Grizzlies Postgame: Kyle Lowry still getting revenge against Griz
Kyle Lowry apparently figures he can show the Grizzlies they made a mistake a lot better than he can tell them.
It's another recurring theme in the Memphis-Houston showdown: Lowry wants revenge against his former team, and he gets it.
After scoring a career-high 28 points in their first meeting this season, Lowry tattooed the Griz with 17 points, a career-best 18 assists and five steals Friday night in 38 minutes.
The Grizzlies know exactly what to expect when they see Lowry, who was traded to Houston in 2009 in a three-way transaction that included the Orlando Magic. "He felt slighted in the whole Mike Conley deal, and he also was traded," Griz coach Lionel Hollins said. "I think it's worked out very well for him. We really had our starter and backup. It's just that Kyle wasn't accepting his role at that point. He was young. If it was to happen now and he's as mature as he is now, he'd probably accept it. He's come here and he's been the backup."
Now, Lowry is forcing the Griz to accept his payback, although the 6-foot point guard never admits the game is personal.
"We just go out and play. I don't think we look at matchups," Lowry said. "We do a good job of scouting them. We know what we can get so we play to our strengths."
And then there was Lowry burying a 3-pointer and staring at the Grizzlies' bench. Later, Lowry elevated to emphatically block a Conley layup, and the play drew an ovation from the crowd.
"He seems to have great games against us," Conley said. "When you look at the statistics, his numbers are better in our games than the ones he's played (leading up to the game)."
Conley, who finished with seven points and three assists, said he maintains a good relationship with Lowry.
"It's definitely more Kyle vs. the Grizzlies than me vs. Kyle," Conley said.
Odds and ends
-- Frustration likely set in long before, but Rudy Gay lost his poise with 5:51 left in the game.
Gay and Rockets forward Luis Scola got entangled on the previous possession. Gay fell to the court after appearing to take an elbow to the face. When he rose to his feet, Gay charged like a bull about half the length of the court and threw a hard forearm to Scola's back.
Unsuspecting, Scola fell to the floor as Shane Battier buried a baseline 3-pointer. The officials automatically charged Gay with a flagrant 2 foul, and ejected the Grizzlies' leading scorer. Scola received two free throws.
"I let my anger get the best of me," Gay said. "It's not characteristic of me or anybody else on this team. I probably shouldn't have done that. Me as a leader, I probably shouldn't have done that."
Especially since Gay could be forced to miss tonight's game at San Antonio. The league reserves the right to levy a suspension following flagrant 2 penalties.
-- Hollins and Zach Randolph will join forces Sunday to host the Bike Buddies Extravaganza at the Mid-South Fairgrounds Pipkin Building at 2 p.m. Randolph is expected to debut as Z-Bo Claus to help Hollins give away 100 bikes, locks, helmets and reading books to area children in need. Hollins and Randolph are partnering with AmeriChoice, the Mid-South Food Bank and the Mid-South Anesthesia Consultants for the day.
He said it
"I told them I'm not going to sit there and get beat by 40." -- Hollins on what he said at the locker room before benching four starters to start the second half.
Next up
Today: Grizzlies at San Antonio, 7:30 p.m.
-- Ronald Tillery
Box score, D8
