The Memphis Grizzlies were in Atlanta Saturday night, facing off against the Hawks, and came away with a 128-112 victory.
It was the second consecutive wire-to-wire win for Memphis after Thursday night’s 51-point beatdown of the Golden State Warriors.
Both teams were missing their star point guards — Trae Young was out for the Hawks, and Ja Morant was sidelined for the Grizzlies.
There is no question about the value of Morant to this Memphis team, but the Grizzlies have developed a style of play that has allowed them to win with whoever is available on a given night.
It was a commanding victory for the Grizzlies, who led by as many as 29 points while staying true to their brand of basketball — fast-paced and unselfish, with 35 assists on 50 made shots. Memphis outscored Atlanta in the paint 62-46 and 12-4 in second-chance points.
Seven Grizzlies players, including all five starters, ended the night in double figures.
Scotty Pippen Jr. has seamlessly shifted in and out of the starting lineup this season in Morant’s absence. His performance Saturday night against the Hawks was one of the driving forces behind the Grizzlies’ success.
Pippen Jr. finished the night with 22 points, five rebounds, nine assists, and two steals on 3-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc and 9-of-12 overall, with 10 points and four assists in the first quarter.
Desmond Bane led the Grizzlies with a team-high 23 points, five rebounds, eight assists, and four steals while shooting 4 of 8 from three-point range. Bane has missed eight games this season due to a right oblique strain he suffered early in the season but appears to be returning to his pre-injury form.
Jaren Jackson Jr. spent much of the game in foul trouble and finished with 13 points and five rebounds.
Two of the top five players favored for Rookie of the Year honors wear a Memphis Grizzlies uniform: Zach Edey drafted 9th, and Jaylen Wells drafted 39th.
Both rookies did big work for the Grizzlies in this game: Wells put up 13 points, along with three rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Zach Edey added 10 points and six rebounds in his third game after missing the previous 11 games due to a left ankle sprain.
Jake LaRavia led the second unit with 16 points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals while shooting 4-of-5 from beyond the arc and 6-of-10 overall.
Santi Aldama contributed 10 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Aldama is another player who has moved seamlessly in and out of the starting lineup this season according to team needs.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies return to their home court for one more game before the Christmas holiday. They will be facing off against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night. Tip-off is at 7 PM CST.
