Santi Aldama dunks the ball in the win against San Antonio. (Credit: NBAE/Getty Images.)
The Memphis Grizzlies closed out their four-game road trip with a massive 140-112 win over the San Antonio Spurs and head home with a 3-1 record for the stretch.
Ja Morant was sidelined for this matchup with a sore foot, but that proved to be no problem at all for this Grizzlies team. Head coach Taylor Jenkins opted to move Luke Kennard into the starting lineup in Morant’s place, over Scotty Pippen Jr., a move which ultimately paid off for Memphis. Pippen Jr. has struggled offensively lately, averaging just 3.8 points over the past five games.
This was a bona-fide drag them into the mud and beat them there win for Memphis. After a rocky first half that had them trailing by one at the break, the Grizzlies found their offensive groove in the third quarter, outscoring San Antonio 40-22 in the period.
Once the Grizzlies took the lead in the third, the Spurs could not recover. Memphis closed the quarter with an 18-2 run.
The fourth quarter basically saw the Grizzlies running up the score, leading by as many as 31 points in the period.
There are many positive things to take away from this win: a career-scoring night from Santi Aldama, who had 29 points;, Luke Kennard thriving in the starting lineup, and improved ball-handling and offensive efficiency, and single-digit turnovers. For a team that has been plagued by turnovers all season long, that last one is a big deal.
Santi Aldama led all scorers with his career-high 29 points, adding 8 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal on 10 of 19 overall shooting and 5 of 12 from beyond the arc.
Desmond Bane closed out with 22 points, 6 rebounds, 14 assists, and 3 steals.
Jaylen Wells added another 22 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists on 8 of 11 overall shooting and 6 of 8 from three-point range.
Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 19 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal. Kennard put up 17 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists. Brandon Clarke added 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies return home Monday, January 20th, for their 23rd annual MLK Day game, facing off against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
This will be a nationally broadcast game; fans can watch it on TNT and FanDuel Sports Network. Tip-off is at 1:30 PM CST.
Jaren Jackson Jr. handles the ball against Dillon Brooks in Houston. (Credit: NBAE/Getty Images.)
It’s become the tale of these two teams this season — a tight game ending in a loss for Memphis. Monday night, the Grizzlies battled and fell short against the Houston Rockets in a 120-118 loss. The loss comes less than a week after the Rockets defeated the Grizzlies 119-115 in Memphis.
After leading by as many as 13 points, the Grizzlies could not overcome Houston’s surging offense in the fourth quarter, led by Jalen Green and Amen Thompson. Green led all scorers with 42 points, and added 3 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Turnovers plagued both teams, with Memphis committing 18 turnovers, leading to 27 points, and Houston committing 23 turnovers, leading to 31 points. They were evenly matched in the paint, scoring 48 each, and the Grizzlies had the advantage in fast break points — 29 to 19.
Houston now leads the season series 3-0, and the two teams will meet for a final time on January 30th in Memphis.
Ja Morant led the Grizzlies in scoring with 29 points, and added 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals.
Desmond Bane added 25 points on 9 of 13 overall shooting and 4 of 5 from beyond the arc. He added 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. Bane scored 15 of his 25 points in the third quarter, shooting 6 of 8 overall and 2 of 2 from three-point range.
Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 17 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block while shooting 6 of 11 overall and 1 of 3 from beyond the arc.
Jaylen Wells added 14 points and 2 steals.
Jake LaRavia contributed 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies are headed to San Antonio for back-to-back games against the Spurs — Wednesday, January 15, at 7 PM CST and Friday, January 17, at 8:30 PM CST.
Ja Morant shoots the ball against the Houston Rockets. (Credit: NBAE/Getty Images.)
The Memphis Grizzlies got their star point guard back, but still lost to the Houston Rockets on Thursday, 119-115. Memphis is 0-2 against Houston this season, and with their win, the Rockets take a 1.5-game lead over the Grizzlies for the second seed in the Western Conference.
The highlight of the game was Ja Morant’s return to action after missing five games due to a right AC joint sprain he suffered against the New Orleans Pelicans on December 27th. Morant led the Grizzlies with a team-high 27 points, and added 3 rebounds, and 3 assists.
— Grizzlies On FanDuel Sports Network (@FDSN_Grizzlies) January 10, 2025
Houston dominated throughout the first quarter, led by center Alperen Sengun’s 16 points. Memphis did themselves no favors in the first, committing four turnovers that led to eight points by the Rockets. If that sounds familiar, it’s because turnovers are the Grizzlies kryptonite this season.
Tightening up their ball handling and security would have made all the difference for Memphis, as most of their 20 turnovers were unforced — resulting from bad passes and sloppy ball handling. The Rockets converted those turnovers into 31 points, while limiting their own turnovers to 13, which led to 11 points by the Grizzlies. Houston had 12 more field goal attempts than Memphis, a product of the aforementioned turnovers.
Memphis did not lie down without a fight, and they were able to claw back and gain the lead from 17 points down in the third quarter.
The game also saw the return of Santi Aldama, who had missed six games due to a left ankle sprain. Aldama led the bench with 12 points and 9 rebounds.
Former Memphis Grizzly Dillon Brooks managed to commit a technical foul in the first 30 seconds of the game. Brooks, who was drafted by the Grizzlies in 2017 and played in Memphis for his first six seasons in the league, was not much help to Houston offensively, scoring just 5 points on 2 of 15 overall shooting and 1 of 8 from beyond the arc.
Neither team shot the long ball particularly well, with Memphis shooting a dismal 31.2% (10 of 32) from three-point range and Houston shooting 38.2% (13 of 34).
One small bright spot in this matchup was the Grizzlies dominating 62-48 in the paint.
By the numbers:
Jaren Jackson Jr. had 21 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and a season-high 6 blocks.
— Grizzlies On FanDuel Sports Network (@FDSN_Grizzlies) January 10, 2025
Desmond Bane was the only other starter to score in double figures, finishing with 16 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals.
Santi Aldama led the bench, as mentioned, and Luke Kennard added 11 points and 2 assists.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies hit the road for the next four games, starting with Minnesota, where they will face off against Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves on Saturday night. Tip-off is at 7 PM CST.
Zach Edey goes up for a block against Andrew Wiggins. (Credit: NBAE/Getty Images)
The Memphis Grizzlies come up short against the Golden State Warriors in their second-consecutive loss. With a final score of 121-113, the Grizzlies finished their five-game road trip at 2-3 and fell from from second- to third-place in the Western Conference.
Golden State was missing its star guard, Steph Curry, and backup guard, Gary Payton II.
The list of players on the injury report for Memphis was much longer: Ja Morant, Marcus Smart, Santi Aldama, Luke Kennard, John Konchar, Yuki Kawamura, Vince Williams Jr., and GG Jackson II.
Kennard and Konchar were game-time decisions previously listed as doubtful and questionable. Desmond Bane was also previously listed as questionable, but he was able to play.
Turnovers and poor three-point shooting kept the Grizzlies just out of reach of the Warriors throughout most of the game, with Memphis never holding more than a two-point lead.
Every Grizzlies’ player aside from Brandon Clarke and Cam Spencer committed at least one live-ball turnover, with Bane committing a game-high eight turnovers. All in all, Memphis had 23 turnovers that converted to 28 points for Golden State.
The Warriors outshot the Grizzlies 53.5% (23 of 43) to 33.3% (9 of 27) from beyond the arc. The Grizzlies did have a 64 (32 of 49) to 32 (16 of 30) advantage in the paint, but it was not enough to overcome such a large disparity in three-point shooting.
Memphis won the free throw battle 75% (12 of 16) to 62.5% (10 of 16). Both teams had a total of 18 fouls, with Desmond Bane, Dennis Schroder, and Draymond Green all earning technical fouls. Green’s technical foul came less than a minute after he committed a flagrant foul against Zach Edey in the fourth quarter.
By The Numbers:
Jaren Jackson Jr. led with a team-high 23 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block.
Desmond Bane finished with 22 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block, in addition to 8 turnovers.
The Grizzlies will return home to FedExForum on Monday, January 6th, to face off against the Dallas Mavericks in their first home game of 2025.
These two Southwest division rivals last met in Dallas during group play of the in-season tournament in December, when the Mavericks defeated the Grizzlies and advanced to the second round.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scores against the Suns. (Credit: NBAE/Getty Images)
With just nine available players, the Memphis Grizzlies took on Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns to close out the year and came away with a 117-112 victory. Despite how close the game felt in the second half, the Grizzlies led wire-to-wire.
After getting dog-walked by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, the Grizzlies came into this matchup down another rotation player.
Jake LaRavia suffered a right ankle sprain during the game against the Thunder. He became the latest addition to the injury report, plus two-way guard Yuki Kawamura, who was sidelined due to left shoulder soreness.
That left the Grizzlies with nine healthy and available players, including two-way players Colin Castleton and Cam Spencer.
But as he has done so many times for this Grizzlies team, Jaren Jackson Jr. stepped up and put the team on his back, this time to secure the final win of 2024. He had a game-high 38 points total, with 19 points, three rebounds, one assist, and one steal during the first quarter, when Memphis built a 12-point lead.
Desmond Bane was the other half of the dynamic duo responsible for this victory, along with a few supporting characters: Jaylen Wells, Luke Kennard, and John Konchar.
Bane and Jackson Jr. combined for 69 points, 17 rebounds, and 11 assists.
JJJ & Bane put in WORK to get the Grizzlies a hard-fought road W 😤
There was a familiar face in Phoenix: former Grizzlies point guard Tyus Jones is now the starting point guard for the Suns. Jones has led the league in assists to turnovers several seasons, including some of his years in Memphis. We’ve seen games where Jones doesn’t commit a single turnover, which makes the five turnovers he was forced into extra special, with three coming in the first quarter.
Notorious Grizz adversary Kevin Durant led the Suns offensively with 29 points, followed by Jones with 21 points, along with Devin Booker’s 16 points and Mason Plumlee’s 12 points.
Turnovers and missed free throws have been a particular thorn in the Grizzles’ side this season, and unfortunately, this game was no exception.
Collectively, Memphis committed 17 turnovers and shot an abysmal 66.7% (22 of 33) from the free-throw line, where Jackson Jr. uncharacteristically struggled, shooting just 10 of 17.
This was a wire-to-wire win for Memphis, but Phoenix cut the lead several times in the second half. A clutch three-point play from John Konchar with 1:05 remaining slammed the door on the Suns. Konchar finished with seven points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds.
John Konchar makes a bucket in Phoenix. (Credit: NBAE/Getty Images)
Desmond Bane scored a season-high 31 points, and added five rebounds and seven assists.
Jaylen Wells added 11 points, six rebounds, and two assists.
Luke Kennard led the second unit with 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals on 5 of 8 overall shooting and 3 of 6 from beyond the arc.
I would like to wish all our readers a Happy New Year. Here’s to more Grizzlies dominance in 2025.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies will continue their road trip on Friday when they visit Sacramento to take on the Kings. Tip-off is at 9 PM CST.
Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey (14) shoots the ball against the Toronto Raptors during the first quarter at FedExForum on Dec 26, 2024 (Wes Hale / The Memphis Flyer)
If Santa didn’t bring you what you wanted for Christmas, the Memphis Grizzlies have got you covered with an epic win in their last home game of 2024.
After a disappointing loss to the Los Angeles Clippers the day before Christmas Eve, the Grizzlies returned to their home court for a Boxing Day beatdown of the Toronto Raptors of astronomic proportions.
With a final score of 155-126, the Grizzlies set a franchise-record and the highest-scoring game of any NBA team this season.
The Grizzlies took the floor like a raging bull in the first period, countering every Raptors attempt at an offensive run while exploiting Toronto’s defensive weakness, forcing their defenders into shooting fouls that sent them to the free throw line five times.
Ja Morant earned all four of his first-quarter points from the charity stripe.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) dribbles against the Toronto Raptors during the first quarter at FedExForum on December 26, 2024. (Photo: Wes Hale)
Memphis was outshot 60.9 percent to 55.6 percent from the field and 45.5 percent to 30 percent from beyond the arc in that first quarter, but the Raptors’ foul trouble led to a 10 to three free throw disparity that the Grizzlies used to close out the first quarter with a 43-35 lead.
Their perfect 10 of 10 free throw shooting made the difference in the score, but Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Zach Edey were the stars of the show, combining for 24 points in the first quarter.
Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) drives to the basket against the Toronto Raptors during the first quarter at FedExForum on December 26, 2024 (Photo: Wes Hale)
Despite Toronto overcoming a 19-point deficit to tie the game at 66 with less than three minutes remaining in the second quarter, the Grizzlies never allowed the Raptors to take the lead. Memphis pushed back in the final minutes of the period and took an eight-point lead into the second half.
A 43-point third quarter propelled the Grizzlies to a franchise-record 121 points through three quarters. Unlike in the first quarter, Memphis had only one free throw attempt, scoring the remaining 42 points the old-fashioned way — by stomping the Raptors hard into the ground on every possession, destroying them on the boards (21-13), limiting their shot attempts (37-29), and outscoring them 18-6 from beyond the arc.
The fourth quarter went off the rails quickly for the Raptors after Toronto head coach (and former Memphis assistant coach) Darko Rajaković was ejected for a heated outburst at a referee.
There was 10:29 left on the game clock when Rajaković exploded over the lack of a foul call, charged onto the court, and had to be restrained by members of his staff. There will no doubt be a fine coming for Rajaković from the league, and he certainly got his money’s worth, as seen in the video below:
The remainder of the game was mostly the Grizzlies bench playing with their food.
Three of the five starters (Jaylen Wells, Desmond Bane, and Ja Morant) sat for the fourth quarter.
Luke Kennard scored 12 of his 15 points in the final frame, shooting three of four from the field, two of three from beyond the arc, and four of four from the free-throw line. John Konchar scored six of his nine points in the fourth, finishing the night with a perfect three-of-three shooting from three-point range.
Memphis had eight players finish the night in double-digits, including all five starters.
Zach Edey scored a career-high 21 points, 16 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks.
Jaren Jackson Jr. got 21 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and three blocks.
Desmond Bane put up 19 points, five rebounds, and two assists while shooting three of six from beyond the arc.
Jaylen Wells finished the night with 17 points, one rebound, one assist, and one steal while shooting a game-high five of 10 from three-point range. Wells has been shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc and has made more three-pointers (58) than any other rookie this season.
Ja Morant added 15 points, two rebounds, and nine assists.
From the second unit:
Luke Kennard scored 15 points, eight assists, and one steal.
Scotty Pippen Jr. added 15 points, two rebounds, three assists, and four steals.
Brandon Clarke finished with 11 points, nine rebounds, and one block.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies are back at it tonight, facing off against the New Orleans Pelicans in the first game of a five-game road trip. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. CST.
Desmond Bane shoots the ball in Saturday night's win in Atlanta. (Credit: NBAE/Getty Images)
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.
Jaren Jackson Jr. on defense. (Credit: NBAE/Getty Images.)
We are roughly a third of the way through the 2024-25 regular season, and I am pleased to inform you that despite some ongoing injury struggles, the Memphis Grizzlies are back — and they look like a real NBA team after the dumpster fire of last season.
As I write this, Memphis is ranked second in the Western Conference with a 17-8 record.
Compare that with last year’s 6-19 record through the first 25 games, and it looks like we are watching an entirely different team. And in some ways, we *are* watching an entirely different team.
The 2023-24 Grizzlies started the season with their star point guard Ja Morant serving a 25-game suspension for “conduct unbecoming to the league.” This is league-speak for acting like a dumbass and flashing a firearm on Instagram Live, not once but twice in as many months.
It went downhill from there.
He joined the team in December but played in only nine games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. During those nine games, the Grizzlies were 6-3, winning as many games in that brief stretch as they had in the 25 games prior. Morant’s absence was far from the only one.
How about these NBA records for the Grizzlies last year:
** Most players used in a season: 33
** Most starting lineups used in a season: 51
** Most games lost to injury: 578
Morant has missed 11 of the first 25 games of this season with injuries, but unlike last season, Memphis has managed to continue winning in his absence.
Memphis acquired former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart from the Boston Celtics during the 2023 offseason. This was the most high-profile free agency signing the Grizzlies have made since signing Chandler Parsons in 2016.
Smart’s Grizzlies’ tenure has not been anywhere near as execrable as that of Parsons, but that is a low bar. Smart missed considerable time last season because of injury, and his on-court performance when he was healthy was the worst of his career.
He has also struggled with injuries this season, but when he’s healthy, he has been a solid contributor, defensively and offensively. This is after being relegated to the second unit for the first time in his career, in favor of rookie Jaylen Wells.
As I have said before, it speaks to Smart’s level of professionalism that he has seamlessly adapted to this new role; few veterans of his caliber would do that after more than a decade in the starting lineup.
The Grizzlies’ abysmal showing during the 2023-24 season earned them a lottery spot and, ultimately, the ninth pick for the 2024 NBA Draft. After their frontcourt injury struggles (two of their top three bigs – Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke – combined to play six games, all by Clarke), a skilled big man was the team’s biggest need. A need they filled by drafting Zach Edey, a 7’4” center out of Purdue.
Edey was named Big Ten Player of the Year and consensus National Player of the Year in both 2023 and 2024. With the Grizzlies, he was a favorite for NBA Rookie of the Year until he suffered a high ankle sprain against the Denver Nuggets, which has kept him benched since November 17. His status is listed as week to week.
Memphis converted guard Scotty Pippen Jr.’s two-way contract to a standard NBA contract before the season started, a move that has paid dividends when Morant has been unable to play. Pippen is averaging 10.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 5.4 assists.
Another new face for the Grizzlies has been center Jay Huff, who also played his way off a two-way contract and into a four-year deal. Huff has been a valuable contributor and has alternated between the starting lineup and the bench, depending on what is needed. He’s averaging 9.5 points and 2.7 rebounds and has become something of a fan favorite.
The Grizzlies have added some excellent new players, that much is clear. But it’s been some familiar faces, like Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Santi Aldama, and Jake LaRavia, who have driven the team’s success this season.
Over the past few years, Jackson Jr. has been quietly working his way into a role as one of the team’s most valuable players. His growth, year after year, has been nothing short of remarkable, and he’s emerged as one of the best players in franchise history.
In many ways, the 2024-25 Memphis Grizzlies are everything that the 2023-24 Grizzlies were not.
Looking at them head-to-head:
** After having the best home record in the league in 2022-23, the Grizzlies won just nine games on their home court during the 2023-24 season.
A third of the way through the current season, Memphis is 11-3 at home.
** After spending two consecutive seasons (2021-22 and 2022-23) leading the league in points in the paint, Memphis ranked dead last in 2023-24.
Now? They are ranked second in the paint and lead the league in shooting from the restricted area. And this year’s bench is the best in the league.
Here is how the Grizzlies have fared through December 10th compared to other Western Conference teams:
Above all else, what is the biggest difference between last year’s hospital Grizzlies and this year’s team? This year’s Grizzlies team can win with whomever on the roster is available on a given night. That’s great news for Grizzlies fans. Scary news for the rest of the league.
Jaren Jackson Jr. battles for the opening possession. (Photo: NBAE/Getty Images.)
On the second night of back-to-back games, the Memphis Grizzlies decimated the Washington Wizards without Ja Morant and Desmond Bane.
With a final score of 140-112, the Grizzlies emerged from their weekend road trip 2-0.
After a hard-fought win against the Boston Celtics in which he scored a season-high 31 points, Ja Morant sat out against the Wizards with back soreness.
Expect Memphis to continue its cautionary approach to managing Morant’s injuries.
But even without two of their best players, the Grizzlies looked poised, prepared, and just plain better than their opponents, largely thanks to their incredible depth.
Scotty Pippen Jr. and Marcus Smart moved into the starting lineup, but even without them, the bench outscored the starters 76-64.
The Wizards were led on both ends of the court by a familiar face — Lithuanian big man Jonas Valančiūnas, who played for the Grizzlies from 2019-2021.
Despite Valanciunas’ 20-point, 14-rebound double-double, the Wizards had no answer for the Grizzlies. Washington held a two-point lead for a grand total of 47 seconds in the first quarter.
— Grizzlies On FanDuel Sports Network (@FDSN_Grizzlies) December 9, 2024
Memphis was led offensively by Jaren Jackson Jr., who fielded 21 points, four rebounds, and four blocks on 8 of 15 overall shooting and 3 of 8 from beyond the arc — all in a mere 16:46 minutes of playing time.
Scotty Pippen Jr. looked right at home back in the starting lineup, delivering 14 points, 12 assists, and 2 steals on 6 of 11 shooting from the field.
Marcus Smart was similarly at ease moving from the bench unit to the starters, putting up 13 points and three rebounds while shooting 5 of 8 from the field and 3 of 6 from three-point range.
Brandon Clarke was coming off his best game of the season against the Celtics but still had a respectable showing against the Wizards. He finished the night with 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Jay Huff and Santi Aldama celebrate during the game against the Washington Wizards. (Photo: NBAE/Getty Images.)
Santi Aldama was the leading scorer off the bench with 19 points, seven rebounds, five assists, one steal, and three blocks while shooting 7 of 11 overall and a team-best 3 of 5 from beyond the arc.
Reserve center Jay Huff finished the night with 17 points and three rebounds while rookie shooting guard Cam Spencer added 14 points, four rebounds, and five assists on 4 of 8 shooting from the field and 2 of 4 from three-point range in his third ever NBA game.
We even got a brief appearance from Yuki Kawamura in the fourth quarter:
SUNDAY SCARIES DON'T EXIST WHEN WE LIVE IN A WORLD WITH YUKI KAWAMURA SPLASHING IN STEPBACK THREES IN OUR NATION'S CAPITAL pic.twitter.com/kAKI1hMh6H
The next two games are recent additions to the schedule, among other teams that have also been eliminated from the NBA Cup: Friday, December 13th, at home against the Brooklyn Nets, with a 7 p.m. CST tip-off time, and Sunday, December 15th, on the road against the Los Angeles Lakers, tipping off at 8:30 p.m. CST.
Marcus Smart drives the ball against the Sacramento Kings. (Credit: NBAE/Getty Images.)
It was a true team effort from the Memphis Grizzlies that led to their 115-110 victory over the Sacramento Kings, Thursday, and their sixth straight win on the home floor.
Memphis got off to a rocky start. Sacramento came out blazing in the first quarter and built a nine-point lead. The Grizzlies overcame it, but the two teams stayed close, with 20 lead changes throughout.
However, the Grizzlies did themselves no favors by allowing the Kings to score 29 points off their 22 turnovers. Turnovers have been a struggle for this team all season, and Memphis is 28th in the league in total turnovers and turnovers per game.
The Grizzlies’ bench unit was the real star of the game, outscoring Sacramento’s second unit 60-15 — and their own starting lineup, 60-55.
Memphis beat the Kings 22-9 in fast-break points, a category the in which the Kings lead the league.
Ja Morant’s fourth-quarter ejection on a second technical foul had the potential to derail Memphis, and last season, it almost certainly would have. Morant was assessed a second technical for his reaction to being called for a foul on DeMar DeRozan at the 6:35 mark.
In a postgame interview, officiating Crew Chief Pat Fraher revealed that the foul call on the play that ultimately led to Morant’s ejection was called incorrectly.
Per Fraher: “In live play, the official thought that Morant bumped DeRozan on his jump shot. However, after postgame review, Morant was in legal guarding position and should not have been called for a foul.”
Marcus Smart continues to thrive coming off the bench, in a role that he seems to have fully embraced. I think it speaks to Smart’s level of professionalism that he’s taken losing his spot in the starting lineup to rookie Jaylen Wells in stride.
— Grizzlies On FanDuel Sports Network (@FDSN_Grizzlies) December 6, 2024
For the 11th time this season, the Grizzlies had seven players who scored in double figures. Memphis leads the league in games with seven or more players who scored double digits.
Desmond Bane led the starters with 18 points, and added eight rebounds, and seven assists. Bane was the only starter to finish the game with a positive plus/minus rating.
Jaren Jackson Jr. finished the night with 15 points, two rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Jaylen Wells added 10 points and six rebounds.
Marcus Smart led the bench with 18 points, four rebounds, five assists, and two steals on five-of-nine overall shooting and four-of-eight from beyond the arc.
Santi Aldama finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and three steals on six of eight overall shooting and three of three from three-point range.
Jake LaRavia added 12 points, eight rebounds, and two assists.
Jay Huff contributed 11 points, four rebounds, one assist, and two blocks.
With the exception of Desmond Bane’s 32:25 minutes, no one else played for more than 29 minutes. This season, winning games with more players playing fewer minutes has been a hallmark of the Grizzlies.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies will be on the road for back-to-back games this weekend. They will take on the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics on Saturday night and the league’s worst team, the Washington Wizards, on Sunday. Saturday night’s game tips off at 7 PM CST.
