Author: Sharon Brown

Sharon Brown is a University of Memphis graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Professional Studies with a concentration in Legal Studies. Born and raised in the Mississippi Delta, Sharon is one of the Memphis Grizzlies beat writers for the Memphis Flyer. She has created a niche in the industry by co-founding All Heart in Hoop City — a unique community of women sportswriters.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Playoff Preview: Grizzlies vs. Jazz

Photo courtesy of ESPN Stats and Info via Twitter

The young, gritty, and resilient Memphis Grizzlies squad defied all odds and expectations to secure a spot in the NBA playoffs after knocking off the San Antonio Spurs and stunning the Golden State Warriors in the NBA’s play-in tournament.

Memphis will have a first-round matchup against a hot Utah Jazz, who had the league’s best record in the regular season. How do you prepare for a team most viewers didn’t give a chance of winning against the Warriors in San Francisco?

The Grizzlies will be the underdogs in the series, but the Jazz should in no way underestimate them. Memphis players are not just going to have a “we are just happy to be here vibe.”

Both teams have something to prove. Last season, Utah was bounced out of the first round after having the Denver Nuggets up 3-1 in the series. Memphis barely missed the playoffs after a heartbreaking loss to the Portland Trailblazers in the play-in tournament. 

To preview this series, our Sharon Brown and Aimee Stiegemeyer answer questions that may determine if Memphis will advance to the second round. 

Will Dillon Brooks be able to contain Donovan Mitchell? 

Sharon Brown: Mitchell is recovering from an ankle injury that caused him to miss the last 16 regular-season games. Mitchell averaged 35 points in the two games against Memphis in the regular season. 

Everything is really depending upon which version of Mitchell will be present during this series. The strategy in defending Mitchell should be the same as how Brooks defended Stephen Curry in the last two games against the Warriors. If Brooks can limit Mitchell and defend without fouling, Memphis will have a great chance of pulling off the impossible and at least take one game in Utah. 

Aimee Steigemeyer: That is the hope. One of the necessary factors for success for the Grizzlies in this series will be his ability to lock up his defensive assignments. I might not always agree with his shot selection, but I absolutely believe in his defensive abilities. 

Can Ja Morant have a repeat performance from the play-in elimination game against the Warriors to advance to the second round?

Sharon: Absolutely, he must continue to play out his mind and with poise. In the regular-season matchups against Utah, Morant put up 36, 32, and 12. So he is more than capable of finding his shots among the trees. The Murray State alum needs to continue to have confidence in his three-point shot as he did in Wednesday’s game. 

He knows the team is counting on him in order for them to advance to the next round, and I believe he will be ready for the task before him. 

Aimee: Simply put — yes. Ja Morant is ready for the moment.  

Which matchup are you looking forward to seeing — Jonas Valanciunas against Rudy Gobert or Mike Conley against Morant?

Sharon: Both matchups should be great. To see Valanciunas and Gobert battle in the paint will be awesome, but to see Conley and Morant go at it will be edge-of-your-seat entertainment. It will be good to see the old guard Grizzlies player in Conley go up against the new Grizzlies cornerstone in Morant. Either way, it will be good for Memphis to see how the two players match up in games of this caliber. 

Aimee: Do I really have to choose? I am looking forward to both for different reasons. The past point guard vs. present point guard narrative is compelling for sure. Regardless of the outcome of this series, there is a very “passing the torch” feel to it. I’m rocking with Morant all the way, but Conley will always be my Captain.  

Having said that, Jonas Valanciunas has just been a pure, unbridled basketball joy to watch all season, and I will take as much of that as I can get.  

Which bench player do you think will be the most impactful? 

Sharon: If Grayson Allen can continuously hit 4 of 5 from the three-point line like he did Friday night against the Warriors, then it would be him, without question. Also, I am interested to see how well Xavier Tillman Sr. will match up against Derrick Favors in the second unit. 

In order for Memphis to win this series, bench production will be key. The second unit is the reason the Grizzlies won plenty of games in the regular season and that shouldn’t change in this playoff series. 

Aimee: It will be a toss-up between De’Anthony Melton and Xavier Tillman Sr. Really, it needs to be all of them stepping up, as this Grizzlies lineup is very much one that wins as a team. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

The Memphis Grizzlies are Playoff Bound

Dillon Brooks hugs Ja Morant after he hit a go ahead bucket late in overtime. (Photo via Grizzlies Twitter)

The Memphis Grizzlies are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2017. Marc Gasol won’t be present, Zach Randolph has officially retired, Tony Allen hasn’t played in a long time, and Mike Conley will be suiting up for Memphis’ first-round opponent, the Utah Jazz. A 21-year old second-year guard is the leader on this team, and he showed up in one of the biggest games of his young career. 

That’s right, Ja Morant put on a show and sealed the victory in OT of the NBA’s play-in elimination game against the Golden State Warriors, 117-112.

After defeating the Spurs on Wednesday, Morant said the team planned to pack for a three-game road trip having confidence his team would make the playoffs. Those were bold words and he backed it up in an emphatic way. 

Morant showed poise from the start, and the young star isn’t afraid to play against any team. He put on another breakout performance like he did in last season’s play-in tournament elimination game against the Portland Trailblazers. The Murray State alum finished with a team-high 35 points, six rebounds, six assists to go along with four steals in 45 minutes of play. Morant also connected on a career-high 5 of 10 from the three-point line. 

Morant and company heard the noise that most thought the team had absolutely no chance to upset the Warriors inside the Chase Center. The team proved the NBA world wrong again by eliminating both the San Antonio Spurs and the Golden State Warriors in the second season of a team rebuild. 

Morant spoke to ESPN’s Rachel Nichols after the game.

The real Grizzlies bench showed up and showed out.

Earlier on Friday, I stated in a play-in preview, “Simply put, Memphis cannot and will not win this game if there’s not a good performance from its bench.” And the bench players came up huge after being outworked in the past two games against the Warriors last Sunday and the Spurs on Wednesday. 

The second unit had 40 points behind Grayson Allen, Xavier Tillman Sr., and Desmond Bane. With that performance, the Grizzlies bench proved why they were a top-10 bench in the league during the regular season. 

In 25 minutes, Allen finished with 12 points, four rebounds, and four steals plus some big three-point shots during the overtime period. Allen went 4 of 5 from beyond the arc. 

Tillman played 23 minutes and chipped in 11 points, seven rebounds, and three steals. Tillman was huge for Memphis on both ends of the floor and was one of the reasons for the win. The rookie put on a great performance before a national audience after Jonas Valanciunas fouled out and Jaren Jackson Jr. was on the bench. 

Rookie Desmond Bane played the most minutes of the second unit at 29; he added 10 points, four rebounds, and two assists. When most of the bench was struggling, Bane had the trust of the coaching staff to be on the court with the starters. 

Analysis

This truly is a remarkable story for the Memphis Grizzlies to make the playoffs in the second year of a rebuild after defying all the odds and overachieving with the deck stacked against them. 

Memphis should be proud of this team’s resilience and poise. 

Up Next

The Grizzlies will take on Conley and the Utah Jazz in the first round of the Western Conference Quarterfinals in the NBA Playoffs. Here is the schedule: 

Note: All times are Central.

Game 1: Sunday, May 23 | Grizzlies at Jazz, 8:30 p.m on TNT

Game 2:  Wednesday, May 26 | Grizzlies at Jazz, 9 p.m on TNT

Game 3:  Saturday, May 29 | Jazz at Grizzlies, 8:30 p.m. on ESPN

Game 4:  Monday, May 31 | Jazz at Grizzlies, 8:30 p.m on TNT

Game 5:  Wednesday, June 2 | Grizzlies at Jazz, TBD (if necessary)

Game 6:  Friday, June 4 | Jazz at Grizzlies, TBD (if necessary)

Game 7:  Sunday, June 6 | Grizzlies at Jazz, TBD (if necessary)

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Beyond the Arc Sports

It’s Do or Die Time for the Grizzlies

(Photo courtesy of Noah Magaro-George of SB Nation)

The Grizzlies finished the regular season 38–34 as the ninth seed in the West and will battle the 10th-seeded San Antonio Spurs – who finished the season at 33-39 – in Game 1 of the Western Conference NBA Play-in Tournament.

Memphis went 2-1 against San Antonio in the 2020-21 season series with the road team winning each game.

In the regular season finale, Memphis fell in a heartbreaker on the road against the Golden State Warriors, 113-101 on Sunday afternoon.

The Grizzlies had won five consecutive games including four at home. However, the Spurs are on a four-game losing streak to end the regular season and have won just two of their last 12 games.

The winner of this matchup will take on the loser of Game 2 of the Western Conference NBA Play-in Tournament later tonight between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors.

So Memphis or San Antonio will have a chance to battle for the final spot in the Western Conference playoffs by taking on the Lakers or the Warriors.

Keys to move forward in the play-in tournament

Ja Morant simply has to play better

The Grizzlies can’t win many games when Morant goes 7-for-21 from the field. After the loss against the Warriors, he called his performance unacceptable.

Morant must be aggressive from the start by attacking the basket and finishing at the rim. He must pick the Spurs defense apart.

This season, teams have found ways to limit him, but he must fight his way through it and be the best version of himself. The team can only go as far as he’s willing to take them. That’s a lot on his young shoulders, but I believe he will be up for the challenge in this do-or-die game.

Feed 17

Use Jonas Valanciunas as an advantage when the threes are not falling.

Valanciunas has been one of the Grizzlies best players this season, averaging career-highs of 17.1 points and 12.5 rebounds. His presence has allowed Memphis to lead the league in points in the paint at 55.8 per game.

In the season finale, Valanciunas finished with 29 points and 16 rebounds. He has to be the catalyst on offense, especially when shots aren’t falling.

The real Grizzlies bench has to show up

The bench has to play better, without question. The second unit performance against the Warriors probably was one of the worst of the season.

The secondaries scored a combined 14 points and couldn’t take advantage while Stephen Curry was on the bench. The Warriors’ Jordan Poole alone outscored the Grizzlies bench with 15 points. The Grizzlies bench averages 39.1 points for the season.

Tyus Jones and company must show up in this elimination game or the Grizzlies will be going fishing with a disappointing end to the season.

The game is set for tip-off inside the FedExForum at 6:30 pm CT and can be viewed exclusively on ESPN.

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Beyond the Arc Sports Sports Feature

Grizzlies Win Big at Home Against Dallas

Ja Morant (photo: Memphis Grizzlies Twitter)

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 we’re capable of doing it,” he said. “We just got to try to continue to play a full 48 minutes. That’s 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 (via Grizzlies Twitter)

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 wouldn’t be aggressive, because I know what he’s capable of and I’ve seen him do the stuff he did tonight.”

Morant added, “So my message to him was just, ‘Go out there and play freely. Nobody will yell at you, be mad at you for being aggressive.’ And as you can see, when he plays aggressively and looks for his [shot], it helps the team.”

Ja Morant hugs Dillon Brooks (via Grizzlies Twitter)

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, “Job’s not finished. Even though we secured a [play-in] spot, that really doesn’t mean nothing. Still got to finish out strong and handle business in the play-in tournament. Until we do that, job’s not done.”

Back-up point guard Tyus Jones shared a similar sentiment: “The expectation is to win and advance. Ultimately that’s what it comes down to: putting ourselves in a position to fight for a playoff spot.” 

Jones continued, “And, we’ve done that. So, just win by any means necessary and advance, and we’re just looking forward to the playoff atmosphere. We know the intensity that’s going to be at stake. It’s 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, we’re going to be very locked in. We know what’s at stake, and I’m excited for the challenge that’s ahead of us.”

Up Next 

The Grizzlies will be back in action on Thursday night at FedExForum to take on the Sacramento Kings.

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Beyond the Arc Sports Sports Feature

Grizzlies Down Blazers in a Nail-Biter

(via Grizzlies Twitter)

Close games haven’t been too kind to the Grizzlies this season. Until Friday night, Memphis had lost five straight games decided by five points or less. 

Those losses have been difficult and disappointing, to say the least. It was good for the team to get that monkey off of their backs against Portland. In a pivotal win, the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Trailblazers 130–128 at the Moda Center. 

With playoff implications, the Grizzlies got the job done behind Ja Morant, Dillon Brooks, and Jaren Jackson, Jr. who was appearing in his second game of the season. It was the Blazers’ fourth straight loss.

With the win, the Grizzlies moved to 30–28 on the season, while the Blazers fell to 32–27. With the loss, the Blazers moved to the seventh spot in the West and fell a half-game behind Dallas, with Memphis 1.5 games behind Portland. 

An Aggressive Morant

Morant finished with 33 points, 13 assists, and five rebounds on 11 of 17 shooting with zero turnovers, and he was aggressive from the start. During the post-game media availability, Morant explained why he has been attacking early: “I just got to be more aggressive”, he said. “Whether it’s attacking downhill to help find my teammates or for me to score. I feel like some of these games when we start out slow is my fault. Since I’m the point guard, I gotta push the pace.”

Morant set another franchise milestone with his performance

Dillon the Menace

Brooks chipped in 25 points and tried his best to make it difficult for Damian Lillard. After the game, Brooks said, “I just try to tire him out and full-court him every time. (I) use a lot of physicality, give him something different a lot of players don’t give to him. Physicality and a little trash-talking making every single shot tough. Obviously, he’s a great player and he’ll score his points, but I just try to make it tough on him.” 

Welcome Back, Jaren Jackson, Jr

“I still have my minute caps so you know it’s going game by game and progressively get back to full form and I’m playing like 28 to 30 minutes a game,” Jackson said.

He added, “But for now I feel pretty good out there. There are times at the end of stretches where you’re a little tired, but I’m feeling pretty good.” 

After only playing 18 minutes in his season debut on Wednesday night against the Clippers, Jackson played 25 minutes against the Blazers and hit clutch free throws to help seal the victory. He finished the game with 23 points on 10 of 14 shooting off the bench. An impressive night for the Michigan State alum. 

Xavier Tillman Sr. was on fire from the start and chipped in 12 points on 6-8 shooting, six rebounds, and two blocks in 23 minutes. Tillman has been huge for Memphis in the absence of starting center Jonas Valanciunas. 

Up Next

The same teams will do it all over again on Sunday afternoon with the same playoff implications. Tip-off at 3:00 pm CST at the Moda Center. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Brooks Pulls Grizzlies Past Bulls in Chicago

Unlike the NFL, NBA teams don’t have enough time in between games to focus on hard losses. They have to get their mind right because other games could be only a few days away. 

After an excruciating loss to the Dallas Mavericks, 114-113, on Wednesday night, the Grizzlies had to put it behind them and focus on a brutal seven-game road trip ahead of them. First up was the Chicago Bulls. 

Memphis was up for the task by beating the Bulls 126-115 Friday night at the United Center. 

“It’s always good to start a road trip off with a win,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said after the game. “Beating a team twice in one week is never easy. They gave us a great test and I’m glad we came out on top, for sure. We had a lot of growth from the first half to the second half.”

Dillon Brooks led the way for Memphis by putting up a season-high 32 points off of 12 of 19 shooting while connecting on 4 of 7 three-pointers. It was an incredibly efficient night for the Oregon Ducks alum.

Jonas Valančiūnas added 16 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Ja Morant chipped in 15 points, seven rebounds, and five assists as Memphis moves to 28-26 on the season. 

As Brandon Clarke sat out due to hip soreness, rookie Xavier Tillman, Sr. made his mark off the bench for the Grizzlies. Tillman ended with 14 points, two rebounds, two steals, and a block in 16 minutes of play. 

Tillman during post-game media availability:

The Bulls’ leading-scorer Zach LaVine was out due to health and safety protocols. Coby White replaced LaVine in the starting lineup. In his first start since March 14th, White led the Bulls with 27 points, seven assists, and five rebounds.

Nikola Vučević finished with 24 points, 14 rebounds, six assists to secure his 37th double-double on the season. Memphis native Thaddeus Young chipped in 17 points, six rebounds, and four assists. The Bulls have lost five in a row and fell to 22-33 on the season. 

Up Next:

The Grizzlies head to Milwaukee for game two of their seven-game road trip to take on the Bucks. Tip-off starts at 8 p.m. CT.

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Beyond the Arc Sports Sports Feature

Pacers Too Much For Grizzlies Sunday Night

Dribbles on Grizzlies’ 132-125 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.

1) Coach Taylor Jenkins on the loss, “We had a terrible start to the game. Very unacceptable on our part. Not reflective of who we are. So we’ve got to get better there. Great fight for the majority of the game, winning the last three quarters, but you can’t come up 40-plus points in the first quarter and dig yourself out of that hole.”

Jenkins added, “And then, a bad ending where multiple offensive rebounds, you have a chance to win a ballgame. Those were losing plays. You can’t have those.”

2) Jonas Valanciunas finished with his 38th double-double with a career tying 34 points, 22 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks.

3) Memphis set single-game franchise records with 88 points in the paint and 30 second-chance points in the loss.

4) Known Griz killer Caris LeVert led the Pacers with 34 points off of 14-20 from the field, as the Pacers improved to 25-27 on the season.

5)  Malcolm Brogdon had his way with the Grizzlies with a near triple-double, finishing with 29 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds while shooting 10 of 21 from the field.

6) Indiana shot 13-37 from the 3-point line while holding Memphis to 6-20 from beyond the arc.

7) Ja Morant added 23 points and six assists as the Grizzlies fell to 26-25 on the season.

Morant said after the game, “Nobody likes to lose, especially when you are a possession away from the game. We need to be mad at our effort at the beginning of the game. We started off slow. We allowed them to score 40-something points in the first quarter.”

Morant continued, “I feel like that is unacceptable, and we have to be better in that area, on defense. The positive side is that I am proud of our fight to move on to the next play and to be in the position to still win the game.”

8) Domantis Sabonis also had a near triple-double for the Pacers with 18 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists.

Up Next

The Grizzlies will host the  Chicago Bulls on Monday night at FedExForum at 8 pm CT.

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Beyond the Arc Sports Sports Feature

Dillon Brooks Helps Grizzlies Cool the Heat

Dillon Brooks against Miami Heat (via Grizzlies Twitter)

The Grizzlies had a remarkable offensive night on Tuesday against a stingy Heat defense, shooting 55 percent from the field and 42 percent (17-41) from the 3-point line. 

In the 124-112 road win over Miami, Memphis recorded 30 assists. The Grizzlies are now 14-1 this season when dishing out 30 or more assists. Memphis took the season series 2-0 against Miami, with both victories ending a Heat win streak. 

Dillon Brooks scored 23 of his 28 points in the third quarter. It is the second-highest single-quarter scoring output in franchise history behind Jaren Jackson Jr.’s 26-point 3rd quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks on December 13th, 2019. 

Brooks had called out his former teammate Andre Iguodala, who didn’t want to play for the Grizzlies, before he was eventually traded to the Miami Heat last season. Before the trade, Brooks said, “I can’t wait until we find a way to trade him so we can play him and show him what Memphis is really about.” On Tuesday night, Brooks did just that. 

Jonas Valanciunas added 20 points and 10 rebounds to register his 35th double-double of the season. He also extended his double-figure rebounding streak to 17.

Kyle Anderson added 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists as the Grizzlies improved to 25-23 on the season after their third straight victory. 

In the absence of De’Anthony Melton, Brandon Clarke, and Justise Winslow, Desmond Bane (15), and Xavier Tillman, Sr. (11) provided a spark off the Grizzlies bench.

Jimmy Butler put up 28 points to lead the Heat, while Bam Adebayo finished his second triple-double of the season and fifth of his career with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. The Heat fell to 26-25 on the season.

Up Next

The Grizzlies head to Atlanta to take on the Hawks on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Central at State Farm Arena.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Strong Second Half Lifts Grizzlies Over Timberwolves

Grayson Allen and Ja Morant via Grizzlies Twitter

With a win 120-108 win at FedExForum over the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Grizzlies are back at .500 (23-23) for the season. After just leading by two at the half, Memphis outscored the Wolves by 10 points in the second half.

“It’s a good team win for us,” said Grizzlies guard Tyus Jones during media availability. “Everyone [was] contributing, everyone [was] playing really well, especially off the bench. That’s how we want to play and contribute to the game. That was good for us. It was a good team win from top to bottom. We’re happy with it.”

Game notes

1. Memphis moved to 12-14 at home this season. Memphis shot 48 percent from beyond the arc after going 19 of 39. Nine different Grizzlies players made a 3-point shot. 

2. Jonas Valanciunas led the Grizzlies with 19 points and 11 rebounds to record his 32nd double-double of the season. Valanciunas has had a double-double in nine straight games. 

3. Grayson Allen finished with 15 points while going 5-of-7 from the three-point line. It was the fifth time this season in which Allen converted on five or more three-point shots. 

4. The Grizzlies bench outscored the Timberwolves’ reserves 56-38. Memphis’ second unit had four players in double figures while Minnesota only one player in double figures off the bench. 

With 39.8 points per game, Memphis entered the night ranked third in the NBA in bench points, first in bench steals with 4.5, second in bench assists at 10.0, and fourth in bench 3-point percentage at nearly 40 percent. 

De’Anthony Melton had a solid night to lead the bench for Memphis. Mr. Do Something finished with 14 points (4-of-6 3P), four rebounds, three assists, and three steals in 24 minutes. Xavier Tillman chipped in 12 points and four rebounds. Brandon Clarke and Jones added 11 points each. 

5. The Wolves had three players in double figures. Karl-Anthony Towns led the way with 30 points and 16 rebounds. Rookie sensation Anthony Edwards added 22 points and six assists. As a reserve, Naz Reid chipped in 18 points and 5 rebounds as the Wolves dropped to 12-37 on the season. 

 Up Next

The Grizzlies head out for a four-game road trip starting Sunday to take on the Philadelphia 76ers.

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Beyond the Arc Sports Uncategorized

Jazz Give Memphis the Blues

Grizzlies Twitter

Quick dribbles on the Grizzlies’ 110-126 loss to the Utah Jazz on Saturday.

1) Donovan Mitchell was aggressive from the start. He finished with 35 points and seven assists off of 12 of 17 shooting.

2) Utah held Memphis to 40 percent from the field and 27 percent from three. Meanwhile, the Jazz shot 50 percent from the field and connected on 19 three-pointers at 42 percent.

3) Kyle Anderson led the Grizzlies with 16 points off of 6 of 12 shooting, and added four assists and two steals.

4) Jonas Valanciunas tallied his 30th double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds as the Grizzlies dropped a game under .500 at 21-22 on the season.

5) Jordan Clarkson continues to make his case for Sixth Man of the Year. As a reserve, the Missouri alum finished with 28 points, six rebounds and four assists for the Jazz.

6) Ja Morant couldn’t capitalize after his 32 points and 11 assists on Friday night against the Jazz. On Saturday, Utah kept Morant in check most of the night. He ended with only 12 points and four assists.

7) With the win Utah moved to 34-11 on the season to maintain the league’s best record. The Jazz have won 19 consecutive home games.

8) Morant is still a human highlight reel. This dunking was jaw dropping.

9) The Grizzlies will head to Houston to face the Rockets on Monday inside the Toyota Center at 7pm CT.