subject: Memphis Grizzlies Tickets - Grizzlies Beat Blazers 106-96 [print this page] Zach Randolph scored 21 points, and the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 106-96 for their fifth win in seven games. Get Memphis Grizzlies tickets and see Randolph hit a three-pointer. The Grizzlies (6-10) played against the NBA's best scoring defense and managed to register a season-high 61 points during the first half. Memphis topped 100 points for the fifth time in six games. Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins said, "This is the best we've played against a quality opponent." Memphis mowed Portland down in the first half by scoring 21 unanswered points.
The Trail Blazers (12-6) led 15-11 midway through the first quarter before Memphis' Mike Conley scored a layup to get things going. By the end of the first, the Grizzlies scored 18 consecutive points, which gave them a 25-15 lead.
Memphis continued to dominate the game early in the second with a 21-0 run before Portland's Andre Miller made a layup to end the Blazers' scoreless stretch of 8 1/5 minutes. But the Grizzlies were just getting warmed up. After Miller's basket, O.J. Mayo and Jamaal Tinsley hit consecutive three-pointers as they helped Memphis build a 42-17 lead in the second. Mayo, who had 19 points, said Memphis' defense was the key to the game. The guard continued to say, "We knew going into the season that we weren't going to have any trouble scoring, but defensively, it takes a team effort, mental discipline and toughness to win."
The Grizzlies led by as many as 29 points before settling for a 61-39 halftime lead. Portland cut the deficit to 77-63 by the end of the third quarter. Blazers' Brandon Roy pulled his team within eight points after he knocked down a pair of free throws with 3:35 left of the game. But that was the closest Portland would get. Hollins praised his team when he proclaimed, "It was an awesome performance from start to finish. They came in and were ready to play. It was beautiful." Indeed, the Grizzlies came into the contest ready to play. Aside from Randolph and Mayo's offensive thrust, Marc Gasol contributed 19 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for Memphis, while Tinsley scored 16 points and Rudy Gay added 14.
Portland, which had won six straight home games before falling to the Grizzles, left coach Nate McMillan enraged. After the game, the coach said, "That team comes in here and jumps on us like that? No energy. I thought for most of the game there was no energy and really no excuse for no energy." McMillan wasn't sure if his team thought the game would be another easy victory since the Blazers were defeating their opponents by an average margin of 17.1 points at home. The coach added that if Portland wasn't prepared to play, "anybody can beat us."
Roy led the Trail Blazers with 26 points, nine assist and eight rebounds. Martell Webster recorded a season-high 24 points for Portland. The victory snapped an eight-game losing streak by Memphis against Portland. The Grizzlies' 21-0 run during the first half tied a franchise record, and is the longest run on the road in team history.
