The Memphis Grizzlies are off to a great start so far in the 2017-18 NBA season. They won three games in the first four matchups, and on Thursday night they hosted the Dallas Mavericks. It was the perfect opportunity for the Grizzlies to bounce back with a win, after losing to the Mavericks one night ago in Dallas. It was a sellout crowd at the FedExForum Arena in Memphis, with more than 15,000 fans in the stands.
Wire to wire victory for the home team
Memphis started off the game with a great and dominant effort in the first quarter. They scored 28 points in the first period, while holding the Mavericks to just 14 points.
Early in the second quarter, the Grizzlies held a 20-point lead at 40-20. They went on to score 26 points in the second period of the game and held a 54-35 lead at halftime. The Mavericks tried to get back in the game in the third quarter, as they outscored the Grizzlies 33-22 in the period. But, heading into the fourth quarter of the game, Memphis was still in front 76-68. It was a close game in the fourth quarter, as Dallas even regained the lead at 86-84 late in the period. But from that point on, the Grizzlies went on a 12-5 run and closed out the game. The final score was 96-91 for the home squad.
Marc Gasol was the leading scorer once again for the Grizzlies. He finished the game with 25 points, and also added 13 rebounds and three assists.
Mike Conley contributed with 22 points and four assists, while Tyreke Evans added 19 points and six rebounds for Memphis.
For the Mavericks, it was Harrison Barnes with 22 points and 11 rebounds who led the way. Wesley Matthews added 18 points for Dallas.
Bulls get their first win of the season
The Chicago Bulls hosted the Atlanta Hawks at United Center in Chicago, hoping to get their first win of the season.
The Hawks opened up the game with a 20-point first quarter, outscoring the Bulls 20-18 in the period. It was a low-scoring first half of this game, with Atlanta leading 39-37 at halftime. Chicago regained the lead in the third quarter, as they outscored the Hawks 28-20 in the period. They held a 65-59 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Even though the Hawks were in front 86-85 late in the game, the Bulls managed to come away with a narrow, 91-86 victory. It was their first win of the season so far.
Robin Lopez led the home team with 16 points and eight rebounds in this one. Lauri Markkanen added 14 points and 12 rebounds, while Justin Holiday finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulls.
Marco Belinelli was the leading scorer for the Hawks on Thursday night with 23 points. Kent Bazemore contributed with 16 points and five rebounds for Atlanta.
