With three games left in the regular season, Memphis defeated the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, 133-104 to come within a half game of the Golden State Warriors. On Monday night, the Grizzlies clinched a spot in the post-season play-in tournament with a much-needed victory against the Pelicans. Now Memphis is trying to finish the season in eighth place in the West.
The Grizzlies owed Dallas after a heartbreaking one-point loss on April 14th. The shorthanded Grizzlies were up to the challenge with a wire to wire victory. Memphis was without big men Jonas Valanciunas (back soreness) and Jaren Jr. (return from injury management).
Ja Morant put the team on his back. The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year led the Grizzlies with 24 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds (a near triple-double) off of 7-13 shooting plus 7-8 from the charity stripe.
During the post-game media availability, Morant talked about the team’s intensity. “Tonight just shows us weโre capable of doing it,” he said. “We just got to try to continue to play a full 48 minutes. Thatโs really the message.”
Memphis has been known for giving up leads lately, but the team’s intensity level stayed the same for all four quarters against Dallas.
John Konchar led the Grizzlies bench. The bench mob made a much-needed appearance with the help of an unlikely hero, John Konchar. Konchar garnered a career-high 18 points, six rebounds, and three assists on 7-of-13 shooting. He also posted a team-high (+36) plus-minus in 26 minutes of play. ‘Mr. Make Things Happen’ career night wasn’t a surprise to Morant.
“Seeing him when we first started, playing in scrimmages and stuff, he was doing the stuff he did the past couple of games,” said Morant. “I was one of those guys showing him support. I used to get kind of frustrated when he would pass up shots and wouldnโt be aggressive, because I know what heโs capable of and Iโve seen him do the stuff he did tonight.”
Morant added, “So my message to him was just, โGo out there and play freely. Nobody will yell at you, be mad at you for being aggressive.โ And as you can see, when he plays aggressively and looks for his [shot], it helps the team.”
Dillon Brooks was on fire. The Grizzlies are 36-14 in the past two seasons when Brooks scores 20 or more points. Brooks finished with 22 points, three steals, and two block shots. He also made it hard for Luka Doncic most of the night.
The Play-in Tournament
Most ‘experts’ and analysts predicted the Grizzlies would finish at the bottom of the western conference. Even some fans didn’t believe making the playoffs was possible in the absence of Jaren Jackson, Jr. at the start of the season. But these young Grizzlies aren’t satisfied with a guaranteed spot in the play-in tournament. They want to secure a spot in the playoffs.
After the game, Morant said, “Jobโs not finished. Even though we secured a [play-in] spot, that really doesnโt mean nothing. Still got to finish out strong and handle business in the play-in tournament. Until we do that, jobโs not done.โ
Back-up point guard Tyus Jones shared a similar sentiment: “The expectation is to win and advance. Ultimately thatโs what it comes down to: putting ourselves in a position to fight for a playoff spot.”
Jones continued, “And, weโve done that. So, just win by any means necessary and advance, and weโre just looking forward to the playoff atmosphere. We know the intensity thatโs going to be at stake. Itโs going to be teams fighting for their seasons, season on the line. Win or go home. Every play matters. The details matter because that could be your season. So, weโre going to be very locked in. We know whatโs at stake, and Iโm excited for the challenge thatโs ahead of us.”
Up Next
The Grizzlies will be back in action on Thursday night at FedExForum to take on the Sacramento Kings.
