Memphis got off to a hot start and never looked back in their eventual 110-97 beatdown of Indiana. The Grizzlies quickly jumped to a 24-7 start in the first quarter and were able to maintain a 14-point lead at the end of the first quarter. They added five more to that at the halftime break and at one point had the lead by 25 points in the second half. The win keeps Memphis steady at the seventh seed in the West with a 41-34 record. For the Pacers, their now 37-38 record puts them in a tie for seventh with the Miami Heat.
Pacers continue to struggle down the stretch
Indiana has now lost 16 of their last 24 games, and that includes a wild stretch of nearly a whole month that included alternating wins and losses. As of late, they've lost four of their last five games. Its been a tough descent, but they still find themselves grasping a playoff spot. The Pacers' offense must improve should they want to be any sort of a factor in April, however.
Paul George (22.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg) led the team on 8-of-17 shooting, including hitting 3-of-6 from downtown. He's scored an average of 28.8 points in his last five games. While the team did hit 10-of-25 3-pointers on the night, it wasn't enough to keep up with their opponent.
Grizzlies put tough road trip behind them
Despite not having Marc Gasol or JaMychal Green, Memphis was able to look past their dismal road trip and get a much-needed victory at home. Point guard Mike Conley (20.4 ppg, 6.3 apg) blew up with 36 points and had a positive passing ratio of six assists to one turnover. Most of his offense was generated from the backcourt, converting an astonishing 7-of-12 3-point attempts.
Other notables include making all three free throw attempts and grabbing four steals.
Complementing Conley's great play was shooting guard Vince Carter (8.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg), who also was hot from downtown. He hit 4-of-6 3-point attempts and made all seven free throw attempts to finish with 21 points and 8 rebounds.
Up next for the Grizzlies is a home game against Dallas on Friday night. The Pacers continue their tough road trip to Toronto and Cleveland this weekend.