It was a tough day for Marc Gasol. He arrived walking gingerly at FedExForum before the nationally-televised Martin Luther King, Jr. Day game Monday against the Pelicans, who were missing superstar center Anthony Davis. Gasol is dealing with an injury to the cervicothoracic (CT) junction in his back, a condition that kept him out of the Grizzlies’ embarrassing loss in Toronto on Saturday night.



After the 119-90 debacle against the Raptors, he wasn’t going to miss this one.



Gasol cut a very grumpy figure prior to the game, with his back not responding to treatment and his pregame routine disrupted. Still, he gave it a go, hitting three of his first four shots and finishing with more attempts (19) than he’s had in almost two months. It didn’t change what has become a predictable pattern for the Grizzlies: an awful third quarter leading to a big loss. That’s 23 losses in 30 games now, an astonishing turn in their fortunes.



This...