Hawks at Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies aren't feeling too good about themselves these days as they carry a season-high four-game losing streak into Saturday's home game against the Hawks, the opener of the two-game season series that concludes Thursday in Atlanta. Memphis was one of four NBA teams yielding fewer than 100 points before allowing an average of 115.8 during its slide, including a 114-98 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.
“We need to respond with desperation. It's time,'' Grizzlies guard Mike Conley told reporters. "We can't talk about it, and continue to say we're going to do the right things. We've got to go out there and do it." It doesn't appear Memphis' recent struggles will cost them a trip to the postseason as it owns a seven-game lead on ninth-place Portland in the Western Conference, but it fell into a tie for sixth with Oklahoma City - five games behind No. 4 Utah. The Hawks were heading down the same path as the Grizzlies, losing six of eight before righting the ship by validating Wednesday's 110-105 victory over Brooklyn with a key 105-99 win over Toronto on Friday. Dennis Schroder scored 13 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter to help Atlanta get within two games of the Raptors for fourth place - and homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs - while winning the season series 2-1, securing the potentially important tiebreaker.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Atlanta, Memphis)
ABOUT THE HAWKS (36-29): Schroder averaged 26.7 points in his last three games to raise his season number to 17.9, just behind Paul Millsap's team-leading 18.3 points per game. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 20 points Friday to extend his career-best streak of consecutive games with 10 or more points to 20 - the longest run by an Atlanta player since Millsap did in 25 straight last season. Thabo Sefolosha was late for pregame warmups Friday after getting caught in traffic and was scratched from the starting lineup, scoring four points in 25 minutes.
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (36-29): Marc Gasol produces a team-high 20.4 points per game and needs 12 3-point field goals and 13 blocks to become the first center in NBA history to record at least 100 threes, 100 blocks and 200 assists in a season. Chandler Parsons continues to struggle with knee soreness as the forward, who signed a four-year, $94-plus million contract during the offseason, did not play Thursday and averages 6.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 19.8 minutes in 33 games this season. Mike Conley (19.96 points per game) scored 13 points Thursday - the first time he recorded fewer than 23 in five games, averaging 29 during that span.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Memphis F Zach Randolph is third among active players with 476 double-doubles, trailing Atlanta’s Dwight Howard (655) and San Antonio’s Pau Gasol (511).
2. Through Thursday's games, the Grizzlies allowed the fewest points in the paint at 38.4 per game with the Hawks third at 38.6.
3. Atlanta swept last season's two-game series by a combined 27 points with Millsap averaging 22 points and 10.5 rebounds.