Grizzlies Slip By Clippers

After being handed the game ball, Vancouver Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins kicked off his first post-game media conference in Vancouver with a big, wide grin.

"I tell you, it's awesome to be able to come in here and do it with a smile on my face," said Hollins, following Sunday night's 85-84 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. It was Hollins first victory in his second game since taking over for Brian Hill who was fired last Thursday.

Dedicating the victory to his players for their hard work and determination, Hollins said it was important for the Grizzlies to gain some confidence after a difficult week.
Hollins, the lone holdover of the Grizzlies inaugural coaching staff in 1995, had spent 12 seasons as an assistant, including seven with the Phoenix Suns. The Grizzlies were coming off a 112-89 loss at Seattle in Hollins debut as head coach.

Michael Dickerson scored 26 points while Shareef Abdur-Rahim added 20 points, sinking three of four free throws in the final minute to pull out the victory. The Grizzlies snapped a five-game losing streak and won for only the second time in their last 18 games.

It was Abdur-Rahim who threw the ball high into the air at the buzzer, and then waited for it to come down in order to award it to Hollins.

"This is a big win for us, a big, big win for us," said Abdur-Rahim. "This is one: wanting to get the monkey off of our back. And two: everybody wanting to get one for coach."

Along with playing well offensively, Abdur-Rahim was noted for his defensive game, after he was given the role of guarding Lamar Odom an then, in the final minutes, Maurice Taylor.

It was Abdur-Rahim who got a hand on Taylor's six-foot jumper with three seconds left in regulation. The shot failed to hit the rim and the Grizzlies got the ball because the shot clock ha& run out.

"I've got confidence in myself that I can produce on both ends when the teams needs me to," Abdur-Rahim said.

After Tyrone Nesby's 3-point shot put the Clippers ahead 84-82 with 1:13 remaining, the Grizzlies battled back from the free-throw line.

Abdur-Rahim cut the lead to 84-83 when he hit one of two free throws with a minute left. After Taylor rolled the rim on a four-foot jumper, Abdur-Rahim hit two game-deciding free throws with 26.2 seconds left.

Odom led the Clippers with 28 points before fouling out with 2:46 left in the game as Los Angeles lost its sixth straight road game. Taylor finished with 20 points while battling the flu.

Clippers coach Chris Ford said the difference came at the free throw line where the Clippers went 13-for-22, with Odom hitting just two of his eight attempts.

"If you look at the stats, we had a better field-goal percentage. When we got our opportunities at the foul line, we didn't take advantage of it," said Ford.

It was a sloppy game between two of the worst teams in the Western Conference. The two teams combined for 38 turnovers, with the Clippers committing 20 that led to 23 Grizzlies' points.

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