11/27/17 – I Don’t Like It One Bit

ABOUT LAST NIGHT

There were only three games on yesterday, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have much to talk about.

The Grizzlies lost their eighth straight game, falling to the Brooklyn Nets, 98-88. DeMarre Carroll led the Nets with 24 points and 6 rebounds, while Trevor Booker came off the bench for 16 & 11. Not only did the Grizzlies lose the game, continuing their slide from perennial playoff participants to the NBA abyss, they also managed to piss off their best player.

With the Grizzlies chipping away at their deficit in the fourth quarter, Marc Gasol remained on the bench. Coach David Fizdale elected to keep the bench unit in the game that had made progress closing the gap, explaining, “Sometimes when you take a risk, you may [upset] a player or two. That’s part of this position. I can own the decision and I have my reasons why. Winning is my only priority.”

“You take it personally,” said Gasol, who ended the night with 18 points and 5 rebounds, on yucky 6-17 shooting in 27:50 of action, less than the 34.3 minutes per game that he’s used to.

“It’s a first for me, trust me,” Gasol added about not playing down the stretch, “and I don’t like it one bit…If I’m not on the floor, then I’m not valued. I’m sure [the coaching staff] knew that would hurt me the most.”

Oh dear.

With Mike Conley out and the Grizzlies familiar pile of injuries starting to mount once again, Memphis has struggled. The eight game losing streak now puts them at 7-12 on the season, which has them all the way down in 12th in the West, ahead of only the likes of the Suns, Kings and Mavs. Gasol has popped up in trade rumors before, mentioned as someone who might become available if/when the Grizzlies finally fell off the cliff. It’s important to note that Gasol and the Grizzlies have always had a good relationship, and he went to high school in Memphis and has always had a great connection with the team, city and fans. However, he also seems to be getting frustrated to a point that we’ve never seen him before. It could become a situation worth monitoring if the losses continue to pile up.

The Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls got off to a horrendous start yesterday. At the end of the first quarter, the scoreboard read Chicago 13, Miami 7. Luckily, both teams were able to get their acts together, and the Heat shook off the lousy start to earn the win by a respectable score of 100-93. Goran Dragic led Miami with 24 points on 7-11 shooting. Every player that appeared off the bench for the Heat (Tyler Johnson, Wayne Ellington, James Johnson and Kelly Olynyk) scored in double figures, to offset a mostly lackluster showing from the starters. Jerian Grant scored 24 off the bench to lead the Bulls.

In our Game of the Night, the Timberwolves got a little revenge against the Suns, who defeated them earlier this season, with a 119-108 victory. Tyus Jones, filling in for the injured Jeff Teague, made his first career start, contributing 9 points, 7 assists and 7 steals. Karl-Anthony Towns provided a lot of the heavy lifting, racking up 32 points and 12 rebounds, with Jimmy Butler adding 25 points and 5 assists, and Andrew Wiggins chipping in with 21 points and 5 rebounds. Taj Gibson rounded out a balanced effort from the starters with 16 points and 14 boards on 8-12 shooting. Mike James came off the Suns bench for 26 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists in the losing effort.

THE NIGHT AHEAD

Game of the Night – Detroit Pistons at Boston Celtics (7:30 pm, League Pass)

Out of all of the teams that started off the season as a “pleasant surprise”, perhaps the Pistons have been the best at maintaining it, and despite losing three of their last five games, they’re still in second place in the Eastern Conference. Tonight, they take on the best team in the league, the Boston Celtics. I have to say, the NBA is a better place when both of these old rivals are doing well, and tonight’s game in Boston could have a fun atmosphere as memories of the old battles between the Original Big Three and the Bad Boy Pistons seep into the proceedings. Back in 2008, the Celtics latter day Big Three used games against the Pistons as benchmarks to see how far they’ve really come, and it led to some close and tense battles, including a hard fought Eastern Conference Finals. Furthermore, it’ll be Avery Bradley’s first game against the Celtics, having spent his first seven seasons in green.

Tonight will also mark the welcome return of Tony Parker to the Spurs lineup. Parker hasn’t been seen since he ruptured his left quad tendon in the Western Conference Semifinals. Despite missing Parker all season long, and still missing Kawhi Leonard, who also hasn’t played yet, the Spurs are third in the Western Conference at 12-7. Parker will no doubt be a stabilizing force and a calming presence as he returns to the lineup. If you’d like to welcome him back, the Spurs host the Mavericks tonight at 8:30 pm on NBA TV.