HoopsHype.com Rumors

Ronald Tillery: Gasol: "I just try to do my job. It sounds like a cliché. I just try to execute the game plan. I always thought that defense was important." Twitter

Memphis Grizzlies, Marc Gasol 

Justin Verrier: Gasol seemed to take loss hard. When we entered Griz locker room, he sat, still in uniform, ice on knees staring blankly for good 3, 4 mins. Twitter @JustinVerrier

Memphis Grizzlies, Marc Gasol 

Brett Pollakoff: No comment from Lionel Hollins on reports of Marc Gasol winning DPOY. Wants to wait until announcement is official. Twitter @BrettEP

Memphis Grizzlies, Marc Gasol, Lionel Hollins 

Chris Vernon: I was just told that Marc Gasol will be named NBA Defensive Player of Year Twitter @ChrisVernonShow

Memphis Grizzlies, Marc Gasol 

Madelyn Burke: Marc Gasol: "We got beat at our own game." Twitter @MadelynBurke

Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Marc Gasol 

The Memphis Grizzlies (55-26) host the Utah Jazz (43-38) on Wednesday prior to the Lakers' battle against the Rockets. A Memphis win would guarantee L.A. no worse than the eighth spot in the playoffs. Has Lakers forward/center Pau Gasol called his brother, Memphis center Marc Gasol, to ask for a little help against the Jazz? "I told him to please go out there and compete and try to win the game," said Pau. Did he get a positive response? "He said, 'We'll see,' because last night they played the starters 24 minutes. They probably play the same the next game," said the Lakers' forward/center. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol 

It's an admittedly biased source, but I asked Pau Gasol if his brother Marc should win Defensive POY ... "I think he's definitely a candidate for it," Pau Gasol said about his brother, Marc Gasol, when asked about the Defensive Player of the Year race on Tuesday. "He might not be the most spectacular defender, but he's just so efficient and I think in the games we played against him, I know the type of work that he's done against us, defensively especially. You just look at the numbers, it is what it is, so he's just a great defender and I wish they could give him that recognition, but I know there's other candidates as always. But he gets steals, he gets blocks. He's an anchor for Memphis, which is one of the top defensive teams in the league." Sulia

Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol 

"It's huge," Gasol said. "Being in the back of the defense is so important, because you let your teammates know what's going on behind them and when they feel safe, when they feel like they have a safety behind them, they can be just so much more locked in their guy and they know if they get beat by their guy for whatever reason, they have a guy there and I think Marc is that type of player for Memphis." Sulia

Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol 

In time, Vucevic sees himself becoming a dominant player in the low post such as Memphis center Marc Gasol. Gasol, the younger brother of Pau Gasol, made his first NBA All-Star Game this season and he has averaged 13.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.6 blocks over his five-year NBA career. Considering the numbers that Vucevic is already putting up as a second-year pro who appears to be blossoming with every game, the Gasol comparison might be a bit conservative. But it hasn’t stopped Vucevic from studying Gasol’s games on a nightly basis and expecting more out of himself every time he hits the floor. ``I think somebody who I could play like someday would be Marc Gasol. He’s a very skilled big man who can face up, shoot it and play with his back to the basket. He passes the ball well and defensively he’s a smart player,’’ Vucevic said. ``He’s somebody I feel that I can learn a lot from. When I played against him, I struggled against him. When I watch games, I watch a lot of (Memphis Grizzlies) games and I can learn a lot from (Gasol). NBA.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Orlando Magic, Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, Nikola Vucevic 

Grizzlies C Marc Gasol said Wednesday that he is planning on being back before the playoffs. Apparently, Memphis takes that whole "the playoffs start now " thing seriously. Coach Lionel Hollins announced pre- game that that Gasol would not only play, but start vs. the Knicks. Gasol was listed as out indefinitely on Saturday after exacerbating his abdominal strain. CBSSports.com

Memphis Grizzlies, Injuries, Marc Gasol 

The Grizzlies have not discussed shutting down Marc Gasol for the rest of the regular season due to his abdominal tear. However, any conversation along those lines would be a waste of time because the 7-foot, versatile center won’t allow it. “No, no, no,” Gasol said. “We’re going to try to keep (treating it) and when it feels good and gets better, I’ll get out there. I don’t care if it hurts a little bit. I have no problem with that. We’re going with indefinite. But it’s going to go game-by-game, day-by-day.” Memphis Commercial Appeal

Memphis Grizzlies, Injuries, Marc Gasol 

Marc J. Spears: Grizzlies center Marc Gasol re-aggravated an abdominal tear on March 22 at New Orleans and will be out indefinitely.   Twitter @SpearsNBAYahoo

Memphis Grizzlies, Injuries, Marc Gasol 

"(Swapping Gay for Prince) took a little pressure off," Gasol said. "Sometimes when you have so many options offensively, you try to keep everybody happy – 'now it's your turn, now it's my turn,' and it's your-turn-my-turn type of basketball. Teams kind of load up (defensively) on that and do that. It was hard to get in a flow as a team. "(Adding Prince) changed the dynamics. We have a different team, and I think we did a great job of coming together. We could've laid down, but that's not who we are. That's not what we do." USA Today Sports

Memphis Grizzlies, Toronto Raptors, Trade, Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol 

With 9:23 left, the Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol scored from the lane, cutting Utah’s lead to 71-67. As he turned, Derrick Favors accidentally stepped on his heel and Gasol lost his shoe. Gasol angrily motioned at the closest official, perhaps thinking Favors had intentionally flattened his tire. Play continued, however, and Favors ended up driving to the basket on the ensuing possession. Gasol reached around and whacked him with his shoe. A non-shooting foul was called, and the Jazz inbounded. "I didn’t know he had his shoe," Favors said. "I thought it was his hand or something." Salt Lake Tribune

Memphis Grizzlies, Utah Jazz, Derrick Favors, Marc Gasol 

Favors knew he had stepped on Gasol’s shoe, "but I didn’t do it on purpose. It just kind of happened. ... I think he was mad at the refs because he didn’t have his shoe. I don’t know." Corbin laughed when reminded of the incident prior to Sunday morning’s practice. "I’ve never seen a shoe foul," he said. "I thought it might be a flagrant, but I guess they didn’t see it that way. He hit him pretty good with his shoe, though." Salt Lake Tribune

Memphis Grizzlies, Utah Jazz, Derrick Favors, Marc Gasol 

This week, The V Foundation for Cancer Research and ESPN are teaming up with the NBA and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the fight against pediatric cancer by raising awareness and funds to support lifesaving work for children. Continuing through March 4, the NBA family – led by Hoops for St. Jude ambassadors – will engage fans through this unique relationship, designed to advance cancer research and patient care benefitting children and families battling pediatric cancer. One hundred percent of donations to The V Foundation from this campaign will go directly toward cancer research benefitting St. Jude patients. Together they form a powerful force in pediatric cancer research. NBA.com

Memphis Grizzlies, Marc Gasol 

What made you want to get involved and become a St. Jude Ambassador? Marc Gasol: That’s easy. The kids. To be able to walk through those doors, be able to spend time with them and play with them is one of the best parts of my life. I think I’m very lucky to live here in Memphis where I can get to St. Jude often. It’s a place where you maybe think at first that you’re going to cheer them up by playing with them. But what I find is that they play with me and it makes me happy. One day we might read a book or do drawings. Another day it’s making cupcakes with different toppings. We even have tea parties and, yeah, I get right down there at the those little tables. Sometimes I get to hear the older kids tell their stories. All the time I spend with them is very special. NBA.com

Memphis Grizzlies, Marc Gasol 

Do you have favorite memories of your St. Jude experiences? Marc Gasol: I have a lot of memories. I been here living in Memphis now five years. Sadly, some of those memories are of kids who are not here anymore, times when there are not happy endings. But I’ve had those relationships with them and the relationships and experiences will never go away. I’ve had so many experiences of watching kids get better. A lot of them are basketball fans and they love to watch our games and give us their opinions on how we do. We played in Brooklyn the other night and won and a lot of them watched on TV. We had a halftime segment with Coach Hollins that we did at St. Jude. They loved that. They loved seeing themselves. It’s just great to see them so excited, so happy. NBA.com

Memphis Grizzlies, Marc Gasol 

"I think you could say I took a step back in my development," Gasol says of his move from Barcelona to Tennessee. "In Barcelona, I was with the best players in the country, so some of them were close to my size. Here, I was taller than everyone, so I could score whenever I wanted. The competition wasn't the same. I wasn't practicing as much; I was gaining weight." Grantland

Memphis Grizzlies, Marc Gasol 

But when Memphis coach Lionel Hollins opted to send starting center Marc Gasol back into the game with the Grizzlies holding a 20-point lead with less than four minutes left, Evans couldn’t take it any more. He rose up off the bench and yelled over to Gasol several times while Gasol stood at the scorer’s table waiting to check in. “That was the point where I was like, ‘Wow’ ... I was real shocked to see him come back in,” Evans said. “I guess it is what it is.” New York Post

Memphis Grizzlies, Marc Gasol, Lionel Hollins