Wolves record: 8-33
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Two nights after his team recovered from an early 19-point deficit to force three overtimes in Houston, Rambis popped out of the locker room into a FedExForum corridor only a couple of minutes after the game’s conclusion and delivered an eight-second, 21-word address on what he had just witnessed.
“Our defense was atrocious,” he said as he leaned into reporters’ tape recorders. “I’m embarrassed about how our guys played. There was no energy or focus at the defensive end.”
Then he whirled back toward the locker room and pounded repeatedly, angrily on the door that had just locked behind him.
Leading 66-59 at the half, the Grizzlies sped up the tempo against a Timberwolves team that was playing the final game of a season-high four-game road trip that including a triple-overtime loss at Houston Wednesday night.
The Grizzlies scored 23 fastbreak points in the third quarter as they outscored Minnesota, 40-22, to take a 106-81 lead into the final quarter.
“They were a little tired,” Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins said. “They gave us all we wanted in the first half, then our defense got going in the second half and they just couldn’t get back. We executed unbelievably on the fastbreak.”
The Grizzlies scored 23 fastbreak points in the third quarter as they outscored Minnesota, 40-22, to take a 106-81 lead into the final quarter.
“They were a little tired,” Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins said. “They gave us all we wanted in the first half, then our defense got going in the second half and they just couldn’t get back. We executed unbelievably on the fastbreak.”
Corey Brewer scored 22 points and Al Jefferson had 21 on 10-of-13 shooting for the Wolves (8-33), who appeared worn out and seemingly uninterested in playing a shred of defense after their triple-overtime loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.
All five starters reached double figures for the Grizzlies (20-18), who shot 58.5 percent from the field and have emerged as an unexpected playoff contender. Rudy Gay finished with 21 points, and O.J. Mayo and Zach Randolph added 20 apiece in the win.
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