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MEMPHIS, Tennessee – The entrance to the visitors' dressing room was covered with soaked towels, ice cubes on the wet floor, and remnants of a successful return to Memphis for New York Knicks coach David Fizdale.
A year after the Grizzlies dismissed Fizdale, he came back Sunday with his Knicks and won 103-98. The win – the third consecutive victory in New York – led to a party, with Fizdale's team having sprayed him with water and ice as he entered the locker room after the match.
"You make me emotion because I can not express it in words," Fizdale said.
Enes Kanter scored a career-high 26 rebounds and scored 21 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. finished with 22 points. Kanter led a third-quarter rally that wiped out a 13-point lead in Memphis, which seemed to predict a bitter comeback for Fizdale.
Emmanuel Mudiay added 17 points and Trey Burke was 15 to help the Knicks.
Marc Gasol led Memphis with 27 points and Mike Conley, 23 points. Jaren Jackson Jr. had 16 points and seven blocks setting a franchise record for a Grizzlies rookie.
Fizdale may have downplayed the real emotions of his return, but his team was aware of the importance of the game. In fact, a mediocre early period left the Knicks 52-43 at the break, leading to a Fizdale.
"At half-time, Fizz knew we had that kind of mindset in the game," Hardaway said. "He told us at half-time just to calm us down and not get out of it. That's what we were playing for. We were playing for the coach. "
The third quarter showed a difference in the spirit of the Knicks. After Memphis dug the gap at 13 early in the period, Kanter began to assert his strength inside and on the boards. Kanter's pioneered around the basket to score 14 points in 6 shots on 9 and got 11 rebounds in the frame.
New York dominated Memphis 35-19 in the third, including a 23-6 run.
"I want my teammates to shoot with confidence," Kanter said of his rebound. "Every time you miss, I'm going to have the rebound. So, shoot with confidence.
Despite the third quarter rally, the two men were still tied at 93, 1:49 of the end. The Knicks scored the following six points, leading to the Fizdale celebration.
"I think it's a lot of things that we have not done," said Memphis coach JB Bickerstaff, who became acting coach of the Grizzlies after Fizdale's dismissal and now occupies the permanent position. "It's the most disappointing thing is that our guys have lived an identity. In the third quarter, we did not do it.
TIP-INS
Knicks: Fizdale acknowledged that everything was late when he arrived at FedExForum for the match. "It was weird," he says. "I stopped and said," OK, I do not park in my place. "He then added that Grizzlies coach JB Bickerstaff was" in my damn place "in Memphis. New York had not defeated the Grizzlies on the Memphis field since March 9, 2011 (110-108 win), and Kanter's previous rebound was 24, on November 15th, at 24 points.
Grizzlies: Memphis struggled with early free throws, making only 3 of his first 9 in the game. The Grizzlies would finish the night of the 11th to 19th of the line. . Conley only converted 8 out of 24 shots, including 2 out of 10 to 3 points. The Grizzlies had a franchise record of 19 blocks, including 7 from Jackson, equaling a block franchise record by a rookie. The previous franchise record for the blocks was 17 on November 12, 2004 against Golden State.
NO ANIMOSITY: NO REGRETS
Fizdale's departure was long linked to his lack of agreement with Gasol, including the Grizzlies 'center in the fourth quarter of Memphis' final match before Fizdale's dismissal. The Knicks coach said the air had been purified during a conversation between the two men in the summer. "I attribute it to him. He made me a better coach and a better person, "said Fizdale. "It will not be a story for you guys anymore." Then Fizdale spoke about Gasol working on a ship that rescued migrants who capsized off the Libyan coast. "This guy took a migrant out of the ocean this summer. It's more important than a basketball, "said Fizdale.
Gasol and Fizdale hugged each other close to the midfield after the match. Gasol said after the match: "It was good. It was a competitive game. We asked about our families. All good."
FOLLOWING
Grizzlies: Welcome Toronto Tuesday night.
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