Geoff Calkins' Take 5: Zach Randolph's sweet return

Five quick thoughts on a sweet return for Zach Randolph:

1. Y’all did great, Memphis, embracing Randolph on his return to the lineup after the death of his mother. Randolph checked in during the first quarter of Tuesday’s game against the 76ers to an immense standing ovation and, while he didn’t acknowledge it at the time, he noticed. “I could hear 'em, yeah,” he said. “I could hear 'em man. All the love the city has been giving me, and the organization, and the fans, it really means a lot to me. I know it and I hear it. It’s just a lot of love.”

Zach Randolph back: 'This is what my mother would want'

2. The night set up for a perfect ending as Randolph collected a defensive rebound with nine seconds left and was sent to the line with a chance to clinch the win. “Z-BO! Z-BO! Z-BO!” roared the crowd. Then Randolph missed both foul shots. Because life isn’t perfect, you know? It’s certainly not perfect when your mother dies unexpectedly at the age of 52. Randolph got yet another double-double (12 points and 14 rebounds) but he missed those two free throws, he air-balled some jumpers and he shot just 5 of 16. All of which should probably have been expected. The man was not just rusty, he was raw. Emotional. His teammates were emotional, too. People wonder why this team wins every close game? They would wonder less if they saw the hugs that Marc Gasol and Tony Allen gave Z-Bo, the expressions of support throughout the night. Said head coach David Fizdale: “All I know is that group really believes in each other.”  Loves each other, too.

3. Randolph on the photo his teammates took after Saturday’s win over the Lakers, all of them gathered around his jersey: “It made my heart smile. It just made me feel good. Speechless, really. Just make your heart drop.”

Grizzlies Morning After: Reliving Zach Randolph's return

4. As for Tuesday’s game itself — which the Grizzlies ultimately won, 96-91 — it was a real struggle to subdue a 76ers team that was as decimated as the Griz. Why? Focus was part of it. “We weren’t 100-percent committed,” is how Gasol put it. But the Grizzlies also missed the points that Troy Daniels has been giving them since Mike Conley went down. Daniels was just 1 of 8 from deep Tuesday, and the Grizzlies were just 2 of 17. As a consequence, the 76ers were aggressively doubling Gasol every time he touched the ball, and Gasol’s teammates weren’t making them pay.

5. I happen to sit right in front of Randolph’s wife and kids during games. It’s a true delight. They yell “DADDY!” throughout the course of the evening. He waves and winks back. It’s all a far cry from the guy Randolph was said to be when Memphis traded for him. Randolph is now a soccer dad. And the loss of his mother is another passage, another part of life. “It puts a smile on my face,” said Randolph, when asked about playing in front of his kids. “I’m doing this for them, and for the people I love. The city. The organization. And my mother, most importantly. My mom was great, man. My mom was all I had, all we had. She was the rock of this family. It’s tough, but I'm going to continue to go hard for her, and leave it all out there, and do it for her. She was my No. 1 fan. She watched every game.” Here, Z-Bo paused for a moment. “Yeah,” he said. “My phone would be ringing right now.”