After a disappointing loss in Minnesota against the Timberwolves on Wednesday, Memphis looked to bounce back at home against the 76ers. The Grizzlies had a lackluster performance in a Minnesota loss that saw them have 27 turnovers and continued woes at the free throw line.
On Friday night, back home at FedExForum, the Grizzlies got back to playing their brand of basketball and defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, 117-109.
Philadelphia hasn’t beaten the Grizzlies at FedExForum since 2012, and Memphis notched its ninth consecutive home win in the overall series against the 76ers.
Ja Morant led the way for Memphis with 28 points and eight rebounds as the Grizzlies improved to 13-9 on the season.
Morant spoke about the differences in the last two games. It was like night and day. He said, “Pretty much just playing with a pass. Not playing in traffic. It’s why I felt like we’re a great team. … learning from mistakes and correcting them. The last game was terrible for us, so coming back with no bouncing back and less turnovers helped us win the game.”
Steven Adams held his own against Sixers’ star Joel Embiid, with nine points, 16 rebounds and a team-high six assists to go with three steals and three blocks. Adams even had a one-man fastbreak and it was a delight for Morant to see.
After the game Morant had high praise for his teammate. “I feel like that’s what makes [Steven Adams] so great for us all around,” Morant said about Adams and his matchups. “Him taking on that challenge to guard the best bigs — being able to limit them and make their shots tough as possible. Also, on the other end, making them work, making them have to box out, and him being aggressive as of late has been helping us even more. He’s a big piece to our team, and we’re definitely thankful for him. I know he loves those matchups more than anything and taking on the challenge.”
Jaren Jackson, Jr. had a great game and capped it off with what some are calling the block of the year from “The Block Panther.” Embiid had a chance to cut into the Grizzlies lead late in the contest. He went up for a two-handed jam after getting past Adams, but Jackson denied him at the rim with 25.2 seconds remaining to seal the victory.
Jackson described the block after the game. “I’m going every time, or maybe not, you don’t know – I’m looking at where I think he is going to put the ball, based on how many drives he’s done over the course of the game,” he explained.
“Looking at [Steven Adams], because if Steve is in front, I’ll probably jump later, because he’ll probably do a second move on Steve, or don’t go at all because he’s covered,” Jackson added.
He went on to say, “I saw him get a step on Steve, so I knew he was going to gather and go up. So, I knew the timing. I knew he was going to go up with two hands and protect the ball. So, the only shot I got is right here at the rim, that’s my only chance. I can’t jump early or swipe early, it’s just not going to work for me. That’s what I was seeing. It helps when Steve-O was out there, he makes it really easy for us to come over and help.”
Jackson finished with 22 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks while going 7-of-12 from the field.
The 23-year-old big man has scored 20+ points five times in the last seven games, and also has five games with at least three blocks.
“Each game, he’s progressively getting better. Confidence from the three-point line, decision making is still taking a little bit of time,” said Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins. “How defenses are guarding him — he’s getting some different looks,” Jenkins continued. “His touch finish around the rim will come along with more reps and especially against physical NBA defenses.”
Jenkins concluded, “Defensively, he’s had some big rebound nights, blocked shot nights. His activity is huge for us defensively, and that blocked shot at the end — it was perfect execution. We talked about staying home on shooters, but if [Joel] Embiid got downhill or their driver got downhill late, we need someone to come over, and we know Jaren is going to be that guy. Big-time block, big-time play to seal the win.”
Tidbits
The Make-A-Wish recipient Aiden was signed to a one day contract with the Grizzlies and participated in pre-game activities. It will be a night he will never forget.
“It was pretty much just us as a team, as a group, making him feel a part of the team as much as possible, allowing him to be in the captain huddle,” Morant said after the game.
“I know it’s a dream come true. He got his pick, he got his ball, and our team huddle before we break to go to Coach. It’s something no kid has ever done before but us. He should be proud. That’s a one-on-one thing. I know it made him happy. I actually saw him dancing over there. We pushed him in and let him lead the group. He also did Jaren’s three jumps too. Just making a kid happy and changing their life and giving them something to remember forever is what we try to do.”
“He was at the right place at the right time,” Jackson chimed in. “I was just looking around, and he was perfectly involved. I was like, ‘Here we go, jump. Get ready to jump.’ That’s what it’s all about, making someone’s day. I bet he was hyped.”
Up Next
The Grizzlies will travel to the Motor City to take on Jaden Ivey and the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. Tip-off: 5 p.m. CT
