George Gervin's Afro
04-06-2011, 08:31 AM
Geoff Calkins: Not all a loss in Memphis Grizzlies' wacky playoff chase
By Geoff Calkins
Memphis Commercial Appeal
Fifteen minutes after their game was done, the Grizzlies players sat in their locker room, eyes fixed on the big screen TV.
The Sacramento Kings were putting the finishing touches on the Houston Rockets.
“Does that take some of the sting out of your game?” I asked Marc Gasol.
Zach Randolph didn’t wait for Gasol to answer.
“Hell, yes,” he said. “It sure does.”
So the Grizzlies lost to the Clippers 82-81 Tuesday night but they drew closer to clinching a spot in the playoffs anyway. Such is life in this strange, cluttered and oddly mesmerizing Western Conference playoff race.
Before we get to the events of the evening, how about taking a moment to appreciate the chase, to revel in the nightly intrigue these Grizzlies have given us?
I happened to spend the weekend at an Idlewild Presbyterian Church camp in middle Tennessee, tucked deep in a valley, where there’s no cell reception whatsoever and, as a result of that, no NBA scores.
Most years, this is not an issue. This year, it absolutely was.
“Do you know if the Grizzlies won?”
“Have you heard a Grizzlies score?”
“Anyone know what happened in the Grizzlies-Hornets game?”
Finally, someone got in a car and drove to a nearby rise, returning with the joyous report.
“There’s definitely a buzz,” said John Pugliese, senior director of marketing communications for the Grizzlies. “It feels a little bit like ’03-04.”
That year, the Grizzlies clinched their playoff spot well before the season ended. This year, there’s all kinds of suspense. Not only do we not know if the Grizzlies will make the playoffs — although it would take a massive collapse to miss out at this point — we don’t have the slightest idea where they’ll finish or who they’ll play if they do.
They could still finish sixth, seventh or eighth. Which means they could play the teams that finish third, second or first. But which teams will those be? And in what order? Nobody has the slightest idea.
Let’s say you’re a Griz fan who wants to draw anyone but the Lakers. What do you root for on a given night? Do you root for the Grizzlies to win and move from the eighth spot to the seventh spot? Even if that means drawing the second-seeded Lakers instead of the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs?
But what if the Lakers overtake the Spurs for the top seed? Wouldn’t that mean you really would rather be seventh than eighth? Or maybe you’re still hoping to finish sixth and draw third-seeded Dallas? Would that matchup be best?
“We just have to worry about ourselves,” said Tony Allen.
Which is true, of course. Especially after what happened Tuesday night. The Grizzlies have every right to complain about an officiating train wreck that effectively ended the game.
With the Grizzlies down by 1 with 5.7 seconds left, Eric Bledsoe barreled into Allen for a clear charge. That’s how everyone in the building saw it, including Tony Brothers, one of the officials. But Violet Palmer, another official, called it as a block.
So they called a jump ball at center court. The Clippers won the jump and the game. But nobody in the Grizzlies locker room was confused as to why they lost this one.
“It was our fault,” said Randolph. “We gave it away.”
The Grizzlies shot a Butleresque 39.5 percent from the field. O.J. Mayo and Darrell Arthur combined to go 1 for 16. Grizzlies were outrebounded in the second half, 28-20.
“It was a dogfight,” said Lionel Hollins.
With the clear emphasis on dog.
The good news is that the rest of the night really did seem to work out OK, especially if you’re one of those who figures the Lakers would be the worst first-round draw. Houston’s loss to Sacramento means the Grizzlies can still clinch a playoff spot by winning their next two home games. They could clinch as early as Friday against Sacramento, if Houston loses to New Orleans tonight.
Beyond all that, the Lakers lost to Utah and the Spurs defeated Atlanta, making it unlikely that the Lakers will catch the Spurs for the top seed. So unless the Grizzlies can catch Portland for the sixth spot — and Portland also lost Tuesday — the Grizzlies really might be best served by not moving up past the eighth spot. You following all this?
The glory is in pursuit, in the exquisite feeling that comes from being a part of it all. No, the Grizzlies didn’t win Tuesday. But the loss mattered. How great is that? In this year, in this city, they all matter now.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/apr/06/geoff-calkins-not-all-loss-wacky-playoff-chase/
The chatter is starting now..
The elephant in the room....
By Geoff Calkins
Memphis Commercial Appeal
Fifteen minutes after their game was done, the Grizzlies players sat in their locker room, eyes fixed on the big screen TV.
The Sacramento Kings were putting the finishing touches on the Houston Rockets.
“Does that take some of the sting out of your game?” I asked Marc Gasol.
Zach Randolph didn’t wait for Gasol to answer.
“Hell, yes,” he said. “It sure does.”
So the Grizzlies lost to the Clippers 82-81 Tuesday night but they drew closer to clinching a spot in the playoffs anyway. Such is life in this strange, cluttered and oddly mesmerizing Western Conference playoff race.
Before we get to the events of the evening, how about taking a moment to appreciate the chase, to revel in the nightly intrigue these Grizzlies have given us?
I happened to spend the weekend at an Idlewild Presbyterian Church camp in middle Tennessee, tucked deep in a valley, where there’s no cell reception whatsoever and, as a result of that, no NBA scores.
Most years, this is not an issue. This year, it absolutely was.
“Do you know if the Grizzlies won?”
“Have you heard a Grizzlies score?”
“Anyone know what happened in the Grizzlies-Hornets game?”
Finally, someone got in a car and drove to a nearby rise, returning with the joyous report.
“There’s definitely a buzz,” said John Pugliese, senior director of marketing communications for the Grizzlies. “It feels a little bit like ’03-04.”
That year, the Grizzlies clinched their playoff spot well before the season ended. This year, there’s all kinds of suspense. Not only do we not know if the Grizzlies will make the playoffs — although it would take a massive collapse to miss out at this point — we don’t have the slightest idea where they’ll finish or who they’ll play if they do.
They could still finish sixth, seventh or eighth. Which means they could play the teams that finish third, second or first. But which teams will those be? And in what order? Nobody has the slightest idea.
Let’s say you’re a Griz fan who wants to draw anyone but the Lakers. What do you root for on a given night? Do you root for the Grizzlies to win and move from the eighth spot to the seventh spot? Even if that means drawing the second-seeded Lakers instead of the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs?
But what if the Lakers overtake the Spurs for the top seed? Wouldn’t that mean you really would rather be seventh than eighth? Or maybe you’re still hoping to finish sixth and draw third-seeded Dallas? Would that matchup be best?
“We just have to worry about ourselves,” said Tony Allen.
Which is true, of course. Especially after what happened Tuesday night. The Grizzlies have every right to complain about an officiating train wreck that effectively ended the game.
With the Grizzlies down by 1 with 5.7 seconds left, Eric Bledsoe barreled into Allen for a clear charge. That’s how everyone in the building saw it, including Tony Brothers, one of the officials. But Violet Palmer, another official, called it as a block.
So they called a jump ball at center court. The Clippers won the jump and the game. But nobody in the Grizzlies locker room was confused as to why they lost this one.
“It was our fault,” said Randolph. “We gave it away.”
The Grizzlies shot a Butleresque 39.5 percent from the field. O.J. Mayo and Darrell Arthur combined to go 1 for 16. Grizzlies were outrebounded in the second half, 28-20.
“It was a dogfight,” said Lionel Hollins.
With the clear emphasis on dog.
The good news is that the rest of the night really did seem to work out OK, especially if you’re one of those who figures the Lakers would be the worst first-round draw. Houston’s loss to Sacramento means the Grizzlies can still clinch a playoff spot by winning their next two home games. They could clinch as early as Friday against Sacramento, if Houston loses to New Orleans tonight.
Beyond all that, the Lakers lost to Utah and the Spurs defeated Atlanta, making it unlikely that the Lakers will catch the Spurs for the top seed. So unless the Grizzlies can catch Portland for the sixth spot — and Portland also lost Tuesday — the Grizzlies really might be best served by not moving up past the eighth spot. You following all this?
The glory is in pursuit, in the exquisite feeling that comes from being a part of it all. No, the Grizzlies didn’t win Tuesday. But the loss mattered. How great is that? In this year, in this city, they all matter now.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/apr/06/geoff-calkins-not-all-loss-wacky-playoff-chase/
The chatter is starting now..
The elephant in the room....