Making a point
Pumped-up Conley leads way as Grizzlies blister Kings for sixth straight win GRIZZLIES 128, KINGS 95
Mike Conley had more than a few choice words for the Sacramento Kings, and it was his shooting that did all of the talking.
The Grizzlies’ point guard had a game Saturday night that was loud and clear as far as his teammates were concerned.
“When you see the point guard being aggressive, it gets everybody going because that’s not really his style,” Griz guard O.J. Mayo said. “Mike was like ‘We’re not losing this game. We’re not playing around with this team.’ ”
Conley made all seven shots he took and scored 15 of his 22 points in the first quarter, directing the Grizzlies to a 128-95 victory before a crowd of 16,562 in Fedexforum.
In winning their sixth game in a row, the Griz had four players score 20 or more points. It was a lopsided affair that seemingly broke out into a pop -a-shot contest for the Grizzlies.
Mayo had 22 points, which included six 3pointers. Marc Gasol added 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Rudy Gay led the hot-shooting Grizzlies with 23 points.
Conley set the tone for the Griz with his driving layups, floaters and jump shots in the first half.
“The lane seemed wide - open,” Conley said. “My shots were falling. Everything was just going right.”
That’s exactly what could be said for the Grizzlies’ as a unit. Their consistency is at an all-time high. Memphis shot nearly 60 percent in the first half and broke the Kings with hard-nosed defense — both of which have been staples during its streak.
The Griz (9-6) moved ahead of the San Antonio Spurs atop the Southwest Division.
“I’m pleased with just about everything,” Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins said. “I thought Mike carried us the first half. Then Juice (Mayo) got 9:30 p.m. CST Monday, Oakland, Calif. TV, radio: Sportsouth, WMFS 92.9 FM/680 AM
PHILADELPHIA — Former Penn State head coach Joe Paterno, ravaged by chemotherapy and radiation treatments for lung cancer, was fiercely battling for his life Saturday night at Mount Nittany Medical Center in State College, Pa.
Paterno’s family, which includes his wife, Sue, five children and 17 grandchildren, were summoned in the afternoon to the hospital, where Paterno has been under care since being readmitted on Jan. 13.
Two reports at about 7:45 p.m. CST, one by Cbssports.com and another by the Onward State website, declared that the 85year- old Paterno had died. But family spokesman Dan Mcginn told The Associated Press the report was “not true.”
Later, two of Paterno’s sons wrote tweets that refuted the reports.
“I appreciate the support & prayers,” wrote Jay Paterno, who worked for his father as quarterbacks coach. “Joe is continuing to fight.”
Scott Paterno tweeted, “CBS report is wrong. Dad is alive but in serious condition. We ask for your prayers and your privacy during this time.”
Both sources of the erroneous reports apologized, and Devon Edwards, managing editor of Onward State, a student news service, resigned.
A statement issued earlier Saturday by Mcginn on behalf of the family said Paterno had “experienced further health complications” and that his doctors “have now characterized his status as serious.”
“His family will have no comment on the situation and asks that their privacy be respected during this difficult time,” the statement concluded.
NBC News reported that continued chemotherapy treatments had created complications for Paterno that resulted in his going back to the hospital eight days ago.
Paterno’s lung cancer was disclosed by his family Nov. 18, nine days after he was fired by the university’s board of trustees in the wake of the child sexual abuse scandal that was revealed after the indictment Nov. 5 of former Paterno assistant Jerry Sandusky.
At the time, the family called it a “treatable” form of lung cancer. But after Paterno suffered a broken pelvis in a fall at his home, he was admitted to the hospital Dec. 11 to make it easier for him to get chemotherapy and radiation.
He originally injured his pelvis early in preseason practice in August when he collided with wide receiver Devon Smith.
He was released from the hospital on Dec. 18 but returned on Jan. 13, right after he completed an interview with Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post. The interview, which was published last Sunday, contained his first public comments since the scandal and his firing as head coach.
While in the hospital the first time, a family friend said the cancer treatments “were really taking a lot out of him.” Jay Paterno said before Penn State’s appearance in the Ticketcity Bowl that his father had his “good days and bad” but added: “He’s a fighter, and he’s fighting this.”
Word of Paterno’s grave condition resulted in hundreds of people — students, alumni and the curious — turning out at the Paterno statue located outside of Beaver Stadium. Five students dug snow out from around the statue, allowing people to gather with candles or to place flowers at the base of the statue.
One football player, offensive tackle Eric Shrive, put a Penn State hat at the base.
Jay Paterno tweeted that he had driven by the students, adding, “Just told my Dad about all the love & support — inspiring him.”
Football players, thousands of whom have made their way through Penn State since Paterno came to the campus as an assistant coach in 1950, made their thoughts known about their former coach.
“When I committed to Penn State, the #1 thing you said is that I will get my degree,” tweeted defensive end Eric Latimore. “Look what you did.”
Daryll Clark, a former AllBig Ten quarterback whose last season was in 2009, said he was “praying so hard right now. Please join me.”
Paterno became the winningest head coach in Division 1 football history on Oct. 29, when the Nittany Lions defeated Illinois for his 409th victory. It was the last of the 548 games in which he was Penn State’s head coach, cov- ering almost 46 full seasons.
Paterno’s firing generated a storm of outrage from former players and other alumni.
The trustees decided that Paterno did not go far enough after being informed in 2002 by assistant coach Mike McQueary, then a graduate assistant, that he had witnessed Sandusky in the shower with a young boy allegedly committing a sexual act.
Sandusky, a longtime defensive coordinator who was on Paterno’s staff during two national title seasons, was ultimately charged with sexually abusing a total of 10 boys over 15 years.