So far this season, the Golden State Warriors have owned the Memphis Grizzlies.
But the Grizzlies (19-53) managed to avoid a season sweep by the Warriors (18-55) with a 105-99 win in front of over 14,000 fans at the Pyramid on Friday night.
The Grizzlies’ attack focused on five players scoring in double digits and three different Grizzlies notching up double-doubles for the evening.
Grizzlies forward Pau Gasol led all scorers with 26 points, and also pulled down 12 rebounds. Guard Jason Williams ended the evening with 22 points and a career-high and franchise record 19 assists. Center Lorenzen Wright scored 18 points, and pulled down a game-high 17 rebounds. Forward Shane Battier scored 15 points, and forward Stromile Swift scored 13 points to round out Memphis’ scoring.
Head Coach Sidney Lowe said the victory had nothing to do with a newly found will to win rather than making plays. “I think the will is there,” he said after the game. “This was just one of those times we were able to execute on that [will]. We were determined when we could have let this game get away from us.”
Memphis almost gave the game away in the final moments as Golden State erased a 16 point deficit. However, Wright hit a jump shot ten feet from the basket, Gasol followed with a hook shot from four feet out, and Williams sealed the win with two free-throws.
For Golden State, guard Bobby Sura scored 18 points, forward Antawn Jamison scored 16 points, guard Jason Richardson scored 14 points, guard Larry Hughes scored 13 points, in the loss. Also, forward Troy Murphy– starting in the place of suspended Danny Fortson– pulled down a team-high 12 rebounds.
The Grizzlies are in the final stretch of their inaugural Memphis season. The team returns to the Pyramid on Tuesday, April 2, against the Sacramento Kings at 7 p.m.
