The Memphis Grizzlies resume a grueling five-game road trip
Wednesday when they invade Oakland to take on the winless Golden State
Warriors at ORACLE Arena.
The Grizzlies fell to 0-2 on the swing Monday in Sacramento when Kevin Martin
set a record for scoring in a Kings home opener, pouring in 48 points as
Sacramento beat the Grizzlies, 127-116, to capture its first win of the
season.
Zach Randolph tallied 30 points and 16 rebounds before fouling out in overtime
for the Grizzlies, who fell to 1-3 on the season. O.J. Mayo scored 22 and Rudy
Gay chipped in 21 points and 13 boards. Marc Gasol ended with 16 points and 16
boards.
The result also spoiled the debut for new Memphis guard Allen Iverson, who had
11 points on 5-of-9 shooting in a reserve role. Iverson sat out the opening
three games with a slightly torn left hamstring.
After the game, Iverson seemed upset at his status playing off the bench.
"I am not a reserve basketball player. I've never been a reserve all my life
and I'm not going to start looking at myself as a reserve," he said. "That's
something for the media to talk about. It's only a big issue when the media
talks about it. The subject never came up in my career until everything
happened in Detroit last year. No one talked about me being a sub or anything
like that until last year. In all of the other years of my career it never
came up. I've been a starter on All-Star teams, Olympic teams and NBA Finals
teams. It's just a big deal now."
Memphis will finish its trip with back-to-back visits to LA's Staples Center,
facing both the Lakers and Clippers.
The Warriors, meanwhile, fell to 0-2 on the young season Friday in Phoenix
when Steve Nash dished out 20 assists and scored 18 points to lead the Suns in
a 123-101 laugher over Golden State. .
Nash, who recorded his sixth career game with at least 20 assists, also hauled
in six rebounds for Phoenix, which has dominated Golden State at home
recently, winning nine straight overall.
"He did a great job," admitted the Warriors' Stephen Jackson. "That's the
Steve Nash that won back-to-back MVPs. He looked real good. If he plays like
that all year, they'll have a good season."
Monta Ellis donated 19 points and Kelenna Azubuike 17 for Golden State, which
will finish a quick two-game homestand against the LA Clippers on Friday.
Jackson totaled 13 points, while Anthony Randolph and Stephen Curry gave 12
points apiece. Andris Biedrins tallied 10 boards and eight points.
Memphis swept the three-game season series between the two clubs last season,
including two contests in Oakland. Previous to that, Golden State had taken
seven straight over the Grizz.
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