After laboring through a seven-game losing skid the Memphis Grizzlies suddenly find themselves on the verge of their third straight win as they host the Chicago Bulls tonight. If the Grizzlies are able to beat the Bulls they would have their longest win streak of the season and their first three-game win streak since the final three games of the 2006-07 season under interim coach Tony Barone.
The game marks the return to Memphis of former University of Memphis star Derrick Rose, whom the Bulls made the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. While his presence should lead to a rare full house in the Forum, he hasn’t exactly kept his Memphis ties intact this season, having the Bulls’ P.A. guy announce him as a Chicago native rather than from the U of M. I guess people in Chicago care more about that anyway. Even if his local connection isn’t verbally expressed before the game, I’m sure most of the crowd will forgive him. O.J. Mayo vs. Rose should be an exciting matchup to watch throughout the contest.
Rudy Gay also has a key matchup at small forward with the Bulls’ Luol Deng. Although he has struggled this year with the addition of Rose to the offense, Deng has a pretty good mid-range jumper. The Grizzlies will have to know where he is in on the floor at all times and not let him get wide-open looks. The Grizzlies’ bench has been the reason for their current streak, accounting for 52.5 of their 108.5 points per game during that time, and it was their savior against Oklahoma City on Wednesday.
The play of Quinton Ross is probably going to be the barometer for the Grizzlies for the rest of the season. He is the star of the bench, so if he has a solid game the team will do well. Another good shooting night from Greg Buckner couldn't hurt, either.
The Grizzlies played their best second half against the Thunder. While they should hope that a rally like that isn’t necessary tonight, they need to turn up their effort on both ends of the floor after halftime like they did in that game. If they get off to a good start and avoid defensive breakdowns, I think the Grizzlies will have a legitimate chance to move above .500 at home with a win tonight.
Keywords: Chicago Bulls, Derrick Rose, Greg Buckner, Luol Deng, Memphis Grizzlies, O.J. Mayo, Quinton Ross, Rudy Gay
