Preview: The battered Grizzlies have lost two consecutive games and four of their past six after Monday's 130-81 shellacking at Houston. Afterward, starting forward Matt Barnes told reporters, "Half our team is D-League," after playing without a list of injured that includes Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, Zach Randolph, Brandan Wright, Chris Andersen, Jordan Adams and possibly Lance Stephenson and Vince Carter as well. … Still, at 39-28 they are hanging onto the West's fifth playoff spot, 4½ games ahead of Portland. …The Grizzlies lead the season series 2-1 after winning 114-106 at Target Center in November and 109-104 in Memphis in February. In between, the Wolves won 106-101 at home in January. The Wolves are 4-6 in their past 10 games against Memphis. …The Wolves practiced in Phoenix on Tuesday after Monday's 107-104 closing-seconds loss and flew to Memphis in late afternoon for the third game of this four-game trip that ends Friday in Houston.
Players to watch: With half their team out, the Grizzlies are starting D-League call-up Briante Weber at point guard and former Wolf Ryan Hollins at center. Weber went 1-for-8 and scored three points with seven rebounds and three assists at Houston after he had 10 points, seven rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block in nearly 40 minutes in his NBA debut Friday, a 121-114 overtime victory over New Orleans. … Barnes became the oldest player in NBA history to record his first triple-double with a 26-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist game against the Pelicans. He is 36. Dennis Rodman was 34 when he did it for the first time in 1996. … Hollins is playing with his ninth NBA team.
Injuries: Wolves F Kevin Garnett (sore knee) and C Nikola Pekovic (sore ankle) remain out. Gasol (foot fracture), Conley (Achilles tendonitis), Randolph (sore knee), Andersen (shoulder), Adams (knee surgery), Wright (MCL sprain) are out and Carter (calf strain) and Stephenson (sprained wrist) are questionable.
jerry zgoda
