• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Inspired Grizzlies hit Milwaukee

Apr 4, 2009 - 6:15 AM By Matt Beardmore Stats Writer

Memphis (21-54) at Milwaukee (32-45), 8:30 p.m.

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- The Memphis Grizzlies have no shot at making the postseason, but they're playing playoff-quality basketball of late. The Milwaukee Bucks, meanwhile, are watching their slim playoff hopes fade away.

While the Grizzlies go for their second four-game winning streak of 2008-09 on Saturday night at the Bradley Center, the slumping Bucks could find themselves out of the playoffs for the third straight season before their four-game homestand even begins.

Memphis (21-54) has dropped five straight to the Bucks, but with four wins in its last five games overall, the Grizzlies arrive in Milwaukee beaming with confidence.

"I think we're really maturing throughout the year, and really understand how to finish games," O.J. Mayo said following Friday's 107-102 win over Dallas. "We're getting the stops when we need them, and a big play when we need them defensively."

Mayo continues to put up big numbers, leading all rookies with 18.3 points per game. He scored a team-high 25 in a 101-96 overtime loss to Milwaukee on Nov. 14.

Mike Conley had just seven points in that defeat, but the second-year point guard's contributions have skyrocketed since coach Lionel Hollins took over for the fired Marc Iavaroni.

"I want to see if Mike Conley is a basketball player on a high level," Hollins said during his Jan. 25 introductory press conference. "I'm going to give him a lot of pushing and give him a lot of freedom to make decisions and see if he can do it."

Conley has. He's averaging 14.5 points, 5.7 assists and 3.9 rebounds in 32 games under Hollins, compared to 7.9, 3.0 and 2.9 in the first 43 games this season.

Conley has averaged 22.0 points in Memphis' last four wins.

A victory Saturday would not only give the Grizzlies their first four-game winning streak since Dec. 8-14, it would be Hollins' first victory against the team he left as an assistant to accept the Memphis job.

Milwaukee's hope of reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2005-06 ends if current eighth seed Chicago defeats New Jersey on Saturday afternoon.

With 16 losses in 21 games, including Thursday's 105-95 defeat at Philadelphia, the Bucks (32-45) are searching for answers.

"It was very similar to (Wednesday's 104-98 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers) where we had a lot of breakdowns early in the game," Milwaukee coach Scott Skiles said.

Ramon Sessions, though, has been causing plenty of headaches for opponents lately. The second-year guard followed up his first career triple-double against the Lakers with 18 points, 10 assists and five rebounds versus Philadelphia.

He'll likely need another strong effort if Milwaukee is going to snap a three-game slide at home.

"I'm confident and I'm trying to finish every game strong," Sessions said.

In the Nov. 14 victory in Memphis, he scored 20 points and hit a game-tying 3-pointer with 9.4 seconds remaining that sent the game to overtime.

Richard Jefferson had 26 points and 10 rebounds in that game. He needs 19 points to reach 10,000 in his eight-year career.

Memphis' last win in Milwaukee was 93-82 on April 1, 2005.