Memphis Grizzlies vs. Atlanta Hawks: Postgame Grades and Analysis
The Atlanta Hawks hosted the Memphis Grizzlies Wednesday for a clash between two of the league's best teams, and the Hawks officially served notice on the NBA by grinding out a 96-86 win.
The Hawks had an 11-point lead entering the fourth quarter, but the Grizz mounted a comeback, and the game sat tied at 84 with three minutes remaining. That's when the Hawks mounted a stunning 10-0 run to dispatch the gritty Grizz.
The Hawks also grabbed everything that wasn't nailed down, pilfering 17 steals, which helps account for the 21 Grizzlies turnovers. The Grizz responded in kind with 10 steals.
It was actually "Tinder Night" at Philips Arena, but the dating app's sponsorship didn't leave either team feeling very amorous.
Here are game grades for all key players.
| Mike Conley | B |
| Courtney Lee | C- |
| Tony Allen | C |
| Jarnell Stokes | D |
| Marc Gasol | B- |
| Rest of Team | C |
| Jeff Teague | A- |
| Kyle Korver | B+ |
| DeMarre Carroll | C |
| Paul Millsap | C+ |
| Al Horford | B- |
| Rest of Team | C+ |
Memphis Grizzlies
Mike Conley, Point Guard
Conley led the way in the first half with 10 points, four assists and two steals. He was held down in the second half, as were most of the Grizz, but he also crashed the boards from his guard position. He finished up with 17 points, nine rebounds, six assists and three steals, leading the team in each category and providing his usual two-way quality.
However, on a night when turnovers were a key story, Conley had five of them. The fifth came on a crucial possession just before the two-minute mark.
Grade: B
Marc Gasol, Center
Marc Gasol made his presence felt inside, throwing his stocky frame around on the defensive end and netting a pair of blocks and a pair of steals. He also flashed shades of his brother Pau Gasol with a couple of pretty baseline jumpers rainbowed over tough defense.
Gasol finished with 16 points, but he also got out-rebounded by Conley, and Kosta Koufos equalled Gasol's boards total in 15 fewer minutes of court time.
Grade: B-
Courtney Lee, Shooting Guard
Courtney Lee was a little sloppy with the ball, but he still chipped in on offense. He notched nine points on nine shots, and though he dished three assists, he also fumbled away four turnovers. That's not what you want from your 2-guard.
Grade: C-
Tony Allen, Small Forward
You don't play Tony Allen for his offense, but he scraped together some buckets on Wednesday, notching eight points on eight shots. Allen also played just shy of 21 minutes, largely because coach Dave Joerger opted to give Tayshaun Prince 31 minutes off the bench.
Grade: C
Jarnell Stokes, Power Forward
Jarnell Stokes started the game in place of Zach Randolph (knee). He played four minutes and accumulated no stats of any kind. It was the ninth straight game Randolph has missed, but he's targeting a return soon according to the SunSports telecast.
Grade: D
Rest of the Team
Tayshaun Prince cobbled together a double-digit scoring night, but his 12 points couldn't buoy a sputtering Memphis offense. Vince Carter launched four three-pointers, hitting one, and ended his night with five points on five shots.
Nick Calathes notched seven points in just 13 minutes. Beno Udrih did a little of this (four points, two assists) and a little of that (two steals). Kosta Koufos provided a big body on the glass with seven boards.
While Memphis has bench players capable of scoring, no one provides a sixth-man kind of spark.
Grade: C
Atlanta Hawks
Al Horford, Center
Horford started the evening by missing eight of his first nine shots, but he kept working and shooting. He had the confidence late in the game to drain a tiebreaking jump shot from the perimeter, and Atlanta would not relinquish that lead over the final 2:30.
Horford finished with a less-than-shameful 5-of-15 shooting line, good for 12 points to go with his three rebounds, four dimes and two steals.
Grade: B-
Jeff Teague, Point Guard
Jeff Teague has been on a tear lately, and he started strong with 12 points, plus four dimes and two steals just like Conley. Then he just kept it going.
Teague drained a clutch three-pointer to put the Hawks up by five with just 80 seconds remaining. Then he knifed to the cup to cap a 10-0 Hawks run with under a minute left. And a Teague assist to Horford started that run, his sixth of the night.
That put an exclamation point on a 25-point performance against one of the better defenses in the league, and specifically against Conley, who is one of the NBA's finer defensive point guards. Teague is basically holding a coming-out party every game at this stage.
Grade: A-
Paul Millsap, Power Forward
Even with Zach Randolph out, the Hawks couldn't find much success against Memphis' interior defense. Millsap couldn't buy a bucket and turned the ball over frequently—his four turnovers were the high mark on a squad that committed 18 total—though he got his stats elsewhere. He did not have a field goal until a putback with a minute remaining in the third quarter.
Millsap finished with 11 points on 2-of-9 shooting, but he also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds and handed out four assists. One of those rebounds led to Korver's game-breaking trey with a minute remaining.
Grade: C+
Kyle Korver, Shooting Guard
Kyle Korver was one of four Hawks to hit two three-pointers in the first half, as the team was 9-of-16 shooting from downtown through two quarters. He sprinted tirelessly to get open in space, and the Hawks' ball movement helped create room for him to work.
Korver proved his worth as more than just a three-point specialist in the final two minutes, clamping on the ball when Conley tried to drive by him and forcing a jump ball. Then Korver hammered the nail into the coffin as his wide-open triple extended the lead to eight with just a minute remaining.
Grade: B+
DeMarre Carroll, Small Forward
DeMarre Carroll joined the kleptomania with three first-half steals, but he got whacked on the head and crumpled to the court in the fetal position midway through the third quarter. Carroll had already taken a shot to the head from Blake Griffin in Monday's win over the L.A. Clippers.
Fortunately, Carroll returned to action later in the quarter. He finished with five points.
Grade: C
Rest of the Team
Pero Antic splashed a couple of three-pointers in the first half, and you simply cannot hold down a Macedonian when he's hot. He put up a baker's dozen in points and sparked the second-unit scoring that helped the Hawks take control in the third quarter.
Mike Scott had a strong first half with eight points on three shots, but he found nothing in the second half.
Dennis Schroder grabbed three of Atlanta's stunning 11 steals in the first half, but Teague's brilliance kept him on the bench so he finished with four points.
Thabo Sefolosha brought a keg full of defense to the party, as usual, grabbing two steals to go with four points.
Grade: C+
Coming Up Next
The Grizzlies (25-10) will look to put the New Orleans Pelicans in a blender when they visit the Smoothie King Center Friday night. The Hawks (27-8) travel to play the streaking Detroit Pistons that night.
