The Grizzlies finally came out of training camp hibernation and played their first preseason game – a meeting with Unicaja Malaga in Spain. To say that the players were antsy is an understatement. They were ready to play against someone other then themselves

The game featured two NBA officials (Luis Grillo and Jack Nies) on the three-man crew. A hybrid of NBA and European rules applied. Undoubtedly, the biggest adjustment for the Griz throughout the game will be touching the basketball ball in the cylinder. It’s not allowed in the NBA (goaltending) so the mindset won’t be there.

Grizzlies vs. Unicaja Malaga

First Quarter
Griz coach Marc Iavaroni delivered a twist with his starting lineup, beginning the game with Damon Stoudamire, Mike Miller, Rudy Gay, Stromile Swift and Pau Gasol. Swift got the nod instead of Darko Milicic, who played with the first group in every scrimmage. Gasol won the tip. Milicic, Mike Conley and Hakim Warrick were the first substitutions midway through the period. Juan Carlos Navarro checked in soon after. Generally, the Griz played good defense, and kept Malaga on the perimeter. They also controlled the boards and limited Malaga to one shot. Stoudamire and Conley sprinted down court and looked for early offense. One highlight involved Milicic and Gay. They played a two-man game as Milicic fed Gay with a nifty backdoor pass that led to a monster dunk. Marcus Haslip got Malaga going later in the period with drives to the basket. The Grizzlies’ defense broke down and their offensive execution was poor as their 10-point lead was just 21-18 at the end of the period.

Second Quarter
The Grizzlies’ defense began to suffer due to miscommunication on assignments. That led to open driving lanes for Malaga, who stopped settling for jump shots and scored at the rim. Berni Rodriquez’s three-point play (a driving layup and foul shot) with 9:36 left gave Malaga a 28-27 lead. When the Griz used active hands on defense, they forced turnovers and easy scores in transition. For example, a steal in the lane led to an outlet pass to Rudy Gay for an uncontested tomahawk slam. But the Grizzlies had a tough time shooting the ball. Malaga used a 15-2 run fueled by German Gabriel’s eight straight points (including back-to-back 3-pointers) to take a 44-33 lead. The climbed back and closed the gap to five points after Mike Conley found Stromile Swift for an alley-oop dunk just before halftime.

Halftime score: Malaga 47. Grizzlies 42.

Third Quarter
Iavaroni started the second half with the same group that began the game. Malaga, though, came out with more firepower. Malaga scored the first seven points of the second half. Griz coach Marc Iavaroni wasted little time calling for time after Ndong’s tip dunk gave Malaga a 56-44 advantage with 9:17 left to play. Second-year point guard Kyle Lowry saw his first action. The defensive effort picked up. So did the Grizzlies’ shooting. After losing a three-point shootout with Malaga midway through the period, the Griz started attacking the basket. Juan Carlos Navarro’s firepower also helped to shift the game’s momentum. He hit a pair of 3-pointers during the Grizzlies’ 18-3 run that put them ahead 71-70 at the buzzer.

Fourth Quarter
Down three with seven seconds left, the Griz got new life when Malaga was called for an offensive foul. Malaga, though, fouled Mike Miller rather than allow the Griz to attempt a potential game-tying 3-pointer. Miller connected on both foul shots to cut the Grizzlies’ deficit to 100-99. With 2.4 seconds left, the Griz sent Davor Kus to the foul line. He converted both shots. Miller’s game-tying attempt from 30 feet was no good. Chants of “Malaga!” rang out with 14.4 second left. That meant just one thing: With a three-point lead and the ball, Malaga was on the verge of upsetting the Grizzlies. Juan Carlos Navarro’s sharp-shooting quarter and a nine-point lead were squandered as the Griz offense went stagnant in the final two minutes. The Griz were outscored 17-5 to end the game. Before Miller buried a 3-pointer to make the score 100-97 with 7.3 ticks left, the Griz last four possessions went like this: Pau Gasol and Kyle Lowry each missed layups. Miller missed two free throws. And Navarro was charged with an offensive foul before the Griz could attempt a shot.

Final Score: Malaga 102. Grizzlies 99.

Video Postcard
Rudy Gay

Scenery
Sergio Guzman, 34, is a bank teller in Malaga, and a SUPER Griz fan as he sports the Vancouver shorts and the freshly designed Memphis jersey.