<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">This isn't rocket science, Battier would often say during the team's roughest stretch when it lost 12-of-15 games. Basketball isn't anything like Battier's most difficult college course, either -- freshman calculus at Duke. That the Grizzlies seemingly are back on track comes down to one word: execution. They've made the necessary plays in the final five minutes to win games routinely lost two weeks ago. "Sometimes people want to make it bigger than it actually is, and the difference is we've made shots, made our free throws and have not turned the ball over as much," Battier said. "And we've gotten more stops on the defensive end. "It sounds simple but it's the difference between winning and losing in this league." Battier perfectly summed up the Griz of late. Over the past four games, their performance has belied a USA Today report that listed the Griz among the NBA's worst clutch teams. The Griz owned a 4-10 record as of Monday when the difference in the score was five points or fewer at the two-minute mark, according to the newspaper's statistical breakdown. But coach Mike Fratello & Co. have enjoyed better combined scoring (48-25), rebounding (27-17), blocks (6-1), free-throw attempts (29-9) and free-throw makes (22-7) in the final five minutes of their four-game winning streak. Even with the Griz shooting just 34 percent during that span, they've compensated with an ability to bury big 3-pointers and get key defensive stops. Opponents combined to convert just 25 percent of their shots in the final five minutes of those four games. While the Griz finished 6-of-14 from 3-point range in that late-game stretch, opponents misfired at a 0-for-10 clip. The Grizzlies' win against Toronto served as a microcosm of what's transpired. A Bobby Jackson 3-pointer gave the Griz a late lead and Jones eventually tossed in a shot from long range that proved to be the game-winner. Meanwhile, the Griz didn't allow the Raptors to score a field goal in the game's final three minutes. "It's all about confidence and this team has it," Jackson said. "We always knew we were giving ourselves a chance to win games. "As players, you have to know the right shot to take and when to take them. Right now, we're doing that. We've lost a lot of close games but the games decided at the free-throw line and on the offensive glass are the ones we need to get. We can't keep falling in the playoff race." The clutch performers have been Jones (15 points, 60-percent shooting) and Gasol (13 points, 50-percent shooting and eight rebounds). "If you play with confidence and you make the right plays you're going to win games," Gasol said. "It went the other way for so long that it was frustrating. Things would go the other team's way. "But we were able to bounce back. Winning the way we have the past four games keeps you on your toes. It lets you know that you're not superior. We do have to work and stayed focused every game to keep winning. We know that any team that has a chance to make the playoffs or is trying to get better positioning is going to be tough." Fratello especially takes pleasure in watching his team take care of the basketball. Four times this month the Griz have committed 10 or fewer turnovers. They committed just six (two in the fourth quarter) against Toronto. "If you don't have a critical turnover and you make big shots you wind up winning games that could easily slip away," Fratello said. "By not turning the ball over you give yourself a chance and that's critical. If you're going to turn the ball over 17 or 18 times a game, you're just giving away opportunities." After all, this isn't Duke calculus. "There's something to be said for the confidence that you gain from winning close games," Battier said. "My second year here when we started to turn things around, we had to prove to ourselves we could win in the fourth quarter. Obviously, this year's team will do the right things but sometimes you need to be reminded that you can." </div> Source
