For the second leg of their three game road trip, the Washington Wizards traveled to Memphis to take on the 29-16 Grizzlies. The Grizzlies had undergone a transformation since the beginning of the season, trading their leading scorer Rudy Gay and backup center Hamed Haddadi to the Toronto Raptors in a 3 team deal. In return, Memphis received forward Ed Davis from the Raptors, along with forwards Tayshaun prince and Austin Daye from the Pistons. Additionally, Memphis had traded forward Marreese Speights, along with guards Wayne Ellington and Josh Selby to Cleveland for forward Jon Leuer. It's believed that both deals were made as a measure to avoid stiff penalties resulting from new luxury tax implications outlined in the NBA's new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
The Wizards continued their road woes with a loss in Philly on Wednesday night. Washington has struggled mightily away from home, winning just 3 games away from the Verizon Center all season.
Washington jumped out to an early advantage, leading 30-23 at the end of the 1st quarter, but Memphis stormed back to cut the lead to 1 going into the half.
The Grizzlies would eventually capture the lead in the 3rd quarter, going into the 4th with a 5 point lead, and holding on for a comfortable 85-76 win.
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| Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph drives on Wizards forward Trevor Booker (Photo by Spruce Derden- USA Today Sports) |
Mike Conley led Memphis with 18 points and 6 assists. Tayshaun Prince contributed 14 points off the bench in his first game as a member of the Grizzlies.
Nene was the only Wizard to break double digits, scoring 14 points and doling out 6 assists.
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