Memphis Grizzlies ensure Merry Christmas with victory over Warriors

[La Bomba]

Zach Randolph ran down a Mike Conley miss and fired the basketball back to his cutting point guard.

 

Conley, from the middle of the lane and without hesitation, delivered a touch pass to Marc Gasol, who scored on a layup off the glass.

 

It was one of many merry sequences for the Grizzlies during their 121-108 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night in FedExForum.

 

And that display of cohesion just about sums up the way the Griz are playing these days.

 

Randolph seems to gobble up every rebound in sight, and the Griz are harmonious with their execution.

 

Deck the halls with boughs of holly, and three straight home victories for those counting at home.

 

“Everyone is happy going into the holidays,” Griz guard O.J. Mayo said. “We’ve just got to stay focused and continue playing hard.”

 

Randolph led the Griz with a season-high 33 points and 18 rebounds. Mayo and Marc Gasol added 22 points apiece as an announced crowd of 12,827 watched the Griz improve to 5-0 in FedExForum against teams with a losing record.

 

The Warriors, losers of six straight, started out hot by making their first 10 shots of the game. But the small-ball club couldn’t handle the Grizzlies’ size and defense that got better as the game wore on.

 

“We executed better, we transitioned a lot better and they got into foul trouble, which took away some of their continuity,” Griz coach Lionel Hollins said. “We pounded on the boards by getting offensive rebounds and going inside.”

 

Hollins also stayed with a bigger lineup for longer stretches in the second half. The Warriors continued to operate with a smaller group and were overwhelmed as the Griz maintained a double-digit advantage was for most of the third period.

 

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/dec/22/randolph-leads-memphis-grizzlies-over-warriors-121/