Zach Randolph leads Memphis Grizzlies to 93-81 win over New Orleans Hornets
Zach Randolph scored a game-high 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, as the Memphis Grizzlies beat the New Orleans Hornets 93-81 at New Orleans Arena on Friday night. The result meant that the Grizzlies extended their winning streak to three games.
The Grizzlies are now tied for seventh place with the Hornets in the Western Conference standings. Memphis' current run of good form will definitely enhance their chances of getting to the playoffs.
New Orleans coach Monty William praised the brilliant performance of Randolph on the night. He said, "He was amazing. He was the point guard on the floor tonight who pretty much dominated the game.”
Guard Tony Allen had 17 points while centre Marc Gasol contributed 13 points and 10 rebounds in the victory. O.J. Mayo came off the bench with 13 points and Mike Conley added 10 points for the Grizzlies, who had won seven of their last 10 games before this
encounter.
Forward Carl Landry provided 19 points and two rebounds, while Trevor Ariza chipped in with 12 points for the Hornets, who have lost six of their last 10 games. Marco Belinelli posted 14 points while Chris Paul grabbed a game-high 13 assists in the defeat.
Memphis coach Lionel Hollins was pleased with his side's performance ahead of the playoffs. Hollins said that it was a great achievement to defeat one of the best teams of the National Basketball Association (NBA) at this point in the season.
He said, "It is not the first time we have beat a higher seed. We have beat Boston and we beat San Antonio. I think we are playing extremely well and I am thankful that we are at this point."
Match Analysis
The Hornets played sloppy basketball as they scored a season-low 12 points in the opening quarter. They also missed 15 of their 20 shots at the start of the quarter. The Grizzlies on the other hand, responded with easy baskets, taking a 23-12 lead into the
second.
The 25-year-old Chris Paul said that his side tried to put together a strong run but were unable to pull it off. He said, "We got down very quickly and just didn't have an answer. We made a run here and there, but couldn't put a good run together."
Memphis held New Orleans to 35.6 percent shooting during the first two quarters, as the Grizzlies led 51-38 at the break. The front line of the Grizzlies was no doubt much better than the Hornets as they scored 30 of 51 points in the paint during the first
half.
The Hornets tried hard to cut their half time deficit but Memphis came out more aggressively in the third quarter and carried a 71-61 advantage into the final stanza. Trailing by ten points after three quarters, New Orleans never got closer than nine the
rest of the way as the Grizzlies sealed the win.
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