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

Grizzlies Outlast Thunder

On a snowy Wednesday night in Memphis, the Grizzlies defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 122–113. Both teams played on the second night of a back-to-back. After losing to the New Orleans Pelicans 144–113 at home on Tuesday, Memphis fought its way to victory against a Thunder team that wouldn’t give up easily. The Thunder were coming off a disappointing loss to the Portland Trailblazers, 115–104, on Tuesday night.

Grayson Allen led the Grizzlies with 22 points, four rebounds, and four assists, while shooting 60 percent from the three-point stripe (6–10). Allen gave the team a big boost with 14 points in the fourth quarter, to help Memphis improve to 12-12 on the season. 

Grizzlies Outlast Thunder (3)

Jonas Valanciunas also finished with 22 points, and added 12 rebounds, to tally his 13th double-double of the season. Wednesday night was the fifth time this season Valanciunas had at least 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Grizzlies Outlast Thunder (5)

Kyle Anderson added 20 points, five rebounds, five assists, and five steals to finish the night. Coach Taylor Jenkins was appreciative and complimentary of Anderson’s growth this season. By collecting five steals at the half, Anderson became the first Grizzlies player to hit that mark since Tony Allen, who had five against the Golden State Warriors on January 23, 2012. 

Jenkins said after the win, “KA [Kyle Anderson] is playing great and has found a lot of consistency this season. He dropped 20 points and had five assists, with versatility on the defensive end. We just want to put in that effort every single night. That is just great from Kyle. He has been having a heck of a season so far. It’s been a big factor for us this season. So hopefully, he continues to do that and find ways to get better. That is the number one goal for each of our guys and our team.”

Grizzlies Outlast Thunder (2)

Grizzlies Outlast Thunder (6)

Anderson remains confident: “Just being healthy and shooting with a lot of confidence. These last 18 to 24 months, I’ve put a lot of tedious, hard work into shooting the ball. I just remember long days and nights in the gym not shooting past 15 feet for two hours. You know, it’s just paying off finally. Just getting back to where I feel like I used to be with my shot and having the confidence.”

Ja Morant recorded his first triple-double of the season with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists. “I feel like we are playing pretty good basketball,” Morant said after the game. “We still have some areas we can get better at, but to have six guys in double figures is big-time for us. It just shows that we have plenty of guys who can make plays.”

Grizzlies Outlast Thunder (4)

Morant discussed finding his teammates and accountability, “For me, it’s just studying film and talking with my teammates,” he said. “I tell them to always hold me accountable if they are open. If I miss them, I told them to curse me out.” 

“By watching the film with Coach [Jenkins] and talking with Coach [Jenkins], Morant continued. Normally when I come off of a ball screen, the defender is sitting at the nail, so it’s a quick pass. Guys are knocking down shots. Once they do that, the help leaves, and it opens up the rest of the floor for us to get downhill.”

Anderson talked about playing with Morant: “Ja makes the game easier for a lot of people when he’s aggressive whether it’s scoring the ball or sharing to setting us up with easy shots. He makes it really easier for us out there.”

Grizzlies Outlast Thunder

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led his team with 22 points and six assists as the Thunder fell to 11–17 on the season. Mike Muscala chipped in 21 points while going 5-of-9 from three as a reserve. 

Up Next: 

The Grizzlies will host the Pistons on Friday to continue their four-game homestand. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Barrage Of Threes Helps Grizzlies Maul Hornets

Wednesday night, the Memphis Grizzlies wanted to avoid a five-game losing streak. A franchise-record shooting night with 23 three-pointers sealed the deal, as the Grizzlies defeated the Charlotte Hornets 130–114 at FedEx Forum. Memphis improves to 10-10 on the season. 

Kyle Anderson led the Grizzlies with 27 points while hitting a career high 6 of 8 from the three-point stripe. Anderson spoke about his massive third quarter. He said, “I think I had knocked down a corner three in the first half, and it just felt good. So, it came to me about four or five times in a row again in the second half, just how their defense was guarding pick-and-roll.

“Teams have been getting away with that lately, being up on Ja (Morant) and making him get it out of his hands,” Anderson continued. “So I knew after these last few games that today I’ve got to just be able to make shots when he does give it up.”

Barrage Of Threes Helps Grizzlies Maul Hornets (2)

Barrage Of Threes Helps Grizzlies Maul Hornets (5)

Dillon Brooks added 20 points and four assists on 8-of-13 shooting. Brooks also converted on 4-of-8 from three to get out of his shooting funk. 

Desmond Bane continued to improve his game with his second career start, finishing with a career-high 18 points, two assists, and two steals. 

Barrage Of Threes Helps Grizzlies Maul Hornets

Morant tallied his third double-double of the season, finishing with 15 points and a game-high 11 assists.

“I feel like we have a very dangerous team, knocking down shots,” Morant said after the victory. “We encourage everybody from the first man to the last man to shoot it and let it fly. We all got that confidence in each other.”

After the game, Morant’s work wasn’t entirely done, apparently. He was back on the court putting up shots.

Barrage Of Threes Helps Grizzlies Maul Hornets (4)

“As far as my shooting after (the game), I feel like I have to be better on the court in all areas,” Morant explained. “I wasn’t happy. I wasn’t satisfied, so I just wanted to finish getting some extra work in. That’s really about it.”

Memphis Grizzlies Twitter

Grayson Allen

Grayson Allen led the bench unit with 18 points and three assists while setting a season-high of 3-pointers made with five.

Barrage Of Threes Helps Grizzlies Maul Hornets (3)

For the Hornets, Terry Rozier’s (aka Scary Terry) game-high 34 points weren’t enough to overcome the hot-shooting Grizzlies. LaMelo Ball chipped in 17 points while Gordon Hayward and Miles Bridges both finished with 15 each as Charlotte slipped to 12–14 on the season.

Up Next

The Grizzlies travel out west for a two-game road trip. First up is LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night with a 9 pm CST tip. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Pacers Snap Grizzlies’ Seven-Game Win Streak

Indiana clearly wanted to put an end to the Grizzlies’ win streak. The Pacers were seething after a heartbreaking loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday. Memphis entered the night with the NBA’s longest active winning streak at seven in a row. 

Despite a strong outing by Dillon Brooks, the Grizzlies didn’t have it Tuesday night inside the Bankers Life Fieldhouse. A sluggish start in the first quarter really was the catalyst for the defeat. Indiana outscored the Grizzlies 37–27, and things went downhill from there. Memphis gave up a season-high 70 points in the first half. 

The Pacers shot an astounding 59.8 percent from the field and 55 percent from the 3-point line in a 134–116 victory and moved to 12–9 on the season.

The Grizzlies dropped to 9–7 on the season and wrapped their 3-game road trip going 2–1. Memphis is now 6–2 on the road. Sure, it was the second night of a back-to-back for Memphis, but the Pacers just wanted it more.

Speaking to the media after the loss, Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said, “I thought we’ve been doing a really good job at competing; we just didn’t have it tonight. … I give the Pacers a lot off credit; they came on a mission, they set a tone, and we were able to respond. Our guys are positive and ready to rebound and get ready for Thursday.”

Grizzlies guard Ja Morant said after the loss that he has to play better. “I feel like tonight I was a no-show .  I can’t have that. As the point guard, I have to lead the charge at the start of the game.”

Fatigue was a factor in how Memphis played, but it wasn’t an excuse, Morant reiterated. Morant finished the night with 10 points and five assists while shooting 20 percent from the field. It was a rough night for the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year. 

“I feel like we weren’t here tonight,” Morant said. “But also, I felt like the shots that we were taking were the shots we normally take.”

The interior defense of Indiana was a problem for Memphis most of the night, but the consensus with the team is that they will be fine. Morant noted that he was proud of how positive the locker room was after the defeat and how they were looking to bounce back against the Rockets. 

Brooks led the charge for Memphis with 25 points off 55.6 shooting, adding three rebounds and three steals. As a reserve, Desmond Bane tied his career-high with 16 points and five assists, going 6 of 13 from the field and 3 of 6 from the 3-point stripe. It also was Bane’s first game as an NBA player in his native state of Indiana. 

Pacers Snap Grizzlies’ Seven-Game Win Streak

Domantas Sabonis led the way for the Pacers with a season-high 32 points and 13 rebounds, finishing 13 -of- 15 from the floor plus five assists and two steals. Miles Turner added 22 points, 11 rebounds, and a game-high five blocks. Malcolm Brogdon chipped in 23 points and seven assists.

On a Good Note
Former Grizzlies assistant Niele Ivey was in attendance to cheer on her former team.

Pacers Snap Grizzlies’ Seven-Game Win Streak (2)

Next Up
Memphis will host the new-look Houston Rockets on Thursday at 8:00 pm. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Ja Morant Is Larger Than Life On and Off The Court

CREDIT: Panini America

Longtime Grizzlies fan Roni Matthews was hungry and skipped breakfast so she could eat at the new restaurant Slim & Husky’s Pizza Beeria in downtown Memphis. 

Matthews was caught off guard after seeing the 30-foot-mural of Ja Morant painted on the side of the establishment. She said, “I was pleasantly surprised to see how vivid and vibrant the colors were in the mural. It tugged on my heartstrings a little bit because it was like a symbolic confirmation for our city  —  our team — that our future is still bright despite the hurdles we have faced.”  

Roni Matthew

Grizzlies fan Roni Matthew took a picture while visiting Slim and Husky

Matthews added, “Ja (Morant) represents newness: a new culture, a new style (of play, determination & just whole new vibe  — the totality of the new Gen X squad. Hence, the VIBE-brant colors in the mural.”

“I would love to have actually seen how it started,” said Grizzlies season ticket holder, Carmen Patton after she visited the restaurant. “The artist kept looking at his phone so I’m assuming it’s modeled after a Panini poster maybe.”

Patton added, It blends in with the culture that Slim & Husky’s seeks to create. “You got hip hop blasting with a guy spray painting a mural of the Grizzlies’ star basketball player outside. Then you go inside and see more murals of Memphis artists. It’s just a good vibe.”

Panini America, the official trading card partner of the NBA and NBPA announced an extension of its partnership with Morant. Panini is the exclusive home for the Morant’s autographed trading cards and memorabilia. 

“We started our relationship with Ja (Morant) before the draft last year and we made him one of our athletes going into his rookie season,” said Jason Howarth, Vice President of Marketing at Panini America. “Coming out of his rookie season, he just continued to thrive, we knew that he was the guy that we wanted to put a foothold around, and we decided we wanted to make him a long term exclusive athlete of Panini for trading cards and memorabilia.”

“Once we got to that we wanted to celebrate him and, and really do something a little bit different in terms of how we approached and announced the relationship,” Howarth recalls. “We decided a mural in Memphis would be a great location to celebrate him and highlight him as he continues to progress in his career with the Grizzlies. We built that idea around one of our trading cards — our color blast trading card – and then, it was off to find a location and find an artist.”

Howarth said the color blast card was an iconic card for Morant’s rookie season. The company wanted to find an artist who could hone in on the specific colors to bring a small piece of cardboard to life in a 30-foot canvas on the side of a building in downtown Memphis. 

This is the first mural that Panini has commissioned for one of its athletes. 

Popular local Memphis artist Jamond Bullock, also known as Alive Paint, was commissioned to take on this enormous project for Panini. 

Panini America

Memphis artist Jamond Bullock

Bullock says he noticed a few of the people from Panini had started following him on Instagram. Then he said Howarth followed him and shot him a message. “I was just like, wow, okay  —  this is could be something, you know,” Bullock said. “And what was crazy was, he introduced the project, and he didn’t say what it was and he was looking to partner with an artist on a private project with his company.

It was an instant yes for Bullock even though he was unclear what the project was about. “I had a lot of projects going on. But he kind of hit me up at the time where I’m like, in this waiting period,” Bullock said.

Bullock has about 30 or 40 murals around Memphis and surrounding areas, and has been featured in Essence Magazine, on ESPN, Netflix’ Uncorked, The Trap Music Museum, and more. 

In 2019 Bullock was commissioned for a project in Frayser to build awareness against trash dumping titled “Stand Up For Our Streets”.

Jamond Bullock

Save Our Streets Frayser

That same year, the former Shelby County Schools art teacher completed a historic project sponsored by ServiceMaster that was unveiled on January 17, 2020. He transformed the cafeteria of Bruce Elementary to tell the story of the Bruce 3 who were apart of the Memphis 13 that help integrate Memphis City Schools.

Jamond Bullock

Dwania Kyles, one of three students who integrated Bruce Elementary in 1961, stands in front of Jamond Bullock’s mural.

Jamond Bullock

Harry Williams, one of three students who integrated Bruce Elementary in 1961, in front of his image in Bullock’s mural.

Jamond Bullock

Menelik Fombi, one of three students who integrated Bruce Elementary in 1961, in front of his image in Bullock’s mural.

Bullock was excited when he found out he would be working on a mural of Morant after a Zoom meeting with Howarth. The hard part was nailing down the right location. On his reconnaissance mission to find a location, Bullock says he was snapping photos of possibilities, and sending them to Howarth. 

“We landed on Slim and Husky’s through the grace of God,” Bullock explained. “So I met with the owners of Slim and Husky’s to discuss doing some interior artwork. And during that meeting, I brought up the Ja Morant project.”

“It was it was one of those situations where it was an instant, yes,” Bullock continued. “Those guys are fans of Morant and said it would be a perfect location for the mural  —  he’s the future of the league. You know, why not? It worked out perfectly once we got to Slim and Husky’s. It was an incredible feeling to know that that was honestly the only hard part of this entire process. You know trying to make sure we nailed a location that was visible and also was accessible to the public.”

Panini America

Panini America

Bullock spent seven days working on the project before it was unveiled on December 21.

“For me anytime I can create a mural, or install a mural, it’s an opportunity for someone to share a story,” Bullock says.  “ I think Ja Morant has an underdog story. In a city that’s an underdog, he’s showing that an underdog can win. And I think this mural is allowing people to tap into that type of belief for themselves.

“Some people may not know who Ja Morant is, but once they figure out who he is and find out his story, they’re gonna fall in love with him and the team. In the city we’re in, he’s a symbol of hope. And he has this explosive, aggressive basketball playing ability. When people see this mural, they’re gonna see that is larger than life, just like his abilities.”

“For a city like Memphis a majority-black city, a lot of times, you can go into a museum and not see someone that’s African American. To showcase such a player at the level of Ja Morant, who happens to be African American, to put him on the outside of a building larger than life — it makes a statement.”

On a media availability Zoom call, Morant was asked about the mural. He said, “It means a lot, especially for me being here only a year and things like that are already happening in the community. As far as me going to see it, it’s emotional. I’m thankful and grateful for it all. Really can’t say nothing besides that I’m blessed. As much as Memphis loves me, I love Memphis.”

Ja Morant Is Larger Than Life On and Off The Court (2)

Panini America

Ja Morant taking a selfie in front of his mural

Ja Morant Is Larger Than Life On and Off The Court

Bullock says it was an honor to see that Morant was happy with the finished product. “To paint someone that’s still living you get to see their reaction, especially dealing with a portrait of this magnitude, you want the person to be happy with their resemblance. He was just like, ‘Man, I can’t believe this — I got my own mural.’ I was super excited to just see him in person and see his response, because I was thinking if he says it doesn’t look like him, I might have to rearrange his face.”

He says Morant was impressed to see his tattoos on the mural and told him he did a great job and said he wished he could paint like that. Bullock said, “I told him we all are given gifts and yours is dunking over people.”

Slim & Husky’s is located at 634 Union Ave.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies at Blazers Game Postponed

The Grizzlies game scheduled for Wednesday night in Portland at the Moda Center against the Trail Blazers has been postponed. Because of ongoing contact tracing within the Grizzlies, the team would not have had the league-required 8 available players.

The NBA announcement came Wednesday afternoon:

Grizzlies at Blazers Game Postponed

Grizzlies PR sent out an email saying that shoot-around was canceled prior to scheduled virtual media availability on Wednesday. 

Memphis’ last game was against the Phoenix Suns on Monday afternoon. The Suns had three prior games postponed due to contact tracing. The Grizzlies big man Jonas Valanciunas was listed as out due to “health and safety” protocols for Monday’s contest against Phoenix. 

The Philadelphia 76ers, who played the Memphis Grizzlies on Jan. 16th, had their game on Jan. 17 against the OKC Thunder postponed due to contact tracing.

Wednesday’s postponement was the 16th game postponed this season due to the league’s new health and safety protocols. The Grizzlies had a previous game postponed against Minnesota on Jan. 15th. The NBA has yet to announce when the 16 games will be rescheduled.

It’s going to be a long season.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

A “Bunch of Hoopers” Defeat the Suns on MLK Day

CREDIT: Memphis Grizzlies twitter

Tanking!! 

There’s gonna be no tanking this season, said Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant, after the team secured its fifth straight victory — against the Phoenix Suns, 108–104 — before a national audience during the 19th Annual MLK Day Celebration Game. 

“We had a slow start, and people were saying that we needed to tank,” Morant said after the win. “That is never on our minds. We want to go out and win. Once again, coach is preaching that ‘next man up’ and to be ready. I feel like we all embrace adversity. We know we have to do even more when adversity hits. I feel like we love that.”

Morant garnered his first double-double of the season in his second game back from injury with 17 points and 10 assists.

A ‘Bunch of Hoopers’ Defeat the Suns on MLK Day (3)

Brandon Clarke finished with 17 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals in 35 minutes. Clarke praised Mr. Fourth Quarter after the game.

He said, “Ja (Morant) has a crazy good feel for the game. I feel like those first three quarters. He’s just kind of like watching the defense, watching us  —  seeing what the defense gives him. And I think by the fourth quarter, he’s just kind of already figured out everything, and he’s able to get in the paint, get his shots off, and get his teammates shots. I feel like he’s a really, really bright player and that he’s able to read the game and then by the fourth quarter. It’s pretty much over.”

During his post-game walk-off interview, Grayson Allen said the team has a “bunch of hoopers.” The Duke alum hit clutch free throws down the stretch to help his team get the win. Allen led the bench with 16 points and six rebounds. The Grizzlies’ reserves outscored Phoenix 49-31. Memphis bench currently ranks seventh in the NBA in bench points per game at 38.5. 

✖


i

With 1:06 to play, Morant found Allen in the corner for a go-ahead 3-pointer to give the Grizzlies a 101-98 lead.

A ‘Bunch of Hoopers’ Defeat the Suns on MLK Day (2)

It wasn’t pretty, but Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins will take this win. He said, “Tonight, it was struggling. We just had to continue to find ways just to breakthrough. As I said a moment ago, just great execution down the stretch, but you need that on both ends. You need your defense to be there for 48 minutes every single night. That’s what we’ve had. Our offense will get there. We’re seeing a lot of different things thrown at us that are really testing, I guess, and really helping us grow, and we’ll be better for it.”

Jenkins added: “Down the stretch, I just decided that I’m going to put as many playmakers out there: Ja (Morant), Tyus (Jones), (Kyle Anderson). They were able to load up on Ja a lot, at times throughout the game, so I just wanted to see if we could maybe release pressure and get a couple of extra ball-handlers out there, decision-makers, and I’m just proud of the effort that those guys gave late in the game. I’ve told them two games in a row now; it comes down to the last couple of possessions in the fourth quarter.”

Rookie Xavier Tillman garnered his first career start on Monday night in the absence of big man Jonas Valanciunas, who sat out due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols. He posted 12 points and six rebounds on 5-8 shooting. Tillman said he and his wife were in the car geeked and screaming when he learned he was starting. 

After the game, during the Zoom conference, I asked Tillman about what he was thinking during his free throws at the end of the game. He said gleefully, “’Give me one.’ We were up three with one second left. I said, just give me one and close it out, so we don’t have to get the stop. That was the biggest thing.”

Ja Morant was proud of the rookie for his first career start. “I was very excited for him,” Morant explained. “Being a rookie, he has been playing really well. When he first came in and found out he was starting, I said congrats on your first start; now let’s go get the win. He is playing big-time for us. He has guarded multiple positions, knocking down the three, playing in the mid-range, rebounding; he is doing a lot for us on the floor. That is just a lot of credit to his work.”

The Grizzlies are now one game above .500 this season (7–6) after going 2–6 early.

Up Next

The Grizzlies travel to Portland for a two-game series against the Trail Blazers, starting on Wednesday at 9 pm CT. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Brooks, Clarke Help Grizzlies Pull Past Brooklyn

The Grizzlies (3–6) were able to secure their first home win of the season after defeating the Brooklyn Nets (5–5), 115–110 on Friday night. Memphis finished the game shooting 45.9 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from three. The Grizzlies take the season series 2-0. 

Dillion Brooks led the Grizzlies with a season-high 24 points, while going 10-of-19 from the field. Memphis is now 3–0 this season when Brooks scores 20 or more points and 23–6 going back to last season.

Brooks, Clarke Help Grizzlies Pull Past Brooklyn (3)

Brandon Clarke arguably had his best performance of the season after struggling in previous games. Clarke finished with a season-high 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and two blocks in 33 minutes. After the game, Clarke said, “It was hurting, obviously losing those games ’cause we all just really really want to win  —  we got a bunch of winners, so it just feels really good to get that first game at home.”

Tyus Jones recorded his second double-double of the season with 11 points, 10 assists, and a team-high four steals. Meanwhile, De’Anthony Melton led the bench with 14 points, five rebounds, one block, and one steal.

Brooks, Clarke Help Grizzlies Pull Past Brooklyn

Brooks, Clarke Help Grizzlies Pull Past Brooklyn (2)

Caris LeVert led the Nets with a game-high 43 points, five rebounds, and six assists on the night. Taurean Prince chipped in 16 points and four rebounds, while Joe Harris added 13 points while going 6-of-9 from the field as a reserve in 28 minutes of play for Brooklyn.

Notes

It was announced at halftime that Grizzlies center Jonas Valanciunas wouldn’t return to the game due to health and safety protocols.

“As soon as we got the notification in conversations with the league, we had to pull him from the game out of an abundance of caution and put him into the Health and Safety Protocols,” said Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins. “The big thing is he’s not (tested) positive, but it’s an abundance of caution.”

Up Next

The Grizzlies will head to Cleveland to seek revenge against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, Jan 11. Tip-off starts at 6 pm CST.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Lakers Top Grizz; Bane Impresses

CREDIT: Memphis Grizzlies Instagram

Grizzlies rookie Desmond Bane continues to impress in his first season. In 21 minutes Sunday night, he finished with 13 points (5-8 FG, 3-4 3Pt) to go along with two assists in a 108-94 loss to the Lakers. 

Bane has scored in double figures in the last three games and is averaging 13.0 points on the season while shooting 48.4 percent from the field as a reserve. 

Bane has made multiple three-point shots in the first six games of his career, the second-longest such streak to start a career in NBA history, behind Chicago Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen, who recorded 10 straight in 2017. 

The TCU standout has become more comfortable with his game, and it is showing. He gives credit to his teammates and the organization. “The older guys have given me a lot of confidence,” he said after the game. “The player development program here is really strong, really good. It’s definitely helped my game. Learning the system, learning my teammates, learning the NBA. … As I continue to get more comfortable and gain more experience, I’ll get better,” he added. “I think experience is definitely the key right now. The game is slowing down, learning the offense, and kind of where I can get to my spot, and things like that are why those numbers are going up.”

Bane was also excited to share the court with fellow rookie Xavier Tillman for the first time. “So happy for him. He’s a competitor. For him to have to sit out on the road trips knowing that he could help our team, especially when guys were going down,” Bane said. “I know it was tough on him. I was super excited for him to not only get out there but to play well in the minutes that he had.”

Lakers Top Grizz; Bane Impresses (2)

Tillman recorded his first points of the season with a dunk off of a pass from fellow big man Gorgui Dieng. “After the dunk, it really boosted my confidence, Tillman explained. “It allowed me to take a breather and get my energy out — especially after I dunked it — and lock back in.”

Lakers Top Grizz; Bane Impresses

The Michigan State standout admitted he was a bit timid before his first game at the FedExForum. He said, “I can’t lie, going into it, minutes beforehand, I was nervous, but as the game was getting ready to start, I got into that competitive mode. It was fun.”

Grizzlies instagram

Tillman finished the game with 6 points and 6 rebounds on 3-of-3 shooting in 17 minutes of play. Critiquing his first NBA game, Tillman said, “I did okay, especially for the first game. There were a couple of times when I was supposed to dive to the corner on defense and get the steal or deny somebody. I gave up a couple of offensive rebounds. Those types of plays, as I get going, those will be nonexistent because those are the plays I have to make sure I have. Other than those two, it was pretty good.”

The Grizzlies’ big man was appreciative of having a chance to get into action after missing the first five games. “It was great, especially me being able to get in the first quarter after I’ve been sitting out a few games,” Tillman said. “Coach trusted me, like, ‘Hey, I’m going to give you a couple minutes early on.’ That was huge. It was a big confidence builder in me. If you have faith in me like that to get it going in the first quarter then I have to bring it.”

After the game, Coach Taylor Jenkins said, “It was great to see X’s [Xavier Tillman] first game of the season. I thought he gave us some great contribution, and that’s how we are built.” 

Welcome Home, Marc Gasol

The Grizzlies played a tribute video for Marc Gasol. It was Gasol’s first game back in Memphis since being traded to the Toronto Raptors in 2019. 

Screengrab from Fox Sports Southeast

Gasol scored seven points, and added six rebounds and four assists. The Lakers big man also had to receive four stitches above his left eye after a nasty fall before halftime.

Gasol was thankful to be back in Memphis and appreciated the video tribute, but he missed the fans. “You’re missing a huge part of all this, which is the fans and the people from Memphis that have been there,” Gasol said. “But, obviously, I’m very thankful for what the franchise has done for me, not just now in recognition, but throughout the years that I was here.”

Big Spain thought it was awkward being in a different locker room and warming up on the other side of the court since Memphis had been his home for nearly 11 seasons.

Lakers Top Grizz; Bane Impresses (3)

Gasol said his favorite parts of the tribute videos were the interactions with fans and with the children from St. Jude’s and LeBonheur hospitals. He said his work with the kids at the hospitals was his most important work of all.

Lakers Top Grizz; Bane Impresses (4)

Memphis will always have a special place in his heart. “It’s a special place to me that’s been my home, like, I’ve been here so long,” Gasol said. “I got here in 2001 when the franchise actually moved here, so imagine how many years. This is the 20th year since I got here, so the franchise means a lot to me. It’s a part of who I am.”

Lakers Top Grizz; Bane Impresses (5)

Up Next
The Grizzlies will host the Lakers again on Tuesday at 7 pm CST. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Kyle Anderson Helps Grizzlies Outlast Nets in Brooklyn

In a game reminiscent of last season, the Memphis Grizzlies gained their first win of the season in overtime against the Brooklyn Nets, 116-111.

New Jersey’s own Kyle Anderson was the man of the match and led his team to victory with a career-high 28 points, while going 9 of 17 from the field and 4-of-8 from three-point range (a career high). It was the second game in a row in which Anderson scored 20 or more points. In three games this season, Anderson is averaging 18.3 points and 10.3 rebounds.

Kyle Anderson Helps Grizzlies Outlast Nets in Brooklyn (3)

Dillon Brooks finished with a season high season-high 24 points, plus seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Brooks was complimentary of Anderson after the game.

“He’s confident,” Brooks explained “He’s confident in his shot. He’s been working on his shot since the bubble and you can see it. He’s playing like he played in New Jersey and for UCLA.”

Brooks continued, “He’s leading us. We have a whole bunch of leaders on this team. It was Kyle today. It’s Ja. It’s Jaren, guys like that. We have a whole bunch of alpha males who want to play unselfish and you see it today.”

After struggling in the first two games, the Grizzlies bench came alive. Brandon Clarke found his groove again, leading the reserves with a season-high 16 points, seven rebounds, and two assists. Tyus Jones chipped in nine points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. The Grizzlies bench outscored Brooklyn’s reserves 40-35.     

A Scary Injury for the Grizzlies
Memphis fans were holding their collective breath when, with 2:43 left to play in the first half, Ja Morant went up for a block, came down hard on the foot of Brooklyn Nets guard Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, and hobbled off the floor in obvious pain. The 21-year old was quickly attended to by both the Grizzlies and Nets medical staff, and was taken to the locker room in a wheelchair. He was diagnosed with a left ankle sprain.

Kyle Anderson Helps Grizzlies Outlast Nets in Brooklyn (2)

“Unbelievable display of resiliency by our group,” said Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins after the win. “We came in with the mentality that we needed to get one pretty soon  —  we needed to play our best Grizzlies basketball. I thought we came out with an unbelievable edge in the first quarter but it was so tough to see Ja [Morant] go down. I know he’s going to bounce back and be fine. We’ll have more updates as we’re going through, but so far so good.”

Jenkins added, “[Morant’s] going to get looked at more this evening, post-game, and tomorrow. We will probably have an update tomorrow once we get to Boston.”

Morant returned to the bench wearing a left ankle boot in the fourth quarter to cheer on his team.

Kyle Anderson Helps Grizzlies Outlast Nets in Brooklyn (5)

“Ja came back and brought a bunch of energy to the bench and it really helped us,” said Clarke after the game. “Ja is just a guy who wants to win and even if he’s not playing he still find ways to help us win. It was awesome he could come in and do that.”

Jonas Valanciunas posted on Twitter dedicating the win to his fallen teammate.  

Kyle Anderson Helps Grizzlies Outlast Nets in Brooklyn (4)

Morant took to Instagram regarding his injury.

Kyle Anderson Helps Grizzlies Outlast Nets in Brooklyn

Like the Grizzlies, the Nets were short-handed, as Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant both sat out on the second night of a back-to-back. Spencer Dinwiddle is out for an extended period of time due to a partial ACL tear.

Memphis native Chris Chiozza led Brooklyn’s bench unit with a career-high 14 points and four assists. Caris LeVert garnered his first double-double of the season with 28 points, 11 assists, and five steals. LeVert led his team in points, assists, and steals on the night. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot  (TLC) added 21 points, six rebounds, and two assists.

Up Next
The Grizzlies head to Boston to take on the Celtics on Wednesday, Dec. 30, at 6:30 p.m. inside TD Garden.

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Morant’s Career Night Not Enough to Stop Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs won the Grizzlies’ season-opener (131–119) Wednesday, but the game belonged to Ja Morant, who had a career night. 

Morant scored 34 of his career-high 44 points (18-of-27) in the second half. The reigning NBA rookie of the year imposed his will by attacking the basket, and the Spurs had no answer for him. Morant also finished with nine assists and two steals. 

The stats didn’t mean anything to Morant. “I’m not happy at all,” Morant said after the loss. “Obviously, I wanted to win that game. We came up short  —  learning from this game and preparing for the next. For my play, I did alright.”

The 21-year-old was aggressive and kept his team in the game. “That’s just my mindset for the season,” said Morant. “I got tired of my teammates and coaches saying I have to be aggressive at all times last year, so that’s my mindset now. Just be aggressive and try to get something good out of each possession.”

Even though his team fell short of a victory in its opener, Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins had something to be proud of. Jenkins told the media during the post-game Zoom call, “I thought Ja was special tonight. His stat line, obviously, amazing. I thought his aggressive mentality was great.”

Jenkins went on to say, “The Spurs were throwing a lot of physicality on our entire roster, but I thought he [Morant] did a great job of handling it and finding a way to get into the paint, create for others with nine assists and one turnover, got to the foul line a number of times. He led a big charge, and we need to lean on him to keep this game somewhat competitive. Just didn’t get the results tonight. He had a heck of a game.”

Regarding one of the more amazing plays of the night, the Murray State alum described what happened when he threw an alley-oop to himself off the backboard: “I think we got a steal  and  B.C. [Brandon Clarke] was pushing the left-wing,” Morant said. “I was running down the middle of the floor. He kicked it to me, and we were pushing the break together. He was like, ‘I’m running with you.’ I saw DeMar [DeRozan] trying to play both. My mind actually was to throw B.C. an alley, and DeMar played the alley from B.C. and off the glass to myself was the only choice I had, so that’s what I did.”


Here’s the play:

Morant’s Career Night Not Enough to Stop Spurs


Dillon Brooks (16 points, and six assists) fouled out after playing 33 minutes, but he was impressed by his teammate’s performance. “He is getting to his spots, finishing, and finding guys.” 

However, Brooks was not pleased with the team’s performance. “Obviously, we are going to rely on him, but we got to find other guys to step up. I got to knock down some shots and guard the ball a lot better, because I’m going to be guarding the best players on each team.”

Brooks continued, “The Spurs’ starting lineup has three guys that scored 20 points, and the other guys had 16 points (each). That’s unacceptable. We have to guard the ball better and take on the challenge. I feel like they took the challenge to us with their physicality. They were blowing up screens. We have to do that more. That’s what we were taught, and we laid down a little bit, but that’s a good start.”

NOTES:

Memphis fell to 5-21 all-time in regular-season openers and 3-4 in their last seven. The team is now 9-17 in regular-season home openers, despite winning six of its last nine openers in FedExForum.

Morant’s Career Night Not Enough to Stop Spurs (2)

Morant is one of six players in NBA history to score 40+ points in the 1st game of his 2nd season. He joins Elgin Baylor (52 in 1959), Wilt Chamberlain (42 in 1960), Walt Bellamy (43 in 1962), Rick Barry (41 in 1966), and Shaquille O’Neal (42 in 1993).

UP NEXT

The Grizzlies will host the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, December 26th, in a matinee before heading out on its first road trip of the season.