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Grizzlies 92, Wizards 89
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — For six and a half minutes in the fourth quarter, the Memphis Grizzlies failed to make a shot from the field. A 16-point third-quarter lead went away and the Washington Wizards took a two-point lead and the Grizzlies could not stop guard Bradley Beal, who finished with a career-high 37 points.
But beginning with a floater from rookie point guard Nick Calathes that pulled Memphis back into a tie with 5:30 to play, the Grizzlies outscored Washington 12-7 and hung on for a 92-89 victory as a 3-point attempt by guard John Wall rimmed out just before the buzzer Tuesday night at FedExForum.
Calathes and center Marc Gasol each scored 18 points for Memphis (28-23). Power forward Zach Randolph finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Shooting guard Courtney Lee and forward James Johnson also had 13 points apiece.
Washington (25-26) got 17 points from forward Nene and forward Trevor Ariza and center Marcin Gortat each scored 10 points.
The Grizzlies’ largest lead — 64-48 — came at the 8:28 mark in the third quarter after a running bank shot by Calathes. The Wizards trailed by nine at the start of the fourth quarter but opened the final frame on a 12-1 run to take an 82-80 with 5:46 to play; Beal scored eight of the 12 points.
The Wizards shot 47.1 percent from the floor (33-for-70) and the Grizzlies 45.9 percent (37-for-74). Memphis overcame 19 turnovers.
Ahead 24-23 at the end of the first quarter, Memphis stretched the lead to 52-39 at halftime. The Wizards got 19 first-half points from Beal on 8-for-10 shooting and he went 3-of-3 from beyond the arc.
But Memphis dominated inside through the first two quarters, outscoring Washington 28-10 in the paint and out-rebounding the Wizards 22-13.
The Grizzlies also got to the free-throw line more and made 12-of-13 (92.3 percent) while the Wizards went 3-for-6 (50 percent).
Memphis shot 52.6 percent for the half and Gasol, Randolph and Johnson had 10 points each at the break.
NOTES: The Grizzlies are 2-4 over the last five games without starting PG Mike Conley (right ankle sprain). For the season, they are 2-6 without Conley. “Take away a guy like Conley, it affects anybody,” Wizards coach Randy Wittman said. “(Nick) Calathes has done a good job, but Conley’s a different player.” … Washington won 10 of its last 16 games and with a victory move over .500 for the second time this season. … Wizards G John Wall scored a career-high 47 points in his last game against Memphis on March 25, 2013, in Washington. … Grizzlies SG Courtney Lee is one of two players in the 50-40-80 club this season, shooting 50-plus percent from the field, 40-plus percent from 3-point range and 80-plus percent from the free-throw line. The other player is Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant.
