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

Jones and Morant Lead Grizzlies Past Nuggets

Desmond Bane (left) and Tyus Jones (Credit: Larry Kuzniewski)

This was the best performance by the Grizzlies’ bench all season, led by Tyus Jones (17 points), Xavier Tillman (12 points), and Kyle Anderson (nine points) as the Grizzlies’ bench exploded for 43 points.

Tillman was pleased with the second unit’s big night performance. He said, “It was huge. Especially since the Miami game. It felt like the bench was nonexistent, there were times in that game when they went on an even bigger run with us in there. For us to bounce back in today’s game and actually go on runs ourselves and set the tone was huge.” 

Tillman also praised Jones for his work on the floor. He added, “Even when his shots aren’t falling he knows where everyone is supposed to be. He knows what the defense is going to do on a specific play, so he’s able to put guys in the right position. Tonight was special because we talk about being ready to shoot at all times, and today he showed that for sure.”

Along with his season-high in points, Jones also had eight rebounds, five assists, two steals, and shot 5 of 7 from beyond the arc to round out his performance as the Grizzlies defeated the Nuggets 106-97. The 25-year-old back-up guard made the most of his extended minutes. 

Having Jones and Morant share the court for so long was a gamble that paid off handsomely for Memphis.

It became clear during Taylor Jenkins’ postgame news conference why he decided to give Jones and Ja Morant more playing time together. He elaborated as follows: “I think it’s a combination of things. It’s something I definitely want to try. I want to see what those two guys can do together. It’s having more creators on the floor. It puts Ja in different positions, puts Tyus in different positions. 

Jenkins added, “Obviously, he shot the heck out of the ball tonight, that being Tyus. Also, just getting a feel for the game. I wanted to explore lineups with them together. He was playing great, giving us a boost on the offensive end, did some good things competitive on the ball defensively with a hot hand. He had a great game and it paid off for us.”

Jones appreciates having more time on the court with Morant. He said, “Me and 12 [Morant] talk about that all the time. I’m glad it happened tonight. We love it because it allows us to play fast and, having two point guards on the court who pride themselves on having a high basketball IQ, we try to make it easier for everyone else. It allows me to take some pressure off Ja and giving him different looks on that side of the floor. We love it and it worked for us tonight.”

For the past three years, Morant said he and Jones had discussed the possibility of playing together more often. He explained, “I definitely love it. I feel like we play with a way better pace — I don’t have to be on the ball. With Tyus  being such a good creator on the floor for everybody and also himself allowed me to just sit back so pretty much just getting stops, getting out and run, having another ball handler out there to be able to go into actions if teams try to take me away.” 

According to Morant, he and Jones are pass first point guards of the same pedigree. Morant added, “We both got a little switch we can turn off; tonight showed he’s capable of scoring the ball as well and as long as he continues to shoot it and force the defense to lock in on him more and it opens it up for everybody else. That’s how I look at it when I attack the game. As of late he’s been doing the same thing, shooting the ball really well — so you got to keep him aggressive and comfortable when he’s out there.”

Tidbits

With his first assist of the game, Morant surpassed the 1,000-assist mark for his career. The third year guard is in good company. 

Only Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, Damon Stoudamire, and Trae Young have scored more than 2,500 points and dished out more than 1,000 assists faster than Ja Morant (137 games).

While on the subject of Morant, his early-season MVP performances continue to astound the NBA basketball world. 

The 22-year-old finished the game with a near triple double of 26 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds.

Anderson also reached the milestone of 1,000 career assists during the game.

Up Next

As part of a back-to-back, the Grizzlies and Nuggets will meet again at FedExForum on Wednesday at 7 p.m. CT to conclude their two-game series.

Desmond Bane (left) and Tyus Jones (Credit: Larry Kuzniewski)
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Beyond the Arc Sports

The Grizzlies Fall to the Blazers in Portland

Second year guard Desmond Bane (photo courtesy of Memphis Grizzlies Twitter account)

There was rain in Memphis on Wednesday night, and it disrupted the Memphis Grizzlies’ game in Portland, Oregon.

There was no flow to the Grizzlies offense; Steven Adams and Jaren Jackson Jr. were both in foul trouble. To make matters worse, Portland did a great job of keeping Ja Morant out of the paint where he’s most efficient.

Morant broke down why there was a lack of execution on both ends of the court. He said, “They were blitzing and doubling me off ball-screens. We just had to make shots. I feel like we let our offensive struggles affect us on the other end of the floor and missing assignments. Really wasn’t locked into the game plan really that much. We just let our mistakes turn into more mistakes and they got hot and won the game.”

“It was just one of those games — we just felt like we didn’t really get rolling,” Grizzlies backup point guard Tyus Jones said of the defeat. “We are usually able to kind of hit a point in the game where we feel like we’re clicking, go on a decent run as well, and we just didn’t get to that point tonight. It was just one of those nights and luckily we play in 24 hours, so we get a chance to correct it right away.”

Memphis led 57-51 at halftime, but the Blazers outscored the Grizzlies 65-39 in the second half. 

“We didn’t play well tonight,” Taylor Jenkins said after the loss. We got an opportunity tomorrow. Our guys have always bounced back and competed [in] the next opportunity — so learn from it, get better, and play better tomorrow.”

Jenkins continued, “We knew they were an aggressive defense — give them credit — they played hard and turned us over but we still had plenty of opportunities to kill runs and stay in this ball game and we didn’t take advantage.” Portland forced 21 turnovers.

According to Jones, the Blazers’ defense, “were up on ball screens, showing hands, being active, and they just deflected a good amount of passes.” If the team is not extremely careful with the ball, precise with passes, they’ll force a lot of turnovers then they get out and run and hit shots. “They hit a lot of shots, a lot of contested shots so it kind of played into their hands a little bit. They were up on ball screens. We just got to do a better job capitalizing on that.”

Despite the gloomy conditions inside Moda Center, Desmond Bane was the bright spot for the Grizzlies on Wednesday night. The TCU alum led Memphis with 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting. He continued his streak of connecting on multiple three-pointers while going 4-of-7.

After taking an accidental elbow to the head from Blazers forward Larry Nance Jr., Bane left the game late in the third quarter. Because of the blow, Bane’s blood spilled onto the court, and he needed six stitches to close the wound.

Bane is poised to take the second year leap. Through four games, the 6’5” guard is averaging 19.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 28.5 minutes of play for Memphis. 

Up Next

The Grizzlies will face the 4-0 Golden State Warriors, tonight at the Chase Center to wrap its four game West road trip. Tip-off starts at
9 p.m. CT.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Ja Morant Pushes Grizzlies to Victory in Season Opener

Ja Morant in the air (Photo courtesy of the Memphis Grizzlies on Twitter)

Season openers are not too kind to the Memphis Grizzlies, however, Ja Morant took care of business on Wednesday night to lift the Grizzlies past the Cleveland Cavaliers, 132-121. Morant’s performance was so impressive at one point during the game, the crowd chanted, “MVP, MVP, MVP.”  The Murray State alum admitted he was a little distracted by the chant but knew he had to make his free throws.

Morant showed off his out-of-this world athleticism on both ends of the court during the game. Take a look:

Massive Block

The 22-year old was stunned on how high he went in the air for the block. After the game he said, “I did surprise myself on the block, though. The layup was kind of high. When I had seen the replay I had to duck my head a little bit. My main focus right now is to try to be more active on the defensive end, and I feel like we’re a better team when I’m locked in.”

Eye-popping Dunk

In 34 minutes, Morant led the Grizzlies with 37 points while going 17-of-29 from the field to go with six rebounds, six assists, and two blocks.

If Morant was Captain America during the season opener, then Desmond Bane and De’Anthony Melton were his Falcon and Winter Soldier. 

Bane put on a show with 22 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals. He’s playing with a lot of confidence and swagger that wasn’t seen in his rookie campaign. “Last year, I didn’t want anything to do with the paint,” Bane said after the victory over the Cavs. “I was strictly catch and shoot, getting out in transition every once in a while. Coach has given me more freedom. Darko [Rajakovic] and the whole staff, we worked tirelessly all offseason for positions like this and I feel comfortable for sure.”

“He’s in year three, I’m in year two. Hopefully, by year five or six, it will be something special,” Bane continued, touching on his connection with Morant. “Just keep chipping away and growing — both of us are obviously tireless workers. I think the chemistry will continue to grow. I’m looking forward to playing with him hopefully for a long time.”

The TCU alum went on to say, “He’s an electric athlete, and I can shoot threes. It takes a little pressure off of him and gives him space to work. When they decide to collapse, I’m there for an open look to shoot it, drive it, whatever. I think it’s a good fit.”

De’Anthony Melton knew what his responsibility was, and he didn’t disappoint. On his first start of the season, Melton said, “It felt great — my name was called and I knew the assignment. I knew go in, play my game, play hard, play defense, get stops and get out. I was just doing what I knew how to do.”

In his first start of the season, the California native finished with 20 points, four rebounds, and three assists. One of Melton’s assists was to Morant for a massive dunk. Melton spoke about a lob to Morant, saying, “I probably saw him around half. Once Ja starts full-speed sprinting, then you already know where he wants to go. I just threw it up there. If it didn’t get tipped, he was going to catch it. I just threw it high enough to where only he could get it. He did the rest with it.”

Tidbits

Morant shared a moment with Grizzlies legend Zach Randolph.

Jarrett Allen is a good basketball player and he still has a cool fro. Allen led Cleveland with 25 points while going a perfect 11-of-11 from the field. 

Up Next

They are going on a brutal four-game road trip out West. First up are the Clippers on Saturday night at 9:30 p.m. CT. 

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

The Future is Bright for the Memphis Grizzlies

Mike Conley and Ja Morant embrace after Game 5 (via Grizzlies Twitter)

The Memphis Grizzlies exceeded almost everyone’s expectations in the second year of a rebuild with one of the youngest teams in the NBA. 

This team wasn’t supposed to be competing in the playoffs according to NBA experts and fans around the league. They had no business taking Game 1 in Utah against the Jazz. 

Regardless of what others think, the team had the kind of resilience and resolve that’s rarely seen in young teams. Their mindset is always to try to prove others wrong. They truly are a “bunch of hoopers” as Grayson Allen eloquently phrased after a victory against the Phoenix Suns in 19th Annual MLK Day Celebration Game.

The Utah Jazz did what they were supposed to do — defeat the 8th seeded Grizzlies and move on to the next round. However, those pesky kids didn’t make it easy for them. 

In Game 5, the Jazz ended the Grizzlies’ improbable playoff run 126-110 on Wednesday night in the elimination game to take the series 4-1. 

Something to build upon

The consensus after the game was, “We will be back.”

Taylor Jenkins said those were Ja Morant’s words to the team. Dillon Brooks and Jaren Jackson Jr. echoed them. Then Morant uttered them again.  

Taylor Jenkins shared his reflections on the season during his postgame press conference.

“This was an unbelievable season. Many people are saying  what a good season — this was a great season for the Memphis Grizzlies. So much individual growth and team growth, to get to this point. Every team in the NBA has gone through this unique season with unique challenges,  but our team has stuck together and put ourselves in this great position to play meaningful basketball at the end of season, push through and break through and make the playoffs to go up against the best team in the NBA.”  

Jenkins is a coach that values his young team and he is adamant they will become better. 

“And do some great things and do some things that are going to motivate us moving forward,” Jenkins added.  

“Just so proud of them — the togetherness of this team, the fighting components of this team, day in and day out. And we’ve got a bright, bright future ahead of us that I know if we continue to work on the things that we are capable of and we will work on any investment everyone’s put in, we’re gonna have just this bright future that I’m so excited about.”

During his postgame conference Dillon Brooks was pleasantly optimistic, “We will be back — I think the taste of the playoffs is on everybody’s mind, and this offseason got to be a special offseason for every single one of my teammates.” 

When asked about the team’s resilience to overcome all the challenges it faced during the season, Brooks said, “That’s how we’re built. We hit adversity and we hit it hard. Other guys had to step up, and that’s growth in itself. We fight it head-on, and we find a way every single night to battle. I don’t see a lot of teams playing as hard as us, and that’s contagious throughout our team.

“We hold the standard that when you come on the floor you gotta play just as hard. And we will be back.”

“I get to play with a bunch of guys that care so much about the game,” Jackson said after the game. “It’s so refreshing to be around, and they play so hard. I’ve seen them work so much behind the scenes. I get to see what you don’t get to see. It comes from a place of real joy and effort. It really translates through everybody. I’m so blessed to be a part of this team. They make it easy for me.”

For Jackson, experience is the best teacher for this young team. “We got a lot of guys who were young, so we got this experience of being in the playoffs,” he said. We had a little taste of it so we can build on that. We got a taste of what it’s like to lock in on a team multiple times and make adjustments and have to make adjustments quickly. Every possession matters and a lot of the late games we were playing because we’re fighting to get a good seeding and then we’re fighting to stay in the playoffs so those are the biggest things.”

He added, “That’s what championship teams have, they have that mentality that switches where it’s like okay every possession matters, they’re not coasting, they’re not checked out — they’re locked in every single time because they know that it matters.”

Jackson went on to say, “We’re young, so at the end of the day we can take this and take it all forward. We never want to use youth as an excuse. It never is, we don’t care. I don’t care who’s out there, we just love competing, but at the end of the day, experience goes a long way.”

Jackson has no doubts about the team’s ability to get back on the big stage. 

After being asked what he needed to work on this off season, Morant replied with one word, “Everything.” 

Morant had a breakout postseason and has put the entire NBA on notice with his performance. 

“I feel like throughout this series we had the fight and never gave up no matter what was going on,” Morant said about the positive outlook of the team. “That’s one of the biggest positives we had in the playoffs.”

Morant discussed the players shared mentality. He said, “It just shows everybody here is bought in and wants to be better. We all have that never-satisfied mentality -— we all want to work, to be better, for it to be everybody is a big plus. We just got to continue to do what we’ve been doing. Lock in this offseason and just be prepared for next season.”

With their play in the postseason, it appears to be just the beginning for this young, gritty, and hungry Grizzlies team. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Ja Morant’s Career Night Wasn’t Enough to Hold off the Jazz

Ja Morant going up top for the finish. (Photo courtesy of Grizzlies PR Twitter account)

Ja Morant left it all on the floor after playing 43 minutes along with the entire second half against the Utah Jazz. 

Morant’s performance on Wednesday night was nothing but spectacular. However, the 21-year-old isn’t satisfied with his record-breaking night after falling in Game 2 to the Jazz, 141-129.

He finished with 47 points on an incredibly efficient 15 of 26 from the field plus 15 of 20 from the charity stripe.

“It’s an honor to be able to do that. I’m blessed to be in the position that I’m in, be able to play the game at the highest level,” Morant said during the postgame media availability. “But that’s not on my mind at all. We lost, so obviously it wasn’t enough.”

Morant is getting whatever shot he wants as he drives through the lane off the dribble. The Jazz simply have no answer for Morant at this point. 

Even though the Murray State alum wasn’t just satisfied with his elite performance, his teammates took notice. “I looked up and I saw he had 47!’” said forward Kyle Anderson after the Game 2 loss. “I was like, ‘Wow!’ That’s big time — we kind of knew the player he was, and we knew he’s highly capable of it. He’s just putting you guys on notice now. You guys are getting to see it.” 

After the game Jaren Jackson Jr. was proud of Morant’s playing. I’m happy for him,” Jackson proclaimed. “That’s a good feeling, something he’s going to remember forever.”

Not only will Morant remember, but the entire NBA will never forget his coming out party on the big stage. The second year guard is in elite company. 

“It’s obviously an amazing feat in his early career,” said Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins. “But I know all he will talk about is how he can’t wait to come back and get a win. That’s his focus. He’s all driven to win.”

Donovan Mitchell had to give Morant his props. “Honestly, it’s not that surprising,” Mitchell said. “He’s a gamer. He goes out there and competes — tonight, he was aggressive from the jump. At a young age, for him to be able to have that is definitely special. That’s something that I respect about him and about his game. He doesn’t quit.”

The old saying goes, “There’s no quit in the Grit.”

The Jazz evened the series but the night belonged to Morant who elevated his status as a bonafide superstar in Memphis who will back down to no one. 

Grizzlies fans, the team’s future is bright with Morant as the cornerstone. 

Run It Back

The series shifts to Memphis at the Grindhouse where towels will be waving from more that 10,000 fans as the capacity increased to 55 percent.

Memphis has a chance to go up 2-1 on Saturday night. Tip-off is at 8:30 p.m. CT. 

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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)

Categories
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.

Categories
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.