# Official Memphis vs. Portland Game Thread (12/7)



## GNG (Aug 17, 2002)

Sunday, December 7th, 2003 -- The Pyramid -- 4:00EST

<center> vs. 
(10-8) ....... | ....... (10-7)
Complete Standings

*Starting Lineups*
<IMG SRC="http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/lorenzen_wright.jpg" ALT="Lorenzen Wright"</IMG><IMG SRC="http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/pau_gasol.jpg" ALT="Pau Gasol"</IMG><IMG SRC="http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/james_posey.jpg" ALT="James Posey"</IMG><IMG SRC="http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/mike_miller.jpg" ALT="Mike Miller"</IMG><IMG SRC="http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/earl_watson.jpg" ALT="Earl Watson"</IMG> *vs.* <IMG SRC="http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/damon_stoudamire.jpg" ALT="Damon Stoudamire"</IMG><IMG SRC="http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/jeff_mcinnis.jpg" ALT="Jeff McInnis"</IMG><IMG SRC="http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/rasheed_wallace.jpg" ALT="Rasheed Wallace"</IMG><IMG SRC="http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/zach_randolph.jpg" ALT="Zach Randoph"</IMG><IMG SRC="http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/dale_davis.jpg" ALT="Dale Davis"</IMG>
Statistics.......Statistics.......Statistics........Statistics........Statistics.............Statistics......Statistics........Statistics.......Statistics.......Statistics

*Matchups to Watch*

Bonzi Wells and Wesley Person Square Off Against Their Former Teams


Pau Gasol (18.1ppg 8.4rpg 1.6bpg) and Zach Randolph (21.6ppg 10.7rpg 1.0spg) Battle At the PF Position
</center>









*Head Coach:*Hubie Brown
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*Report*
Those who wanted to see Bonzi Wells and Wesley go at it against their old teams didn't have to wait long. This is the second game for each player since being swapped last Wednesday. Wells has already made a comment to Portland combo guard Jeff McInnis that he will drop "fifty" on the Blazers today. While that seems to be an overexaggeration, Bonzi has made a habit of burying his old teams. The Ball State SG already put in an impressive performance against the Wizards, scoring 12 and adding 6 assists after receiving a standing ovation from the supportive Memphis crowd. Jason Williams is still sidelined with a strained back muscle, and Earl Watson will again take his place in the starting rotation. The Grizzlies, 4-3 at home, are riding a four-game win streak coming into the game.

*Keys to Victory*
The Grizzlies will attempt to limit Portland's enormous frontcourt while hoping one, two, or all of their impressive swingmen get hot from the field. Randolph usually overpowers our big men with relative ease. Might there be a Jake Tsakalidis sighting? Bonzi Wells usually comes to play against ex-employers, so hopefully we'll feed him the ball, but continue to run our patented balanced attack while our bench wears on Portland's questionable depth.









*Head Coach:*Maurice Cheeks
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*Report*
Wesley Person also turned in a successful debut at the Rose Garden, scoring all eight of his points in the 4th quarter in the Blazers' downing of the Knicks, 88-81. Person was also well-received by Portland fans and has already done some publicity work with the team. Third year forward Zach Randolph has historically given the Grizzlies trouble, scoring 20 and pulling down 16 in the Blazers 93-87 defeat of the Grizz on November 5th. Portland is carrying a three-game win streak of their own into the game, although they are winless on the road this season.

*Keys to Victory*
Dump it down low. Memphis has obvious problems stopping Randolph. Stick Ruben Patterson on Wells and hope for the best, because the SG spot is arguably the largest discrepency of talent in the matchups. The Blazers outrebound opponents this season by +5, while Memphis' rebounding is -5. The Blazers outrebounded Memphis 50-37 on November 5th.
<center>

Click HERE to See NBA.com's Preview for Tonight's Game!

*ROUND*







*TOWN*</center>


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## talula (Jul 9, 2003)

I want Bonzi to have a good game, but more importantly, I want a win.


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## GNG (Aug 17, 2002)

Well, 26-18 Portland at the end of the first quarter.

Gasol has 6 rebounds. Wells is 1-1 FG with 2 points.

Randolph has 8 points. Rasheed has 9. Portland is shooting 63%, compared to our 30%.


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## GNG (Aug 17, 2002)

Gasol's having a terrible game. He's 1-9 from the field for 2 points....:sigh:


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## conkeso (Sep 7, 2003)

Luckily 2 early fouls limited Randolph minutes in the 1st half, Memphis could have been losing by +20...


Pau bricking, Randolph hitting... :dead:


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## talula (Jul 9, 2003)

*Half* 
Portland 50
Memphis 43


*Blazers* 
Randolph 17 points
Randolph/Wallace 6 rebounds
Stoudamire 9 assists


*Grizzlies* 
Miller 14 points
Gasol 6 rebounds
Watson 10 assists


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## talula (Jul 9, 2003)

Two consecutive 3-point plays by Pau. 

Grizz lead 53 to 52.


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## conkeso (Sep 7, 2003)

Great start for Pau in the third, two 2+1, Randolph with 3 fouls D.Davis with 4.

Memphis 1 up


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## GNG (Aug 17, 2002)

75-70 Memphis. 

Bonzi hits a shot and gets high-fived by everyone on the bench, I'm being told by someone who is watching the game.

Stromile is having a great game off the bench.

9:00 to go.


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## talula (Jul 9, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>rawse</b>!
> Stromile is having a great game off the bench.


Stro's got 16 points!



Also note that Randolph has 5 fouls.


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## talula (Jul 9, 2003)

Blazers 72
Grizz 81


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## GNG (Aug 17, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>talula</b>!
> 
> Also note that Randolph has 5 fouls.


And the Blazers are completely falling apart without him.


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## GNG (Aug 17, 2002)

Earl Watson now has 14 assists. His previous career high was _9_. He was over that at halftime.


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## GNG (Aug 17, 2002)

Cheeks gets T'd up. I'm sure the Pyramid is going crazy.

Grizzlies by 11 with 1:29 remaining.


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## GNG (Aug 17, 2002)

Well, I guess Mo had seen enough. He just got his 2nd technical in 17 seconds, and he'll be watching the rest of the game from the locker room.

Can't wait to see highlights from this one.


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## talula (Jul 9, 2003)

*Final* 
Portland 79
Memphis 93


*Blazers* 
Randolph 29 points
Randolph 13 rebounds
Stoudamire 10 assists


*Grizzlies* 
Gasol/Miller 17 points
Gasol 12 rebounds
Watson 14 assists


Box Score


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## Dakota (Aug 18, 2002)

*Wow*

Wow, Grizzlies won 93-79. That is clearly a great win for the Grizz. They haven't beaten the Blazers in the regular season for a while, am I right?? It seems as though Earl Watson had a great game. Man, I wish I lived in Memphis so I could get all this action when it happens. I have to live with seeing it on Sportscenter.


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## bdachakeya (Jun 10, 2002)

Yeah man, we've beaten Portland in the regular season each season the Grizzlies have been here(Memphis).


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## GNG (Aug 17, 2002)

Tough call on who to name the Player of the Game.

I think my vote would go to Stromile, who was balling it up when we started to pull away. Tough to overlook Earl Watson's 14 assists though.


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## talula (Jul 9, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>rawse</b>!
> Tough call on who to name the Player of the Game.
> 
> I think my vote would go to Stromile, who was balling it up when we started to pull away. Tough to overlook Earl Watson's 14 assists though.


Pau also picked it up in the second half, scoring 15 of his 17 points and getting 7 of his 13 rebounds.

:whoknows:


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## tigerblue (Apr 22, 2003)

pau played really good,as well as stro.its good to see gasol play like he has nutts.


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