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During the run, they have outscored their opponents by a
combined 187-112 the first quarter and they have finished with
at least 120 points in each game.
Memphis has won eight of nine games going into a road matchup
against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. The Grizzlies
scored 30 or more points in the first quarter in each of those
nine games.
"We're on a mission and we are trying to do special things,"
said Desmond Bane, who scored 25 points in Memphis' 125-118 win
at Charlotte on Saturday. "We've been in a lot of close games
this year, and I feel like that is the difference between our
team this year and last year. We have been able to win those
close games down the stretch."
The Grizzlies led the Hornets by as many as 35 points before
seeing the lead shrink to four points late in the fourth
quarter.
"I was really proud of the guys. They stayed poised, they stayed
calm and they stayed together throughout (the comeback),"
Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. "You knew (the Hornets) were
going to go on a run, and you just have to withstand it."
Charlotte missed 15 of its first 16 shots and the Grizzlies
raced to a 23-4 lead on their way to winning a second
consecutive game without trailing.
New Orleans also had a fast start and offensive outburst in its
latest game, dominating the Toronto Raptors from start to finish
in a 120-90 home victory on Monday night.
The Pelicans took a 15-4 lead, led by 12 points at the end of
the first quarter, by 16 at halftime and scored the first nine
points of the third quarter on the way to their largest margin
of victory this season. They never trailed and led by as many as
34 points.
New Orleans had a season-high 36 assists on 45 field goals, shot
a season-high 58.4 percent from the floor and tied a season high
with 16 3-pointers (on 35 attempts, 45.7 percent).
"Any time that you can go out and win a game against a playoff
team like Toronto, that's well-coached, that before now had won
(eight of nine games), it's just impressive," Pelicans coach
Willie Green said. "The way we started our defense, moving the
basketball, trusting each other. All the things we've been
working on and talking about the last day and a half."
CJ McCollum led six New Orleans scorers in double figures with
23 points. The team's leading scorer on the season, Brandon
Ingram, had just 10 points, but he added 11 rebounds and eight
assists even though he sat out the entire fourth quarter.
"He's sensational, he has the total package," McCollum, who
joined the Pelicans in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers
last week, said of Ingram. "I look forward to playing alongside
him for a long time."
The Pelicans defeated the Grizzlies 112-101 on Nov. 13 in New
Orleans. The Southwest Division rivals will meet twice in
Memphis after the All-Star break (March 8 and April 9).
--Field Level Media
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