Memphis overpowered Charlotte today, showing who is the better team. Most around the league expected this kind of result, but Charlotte head coach Bob was defiant until game time. "Underdogs, my ----. We've got enough talent and enough heart to play with anybody in the league." Afterwards, his tune had changed significantly. "We've got some work ahead of us before we can play at their level."

The only bright point for Charlotte was the great play by Lloyd, and Bob was quick to praise his star. "If the whole team had played with his energy, we'd have been able to play with Memphis. The bright side is that we know what he can do against them, and we'll try to build on that for our next meeting."

Memphis was led by Smith (36 points, 0 assists, a steal), Brown (12 points, 12 boards, 0 assists, a steal, a block), Murray (14 points, 5 boards, 2 assists, a steal). Charlotte was led by Lloyd (25 points, 5 boards, 0 assists, 2 blocks), Leonard (18 points, 0 assists, a steal, a block), Neal (7 points, 8 assists, a steal).

Memphis jump to 41-17 and 20-7 at home after the victory. They remain at #1 in the Southwest and hold at #2 overall in the Western Conference. Charlotte have been beaten in the past 5 games and stand at 16-41. They stay at #5 in the Southeast and hold at #14 overall in the Eastern Conference.

box score Memphis roster Charlotte roster