The Grizzlies made some history in what could have been the National Basketball Association franchise's final game in Vancouver, beating the Golden State Warriors 95-81 last night to set a team record for wins in a season.
Shareef Abdur-Rahim led the Grizzlies to their 23rd win of the season with 20 points and 22 rebounds. The shine from the record was dimmed when you consider it took the Grizzlies all year to accomplish what most teams do by the end of January.
After the final buzzer, the players were emotionless as they walked off the court.
For Abdur-Rahim it could have been his last game as a Grizzlie. Frustrated by five losing seasons with little sign of improvement, Vancouver's leader in points and rebounds has asked to be traded.
The win gave the Grizzlies a career record of 101-359. The six-year-old franchise didn't register it's 100th win until April 4 against the L.A. Clippers.
The victory gave the Grizzlies a 23-59 record for the season and stopped a six-game losing streak. It also made the Grizzlies 5-1 in season-ending games.
Owner Michael Heisley, who says he'll lose $46-million operating in Vancouver this year, has asked the league permission to relocate the franchise to Memphis. An NBA relocation committee is studying the request and is expected to make a decision by the end of May.
For most of the first half the Grizzlies played like it was any other game, not maybe the last one. They threw passes away, shot bricks from the floor and had trouble on defence. At one point they trailed by 13 points.
The turnaround started midway through the second quarter. Rookie Stromile Swift swatted away a shot like it was an annoying fly. Guard Mike Bibby began hitting shots from the outside and Abdur-Rahim started to play like a man who wanted to say goodbye with a smile on his face.
In a twist of irony, Brian Winters, who coached the Grizzlies during their first season in 1995, coached against them in what could be their last game. Winters, an assistant with Golden State, took over after head coach Dave Cowan was ejected in the third quarter for arguing a foul call.
The Warriors, crippled by injury, looked like a beaten team early in the third quarter. The loss dropped Golden State's record to 17-65 and their limp efforts had the crowd of 14,437 booing in the fourth.
Only two players -- centre Bryan (Big Country) Reeves and reserve guard Kevin Edwards -- flew back to Vancouver after the game. The rest headed to homes across the United States.<
While upper management, coaches and players would make the potential move to Memphis, many of the Grizzlies office staff are still waiting news of their fate. A meeting is planned for today in Vancouver. The team will hand out severance packages to people losing their jobs.
The game against the Warriors wasn't broadcast on television in Vancouver or Oakland. The Canucks held centre stage with their National Hockey League playoff game against the Colorado Avalanche.