Lakers 99, Grizzlies 98

Two straight wins over the Lakers would've been too much to ask, wouldn't it? I should have been thankful for the first win earlier this month and not expected too much from the Grizzlies in subsequent games against the Lakers. Asking for a win last night would've been greedy, right? The Lakers were, after all, the best team in the Western Conference and superstar Kobe Bryant was returning to the team after a five-game hiatus.

As I followed the game, however, I found myself expecting us to win. I can't really explain why; something just felt right. We were up five heading into the 4th quarter, we had neutralized the Laker bench, even Hamed Haddadi was playing decent! Up 95-90 with just under 3 minutes remaining, it actually looked like we might pull out a win. Then Kobe Bryant happened...

With 2:23 remaining, he hit a jumper to cut the Memphis lead to 3. After a Rudy Gay free throw, he hit a technical foul free throw to bring the lead back to 3 . Then he hit a three-pointer to tie the game with 0:54 left. After a short jumper by Gay put the Grizzlies back on top by 2, Bryant got the ball with 8 seconds remaining and a chance to hit his umpteenth game winner of the season. Naturally, the shot with 4 seconds remaining went in.

Of course it did. Kobe Bryant is arguably the best basketball player alive and has made enough game-winners this season to make a highlight reel. Even though he is over 30, he consistently performs at an elite level and has been doing the NBA's best Michael Jordan impression over the last 12 years. Memphis Head Coach Lionel Hollins said it best, using one of my favorite sports cliches: "Great players make great plays."

Since there is no such thing as a moral victory in deciding who will make the playoffs, what does this loss mean for the Memphis Grizzlies? I think it has both bad and good meaning. Let's look at the bad news first. The loss drops us back to .500 on the season and 3.5 games out of a playoff spot. Also, the Grizzlies missed 3 out of 4 free throws in the game's final 2:06 (bringing our season percentage to a 23rd-best 73.8%). Alas, there is good news. This close loss showed that, despite a recent slump, we can still compete with the cream of the NBA crop. With a manageable schedule coming up, I think we will be just fine. Additionally, Zach Randolph broke the franchise record (set by Pau Gasol) for offensive rebounds in a season. Finally, the last night's game was the third sellout of FedEx Forum this season. That shows that fans still believe in this team (although they may have just wanted to watch Kobe).

I still believe in this team; you should too. Go Grizz!

Owen