, they’re seeing where the help is coming,” Donovan said. “If they have good post position and it’s one-on-one, they’re making good moves and are making good, strong aggressive plays around the basket." Kanter (13.8) and Adams (12.4) combine for an average of 26.2 points.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Thunder PG Cameron Payne (foot) averaged 14 minutes off the bench in his first two games of the season but went 0-of-6 from the floor on Monday.
2. Grizzlies PG Mike Conley is averaging 21 points and 11 assists in the last three games.
3. Memphis crushed Oklahoma City 114-80 behind a combined 46 points from Randolph and Gasol on Dec. 29.