Grizzlies aim to rectify fourth-quarter failings By Ron Higgins Contact December 17, 2004 There's the black-and-white proof that the Grizzlies' late-game lapses are lethal. The Griz average a league-low 19.7 points in the fourth quarter, having been outscored an average of almost three points, a difference-maker for a fragile team that lives on the edge. But even more hurtful is watching fans at Grizzlies' home games walk out with two minutes left, and the home team trailing in single digits. The fans apparently don't believe their team has the killer instinct it displayed last year. So far, they are right. For the Grizzlies (9-15), who play the Nets (7-14) tonight at 7 in FedExForum, getting back to .500 must seem like climbing Mount Everest. A first-time playoff team last year, the Griz have battled injuries, undergone a coaching change and haven't risen to the challenge of being the hunted. And unlike last season when the Grizzlies, with basically the same team, were a league-leading 34-2 when leading after three quarters, and had a league-high 14 wins when trailing entering the fourth quarter, this year's team appears to stand and wait for someone to make plays. "The fourth quarter just comes down to which team wants it more," Griz center Lorenzen Wright. "No theories, no nothing. Just hard work for 48 minutes." Tonight's game marks the end of a four-game homestand that the Grizzlies viewed as crucial in getting back within sniffing distance of .500. The Griz opened Saturday with a win over defending NBA champion Detroit in a game in which the Grizzlies made the plays in the stretch to win. They got almost every loose ball, won board battles and made big defensive plays. It was a throwback to last season when you could count on someone in a Griz uniform raking loose a ball or cutting off a passing lane in the final five minutes of a game. But the past two games, losses to Cleveland and Chicago, the Griz blew leads of nine points and 13 points, respectively. They appeared glued to the floor in fourth quarters. There's the thought that, with a couple of players sidelined by injuries, and with a core of players averaging six to seven more minutes under new coach Mike Fratello than under previous coach Hubie Brown, that fatigue is a factor in the final quarter. "Maybe the first couple of games, that might have been an excuse, but it's not an excuse anymore," guard Mike Miller said. "We're professional athletes conditioned to play basketball." Added forward Shane Battier, "I haven't met a player yet who is going to complain about playing more." Fratello, 4-4 since taking over for Brown, said his team is "fragmented" at the moment. "Our offense is affected by our defense," Fratello said. "If we miss a defensive rotation or fail to block out leading to an easy score, suddenly your offensive possession becomes more important. There's a lot of truth that your offense starts with your defense. "Our defense hasn't been nearly as effective down the stretch as it has been in the first three quarters. Offensively, we have a series of turnovers and missed free throws. I can't say we've taken a lot of bad shots." No, but the best shots for the Grizzlies are usually ones created from defense leading to fast breaks. Those baskets came in droves last year from several players every game. "We've had one or two guys play well every night, but for us it can't be that way," Wright said. "We're set up to be a really good team, and we've got to act that way. "We have to penetrate, dish and hit wide open shots. That's how we won games last year. Everybody has to all the stuff they do best, whether it's me tipping in shots or Pau (Gasol) posting up strong. We all have to do it together." Though it's December and there's still about three-fourths of the season left, the Grizzlies can't waste time kicking it gear. They had viewed a 10-game stretch of games against Eastern Conference opponents , starting on Dec. 1 and ending tonight as their chance to re-gain momentum. A win tonight over the Nets would give the Griz a 5-5 split before heading on a four-game, five-day West Coast road swing starting Sunday at the Los Angeles Clippers. "We make things a lot tougher on ourselves by losing games to teams with sub .500, especially when we're at home," Battier said. "We know every game we drop to those guys we'll have to win two or three more later in the season against playoff teams. We need to have a sense of urgency. It's almost the New Year. We need to be poised to make a push." --

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