NBA notebook — Jan. 31

Associated Press The Memphis Grizzlies have shown once before they can be contenders without Rudy Gay. It’s time to prove it again. The Grizzlies started the process of moving on Thursday after trading their leading scorer to Toronto in a three-team deal that brought Tayshaun Prince, Austin Daye and Ed Davis to Memphis. The franchise’s best postseason run came with Gay injured two seasons ago, with an upset of top-seeded San Antonio and then a thrilling seven-game Western Conference semifinal series against Oklahoma City. Before that, Memphis had never even won a playoff game. “I don’t think we’re too scared. I think we’ve been here before without him,” point guard Mike Conley said Thursday at the team’s shootaround before a game at Oklahoma City. “We’ve been without Zach [Randolph]. We’ve had guys go down and we’ve had to deal with it. This team is great at playing with adversity,” he added. “Hopefully, we can kind of mock what we did when Rudy was out that year and we made the playoff run and play that style of basketball.” Gay was out with a shoulder injury when Memphis fell a win short of the 2011 West finals — a series that included a triple-overtime loss. That created hope that Gay’s return would push the Grizzlies over the top. Instead, they exited in the first round of last year’s playoffs against the Los Angeles Clippers and have settled into fourth place in the West this season — albeit with the best first half of a season in team history. “We’re still one of the best teams in the league,” general manager Chris Wallace said at a news conference at the FedExForum. “I don’t believe we have taken a back seat in that regard. There’s a tremendous amount of basketball still to be played here this season in Memphis, and hopefully a nice run in the playoffs as well.” The pressure of luxury tax penalties mounting led to the Gay deal.

NBA notebook — Jan. 31 February 01,2013 04:35 PM GMT Associated Press Copyright � 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,broadcast, rewritten or redistributed..

Defending Gasol

Ricky Rubio is standing up for fellow Spaniard Pau Gasol, saying he doesn’t think it’s fair that the Los Angeles Lakers are bringing Gasol off the bench this season.

Rubio was asked about his close friend Gasol on Thursday, one day before his Minnesota Timberwolves were scheduled to host the Lakers. The two talk often during the season and seek each other out during tough stretches.

It’s been a difficult season for Gasol, who was coming off a dominant performance for the Spain team at the London Olympics.

He’s missed big chunks of time with tendinitis in his knees and a concussion and hasn’t seemed to find a role in Mike D’Antoni’s offense. D’Antoni has been starting journeyman Earl Clark in Gasol’s place, something that Gasol and Rubio don’t like.

“He proved to the league he is one of the best,” Rubio said.

“He can pass. He can shoot. He can rebound. He can do a lot of things. I think if you use him in the right way he is a top player in this league. If they don’t want him, we are more than welcome to get him.”