Memphis Grizzlies thrash Toronto Raptors after an edgy tie, 100-98
Memphis Grizzlies clawed past the Toronto Raptors in a face-to-face combat at the Air Canada Centre Toronto, ON, on 24 January.
The Grizzlies accomplished the lead by scoring 100 and defeated the Raptors by a mere two points.
Players' stats
Memphis Grizzlies (22-23)
Rudy g*y scored a team-high 21 points on an 8-for-20 shooting from the field.
Zack Randolph clinched an awesome double-double as he shot 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds going 8-for-24 from the field.
Marc Gasol also had a commendable play, as the centre went for 17 points and totalled eight rebounds for the winning team. The Grizzlies grabbed nine team rebounds.
Toronto Raptors (13-32)
Andrea Bargnani scored a whopping game-high 29 points in the loss. DeMarcus DeRozan added 25 and as for Jared Bayless, the player contributed a double-double.
The guard posted 15 points along with 11 assists on a 5-for-10 shooting from the court. The losing team combined to have 11 team rebounds.
Highlights from the game
First quarter
After starting the game with a turnover, the Raptors initiated a game that was feeble for them. Although they started with a jumper coming from DeRozan, the Grizzlies dominated later on.
Randolph asserted a layup shot that was assisted by Gasol to clinch a tie between the titans at the very beginning, 2-all. Toronto clinched the next shot to take the lead over the winning team. The Raptors were fouled a couple of times during the first quarter
but they went 25-24 into the second one.
Second quarter
Both teams kept running close until a three pointer clinched by O. J. Mayo gave the Grizzlies an edge. A number of free throws that came their way also made them dominate. Toronto was not feasible enough to let them pass and whenever Memphis led, they followed.
This cat and mouse chase kept going on with a tremendous performance by both rivals in the second quarter, to close on 51-49 at halftime.
Third quarter
The game was tied at 51-all at the very start of the second half. g*y posted a jumper to go over the losing team, 53-51.
Bargnani slam dunked on the floor to respond and the match was tied once again at 55-all with a pull-up by Mike Conley for the winner.
The game was tied six times during the third quarter, but the Grizzlies sealed the third one with a whopping 80-74 lead.
Fourth quarter
The winners never let go of the lead and at 9:19 they produced a 10-point deficit for the losing team. Gasol's shooting foul helped the opponent team to come a little closer with the free throws provided but that didn’t help much.
Toronto did close in after that, slithering and then jumping on the rivals heads literally, 90-91. (Raptors) Bayless' driving layup set up a tie and it was g*y's fade-away jumper that blessed the Raptors with another win, 100-98.
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