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 Center Marc Gasol scored 18 points and the Memphis Grizzlies
defense dominated down the stretch in an 85-77 victory over the
Chicago Bulls on Friday night at the United Center.
After forward Taj Gibson hit a jumper to make it 77-75, the Bulls
managed just two more points over the final 5:54, hitting one of
nine shots from the field.
"That's what we do, we bring grind," Memphis forward Zach Randolph
said. "I think we do play similar. We're a defensive-minded team.
We've got great bigs. I think us and the Bulls match up real well."
Guard Mike Miller added 14 points for the Grizzlies (35-26), while
guard Mike Conley and center Kosta Koufos scored 12 each. Memphis
won the second-chance points 16-4 and posted a 14-7 rebounding
advantage in the fourth quarter.
"This was a good team win," Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger said. "Both
teams are similar — smash-mouth basketball. Both teams will be sore
tomorrow."
Gibson led Chicago (34-28) with 18 points. Center Joakim Noah
finished with 15 and guard D.J. Augustin scored 14.
"Like (coach Tom Thibodeau) said before the game on the blackboard,
it comes down to who's going to blink first," Gibson said. "It's all
about who can take the most swings. It's a dogfight. Who's going to
blink? Unfortunately, we blinked first, it seemed like."
This game figured to be low-scoring and it met expectations. At the
start of the night, Chicago ranked last in the NBA in points per
game, while Memphis was 25th.
Sluggish doesn't begin to describe the first quarter, which ended
with the Grizzlies leading 15-12. The Bulls shot 21.7 percent (5 for
23) and collected a single assist in the opening quarter. Memphis
wasn't much better, shooting 33 percent.
In comparison, the second quarter was an offensive explosion.
Chicago scored 27 points, which all came from three players.
Augustin scored 12, Gibson eight and Noah seven in the second
quarter.
The Bulls led 61-54 with 3:40 left in the third quarter after a Noah
jumper. Memphis turned it around, though, taking a 65-63 edge into
the fourth quarter. Then when Miller opened the final quarter with
his fourth 3-pointer of the night and Conley added a lay-in, the
Grizzlies completed a 16-2 run and took a seven-point lead.
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"In the second half, we did a much better job of getting back and
pressuring them," Gasol said. "We kept the pressure when they swung
the ball to the weak side. Everybody moved."
Chicago got within two points a couple of times, before Memphis
built the lead back to 81-75 on a fast-break lay-in by Koufos.
Gibson hit a jumper to bring the Bulls within 81-77 with 3:16 left.
On the other end, the Grizzlies took time off the clock by grabbing
a couple of offensive rebounds. Then after Augustin air-balled a
long jumper, Conley was fouled on the fast break and his free throws
made it 83-77 with 2:14 remaining.
"We didn't play well in the second half," Chicago coach Tom
Thibodeau said. "In this league, you usually get what you deserve.
Missed shots are part of it. You can deal with that, but your
defense and your rebounding, you have to be able to count on."
The Bulls started the night with 10 wins in their previous 12 games
and during that span, eight different players scored at least 19
points.
Memphis, chasing Dallas and Phoenix for the final playoff spot in
the Western Conference, improved to 20-7 since Jan. 10.
This was the first date in a six-game homestand for the Bulls. Four
of the next five opponents had one of the five best records in the
NBA as of Friday morning.
NOTES: Memphis F Zach Randolph returned to the lineup on Friday
night after sitting out Wednesday's game in Brooklyn with flu-like
symptoms. "It was something bad he ate and he felt awful. Part of
the long road," Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger said. ... Chicago C
Joakim Noah injured his right thumb during Wednesday night's victory
at Detroit but was in the starting lineup against Memphis with the
thumb taped. Coach Tom Thibodeau called it a sprain. "I got an MRI.
I'm good," Noah said at Friday's shootaround. ... Noah refused to
comment on a report he told New York's Carmelo Anthony during
all-star weekend that joining the Bulls would give him a chance to
win a championship. "I don't feel like addressing it," Noah said. "I
really have nothing to say about it. A lot of gossip." ... Chicago
wore a patch on its uniforms bearing the initials DJR to honor David
Reinsdorf, who passed away this week at age 51. David is the son of
Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf.
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