Larry Kuzniewski
Vince Carter (pictured against Boston) had 15 points off the bench against Houston.
The Grizzlies have now beaten every team ahead of them in the standings (except for the San Antonio Spurs, but they don’t play for the first time until February). Last night, lifted to victory by defensive execution and a 55-point scoring outburst from their reserves, they beat the James Harden-led Rockets, in a showdown of the league’s 4th-best offense and the league’s best defense.
As ever, defense won; Harden’s whole game is predicated on getting to the foul line, and against the Grizzlies last night he only attempted three free throws. His talents have really been maximized by Houston’s new head coach Mike D’Antoni, but last night his 17 assists were paired with 9 turnovers. It was a huge effort from the whole team, and a great win for the Grizzlies, who now get to sit at home over Christmas weekend savoring it. In honor of the win, and since I can’t stop myself from doing this, here are six haiku, one for each point in the Grizzlies’ margin of victory.
Game Notes Haiku
James Harden’s hygiene
That beard has to store up sweat
Like a camel’s hump
Fifty-five bench points
They were all starters last week
Maybe they should be?
Vince, the ageless one
Half man, half amazing, yes:
Now half monument.
Shot fifty-two threes
Raining down in round orange drops
Thirty-two were bricks.
Harden to the line?
Hard to rip-through against this,
A phalanx of bears
The league’s best defense
And the twenty-eighth offense
Time’s a flat circle
