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Smoking hot Grizzlies venture to Charlotte

Nov 17, 2012 - 4:01 PM (Sports Network) - The Memphis Grizzlies own the NBA's best winning percentage and for the first time in franchise history, they have the best record in the NBA this late in the season.

On Saturday, the Grizzlies will put their seven-game winning streak on the line against the surprisingly-resurgent Charlotte Bobcats at The Time Warner Cable Arena.

The Grizzlies took done the last remaining undefeated team, the New York Knicks, Friday night, 105-95. Their last three victories came against the Knicks, the Western Conference champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the NBA Champions, the Miami Heat.

All three wins were by 10 points or more. They have won 15 straight at home and with a win on Saturday, the Grizz would match the franchise's all-time record for consecutive wins with eight.

They are fourth in scoring and sixth in opposition scoring. They have forced 10 or more turnovers in 111 consecutive games, which is not only the longest active streak in the NBA, it more than twice as long as the Heat's second- longest active streak.

"We're trying to make a statement that we can play with anybody on a given night," said point guard Mike Conley. "We have a very deep team and guys play very hard. We just try to play our grit and grind style of basketball and if we're good enough to win, we will."

Meanwhile, the Bobcats are only three behind their win total for all of last season already. Charlotte is in the midst of a three-game winning streak. They took down the Dallas Mavericks in overtime, crushed the hapless Washington Wizards and went on the road and beat a good, but depleted, Minnesota Timberwolves team.

"Where the wins help you is, when you have practices like today, the confidence, that's where the wins really help," Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap said after practice on Friday.

Kemba Walker has been spectacular for the Bobcats, highlighted by his pull-up jumper with less than a second on the clock to defeat the Timberwolves on Wednesday. Walker is averaging 19.0 ppg and 5.1 assists.

The Bobcats acquired Hakim Warrick in a trade with the New Orleans Hornets earlier in the week and he's expected to see action on Saturday. Ben Gordon, who missed the Minnesota game due to personal reasons, is questionable.

Charlotte is coming along, but still has work to do on the defensive side of the game. They rank 25th in opponent's scoring, despite leading the NBA in blocks per contest and coming in seventh in steals.

Offensively, the Bobcats have six players averaging double-figures, including rookie Michael-Kidd Gilchrist.

Charlotte has won six of the last nine times the two teams met, but the Grizzlies have taken two of the last three, including last season's only meeting in Charlotte.