Zach Randolph sparks Grizzlies to 89-70 win over the Dallas Mavericks
Dirk Nowitzki returned to the court on Saturday night against the Memphis Grizzlies, after missing nine games on the trot with a knee injury. However, the prolific sharp-shooter sprung to the locker-room as swiftly as he came
out. He was shown the exit in the third quarter for receiving back-to-back technical fouls, as the Grizzlies cruised to an 89-70 win.
Zach Randolph once again stole the show for the Grizzlies. One of the NBA’s elite post scorers and rebounders, Randolph set the FedEx Forum alight with 23 points and 20 rebounds to spearhead the home team. Rudy g*y chipped
in with 16 points and six boards while Darrell Arthur came off the bench to post 17 points, as the Grizzlies held Dallas to their lowest total of the season.
Nowitzki came into the match looking to resurrect the Mavericks season, which took a downward plunge during his absence. The Mavs had lost seven out of their last nine matches, and four in row before Saturday night’s showdown.
However, the energy, hustle and red hot conversion rate - which is so often associated with the lanky forward - was nowhere to be seen on the night. Nowitzki played just under 15 minutes, scoring seven points on 2-of-7 shooting, before his frustration got
the better of him.
A disappointed Nowtizki said after the match, "I've never missed three weeks in my career. Actually, lung-wise, I was fine. I was running. I just really couldn't move much. My lungs were actually decent. I wasn't too gassed.
I wasn't too tired. We've just got to get that knee closer to 100 percent.”
Ian Mahinmi led the Dallas attack with 17 points off the bench, while Shawn Marion was the only other Dallas player to get into double figures, snatching 11 points.
The Grizzlies stormed into the match with all guns blazing. After trailing for the first one and a half minutes, they took control by reeling off a 22-7 run, which sparked them to a 15-point lead with four minutes remaining
in the quarter. They did not surrender their advantage after that.
While the Grizzlies were turning on the heat at one end, the Mavs were uncharacteristically having a cold shooting night. The persistent Memphis offence took full advantage of the situation and raced to 31-19 lead at the end
of the first 12 minutes.
The shooting woes continued for the Mavs going into the second quarter, and soon the Grizzlies followed suit. The teams combined for a total of 32 points in the second quarter, 12 of which came in the form of free throws, as
they headed into the locker-room with the score poised at 46-36.
The match continued at its slow reeling pace in the third quarter. With eight minutes to go and Memphis leading by 53-41, Nowitzki finally provided some fireworks. However, the burst had nothing to do with his offensive prowess
rather it was his normally subdued emotions that exploded, leading to his exit.
His departure completely put the struggling Mavs out of synch, and the Grizzlies rattled a 12-3 spurt to effectively run away with the game. The Dallas offence managed only 12 points in the penultimate quarter; setting
another season-low. The teams headed for the final stanza with the score at 67-48. The game however, was already in Grizzlies’ grasp, as they breezed to an 89-70 win.
The Mavs also had another season-low on the night, finishing at only 32 percent from the field, and 6 of 31 from outside the arc. Nowitzki however, was of the view that the worst is already behind the Mavs.
"We've pretty much hit rock bottom. It can't get any lower," Nowitzki said after the match. "We've got to scratch our way out of it."
On the contrary, the win helped improve the Grizzlies record against opponents with a 0.500 or above average to 12-12, who are now fast becoming a force to reckon with at home. Memphis have won 10 of their last 12 games at home,
and are 8-3 at home against Western Conference sides.
Tags: