<div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"><font color="Red">Memphis Grizzlies </font> (50-28) @ <font color="Purple">L.A. Lakers </font> (53-25) </div> <div align="center">Time: 7:30 p.m. PT Location: Staples Center TV: NBALP, WPXX</div> Season Series: Grizzlies 2, Lakers 1 11/10/03 Grizzlies 105 Lakers 95 11/23/03 Lakers 121 Grizzlies 89 1/21/04 Grizzlies 88 Lakers 82 Previous Games: Cavaliers @ Grizzlies 92-74 W Trailblazers @ Lakers 91-80 L Last 10 Games: Grizzlies 8-2 (Won 1) Lakers 8-2 (Lost 2) Head Coaches: Hubie Brown/Phil Jackson Probable Starters: Jason Williams/Gary Payton Mike Miller/Kobe Bryant James Posey/Rick Fox Stromile Swift/Karl Malone Jake Tsakalidis/Shaquille O'Neal Sixth Men Shane Battier/Devean George Injury Report Grizzlies Pau Gasol Bonzi Wells Lakers Kareem Rush Jamal Sampson Horace Grant <div align="center">Players To Watch </div> <div align="center">James Posey & Kobe Bryant</div> <div align="center">Posey: 30 mpg, 13.7 ppg, 5.00 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.64 spg Bryant: 37.1 mpg, 23.5 ppg, 5.50 rpg, 5.0 apg, 1.69 spg</div> Keys To The Game <u>Grizzlies</u> In order for the Grizzlies to keep their playoff homecourt advantage hopes alive, they'll have to do the following: The Grizzlies have to be able to keep Kobe Bryant down on defense with James Posey, yet keep James Posey free. Since Bryant is their greatest offensive and defensive threat, and Posey is our greatest offensive and defensive threat with no Gasol, we'll have to look to switch up the match-up from Posey/Bryant on defense to Miller/Bryant on offense. Basically, we want our stronger defensive players, such as Posey and Battier, to take Bryant on defense. And we want our weaker offensive players to take him on offense, such as Miller and T.Smith. Although, saying keeping Bryant down and doing it are different. The Grizzlies might have to play the frontcourt of Tsakalidis and Wright. Having Swift against Malone is an unfair missmatch. Not only is Malone a better rebounder and scorer, but he is also thirty pounds heavier than Swift. Lorenzen Wright and Malone have similar body types, so that would be a good matchup. Memphis also needs to get more fastbreak points than Los Angeles. Statistics show that Memphis wins that majority of their games when they get more fastbreak points than the other team. For example, the Grizzlies blew Cleveland out of the gym the other day and outscored them by a large margin in fastbreak points. However, against the Jazz the other night, the Grizzlies lost the battle in fastbreak points and also lost the game. <u>Lakers</u> If the Lakers want to get out of their losing streak, they'll have to do the following keys: The Lakers don't have to do too much. The Grizzlies are a deep team, but without Gasol and Wells, they're as good as dead. They can pound it inside to Malone who will be missmatched with Swift, or they could feed it to Shaq who will be guarded by the statue, Jake Tsakalidis. The Grizzlies have surprised me before, but this one just seems too far away. <font color="Blue">Wave's Prediction</font> Hubie Brown stated that he's not going to play Gasol or Wells until they are 100%. I think that to beat Los Angeles, you'd need those two players. They are two of our five best players. It'd be similar to Los Angeles losing O'Neal and Malone. No Pau + No Bonzi = No win over Lakers. Lakers by 4.
I probably would have picked the Lakers in a close one if both teams were fully fit, losing Gasol and Wells should result in a LA victory. However you never know with the Grzz, what a sensational season they are having and I would love to see them get over the top here. Lakers by seven.
Wave you need to fix your PF pictures. Great preview, I also think the absence of Gasol and Wells should close to guarantee a Laker win. It's going to depend on the Laker's energy in this game and not to get frustrated if they get in early foul trouble. Wells is a big loss for them, because he has always given Kobe a hard time on both ends of the court. His physical play has been, too much for Kobe to handle on the defensive end. The loss by the Kings last night has opened the door again for the Lakers to win the Pacific division. A win tonight puts them a half game closer and they can solidify the division lead if they win on Sunday. The Grizzlies have had the Lakers number this season and a 3-1 record would give the Grizzlies a lot of confidence if these two teams meet in the playoffs. This is a must win game for the Lakers, I expect them to come out strong and win every quarter. Lakers by 9
Lakers by 5. I can't see the Grizzlies winning this one, but I think they'll keep the game close throughout and not lose by too much.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting theclown1:</div><div class="quote_post">I thought the Grizzlies are playing Spurs and not Lakers?? or am I wrong here</div> The preview was made for the last game of the regular season, not the playoffs.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting theclown1:</div><div class="quote_post">I thought the Grizzlies are playing Spurs and not Lakers?? or am I wrong here</div> haha...I was thinking the same thing.
Come on kids, this was a game preview for the third or fourth game before the regular season ended. Lakers won.
