‘MR. CLUTCH’
Grizzlies guard has been unstoppable in fourth quarter
Point guard Mike Conley is proving to be nearly unstoppable in the fourth quarter.
Mike Conley might be the most requested player by the media at a Grizzlies practice on any given day.
Not long ago, the point guard was easily the fourth or fifth option on and off the court. But further proof of a major shift in the dynamic of the Grizzlies’ roster came Thursday night in a historic performance.
Conley scored 11 of his team-high 22 points in the fourth quarter when the Griz sealed a dramatic, come-from-behind victory over the Sacramento Kings. The stunning part was that the Griz overcame a 26-point deficit, not Conley’s involvement in the franchise’s largest comeback win.
Conley enters tonight’s game against the Detroit Pistons as the Grizzlies’ most clutch performer this season. He’s scored 47 points on 50 percent shooting overall (60 percent from 3-point range) and handed out 12 assists in 66 fourth-quarter minutes.
When it’s crunchtime,
Conley happens.
“It’s fun to have the team trust in me down the stretch,” Conley said. “They understand that I want to win and I can make plays. I’ve proven I can do it. … I’ll call my own number more often and I know they’ll be all right with it.”
Or example, take the first time the Griz took a lead in that Kings game. Conley never intended to pass. He dribbled into a position to take a 3-pointer and tried to draw a foul.
When the defender drifted away from Conley and avoided contact, Conley concentrated and lined up a shot that fell through the net.
The basket gave Memphis a 109-108 lead.
The sequence forced Sacramento to call for time.
The play is what the Griz have come to expect.
“Its confidence,” Griz forward Zach Randolph said. “He’s put a lot of work in. I tell him, ‘We’re playing against the Chris Pauls and the Deron Williams. But you’re Mike Conley. You’re right there with those guys.’ That’s what he’s showing night in and night out.”
Conley’s backcourt mate, Courtney Lee, took his praise to another level.
“It’s time to give him his due. He’s an All-Star,” Lee said. “He’s leading this team to victory. We’re down 20 and he’s making the right plays all night.”
Conley often is the calming influence when the Griz are under duress. In the fourth quarter against the Kings, Conley made 4 of 8 shots but also handed out three assists without a turnover. Conley found Vince Carter for two 3-pointers. Carter’s last long-range bomb cut the Griz deficit to 104-100 with four minutes left.
“What he’s found is that threat of him scoring makes him a better passer,” Griz coach Dave Joerger said of Conley. “Can you imagine having to be so good at your craft in the NBA that you have the ability to take over an NBA game? In the past, it was like ‘C’mon man you’ve got to take it over.’ He just keeps building and getting better every year. You don’t have to ask him to take the game over. He just does it. He gets aggressive. … It’s not a burden. It’s an honor.”
Conley has scored 20plus points four times this season. When the game is on the line, there’s little doubt that the ball will be in Conley’s hand and he’s not looking to defer to teammates nearly as much as in the past.
Conley keeps his dribble a little longer, probes and attacks late in games.
Clutch Conley is fitting because the moniker has framed his season so far.
“That’s winning time,” Conley said. “Throughout the game I try to feel my way through, making plays and getting everyone else involved. I know in the fourth quarter that’s a chance for me to be aggressive — look to score and make winning plays.”