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 Cool the Heat, 118-111

CREDIT: Sharon Brown

A balanced attack led by Jonas Valanciunas and Ja Morant helped the Memphis Grizzlies secure a 118-111 victory over the Miami Heat on Monday night at FedExForum. The Grizzlies have now won four out of their last five games, including back-to-back games at home. 

Sharon Brown

Jonas Valanciunas

“This team has been playing extremely well,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said about the Grizzlies after the matchup. “They have a lot of young talent that is growing and getting better as the season is going on. They got in such an incredible rhythm in that first half. Might have been our worst defensive half of the season. Finishing plays, basically all across the board, it was pretty uninspiring.”

Spoelstra added, “We picked up our activity level in the second half and fourth quarter. A little of that was maybe due to the zone [defense]. It was still back-breaking second chance opportunities that really hurt us.”

The Grizzlies shot an astounding 65.9 percent (27–41) and 68.8 percent (11–16) from three to garner a season-high 73 points in the first half. 

A zone defense in the second half by the Heat slowed the Grizzlies’ offensive output. Memphis went 2-of-20 in the second half from the three-point line and 15-of-45 from the field. 

After being down by many as 17, the Heat bounced back to take the lead 105-104, with 5:57 remaining in the fourth quarter. However, the Grizzlies closed out on a 14–4 run to seal the victory.

Valanciunas posted his 14th double-double of the season, finishing with a team-high 21 points and 10 rebounds, plus two blocks, while going 8-of-9 from the field. Memphis had six players in double figures. 

Morant ended with 20 points and 10 assists to complete his fourth double-double of the season. After the game, the Grizzlies’ rookie said, “We just learned. I feel like we’ve lost a lot of games late in the 4th quarter up 10 [points], and the other team would go on a run and we just weren’t able to bounce back from it. We were just able to learn from our mistakes, go back with a run of our own, and finish the game off.”

Jaren Jackson, Jr. converted on 5 of 11 of his three-point shots and tallied 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals. 

Bench play

De’Anthony Melton continues to make his case for more playing time. Melton had 16 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. He was a +12 on the night. Melton talked about his newfound role with the team, “ It’s fun to play. It’s fun to get out there with my team and compete, battle with them. I’m having a blast. I think it’s a great group, and you know, we all love each other and we’re all having fun with it.”

Brandon Clarke had another efficient night, going 5-of-9 from the field, with 14 points and nine rebounds on the night. 

Melton and Clarke combined for seven of the Grizzlies’ season-high 16 offensive rebounds. 

The other guys

Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 25 points, eight assists, and four rebounds. Rookie sensation Tyler Herro finished with 22 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Kendrick Nunn added 18 points and three assists. 

Miami entered the game 10–0 against sub-.500 teams, and Monday night was their first loss in such games. 

Quotes from De’Anthony Melton

On the win:

“We battled. We were just battling out there. We know we can play with anybody, so we just went out there, played together, played hard, helped each other out, and came out with the dub [win].”

On playing a lot alongside Jaren Jackson Jr., Brandon Clarke, and Ja Morant:

“Athleticism, athleticism, you know. Quick up-and-down, blocking shots, getting steals, dunks, all that. We’re just having fun, like I said, with all that athleticism out there.”

On the flipped dynamic where he is often a six-foot-three rebounder and Jaren Jackson Jr. is a six-foot-eleven shooter:

“I mean, he thinks he’s Melo [Carmelo Anthony], so there’s that. But [Jaren] has been shooting it great. [I’m] always finding him, and he’s been hitting [shots], so why not?”

On whether he enjoys surprising people with his rebounding ability:

“Yeah, I mean, it’s part of my game. I like to go out there, play hard, get second, third opportunities for my team. It pays off sometimes, like today  —  it paid off.”

Up Next

The Grizzlies head to Oklahoma City to take on Steven Adams and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, Dec 18th. Tip-Off is at 7 pm CST in Chesapeake Energy Arena. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Jackson’s Historic Night Not Enough to Tame Bucks

Jaren Jackson Jr. launches one of his seven third-quarter 3-poinnters

The Memphis Grizzlies put up a good fight Friday night, until reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo took over in the final period to extend the Milwaukee Bucks’ win streak to 17 straight games, beating the home team, 127–114. The Bucks improved to 23-3 on the season. 

Jaren Jackson, Jr. had the best game of his young career, setting several franchise and NBA records with a monster third quarter. Jackson had a career-high 43 points, while going 14 of 21 from the field. He scored 26 points in the third quarter and connected on 9 out of 15 three-pointers for the game, tieing a Grizzlies franchise record. 

Jackson’s Historic Night Not Enough to Tame Bucks (2)

Tyus Jones was in awe of his teammate’s performance: “Big time, but we know that’s what he’s capable of . Those performances are special.”

“Jaren Jackson (Jr.) is obviously a stud,” said Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer, adding, “It was a pretty incredible individual performance from the three-point line, and everywhere.”

Antetokounmpo couldn’t believe what he was seeing while he was sitting on the bench in the third quarter. “Someone’s got to stop him,” he said. “He made seven threes and when I was out, he made five. I’m thinking that I have to come back in. I got to help my team.” 

Antetokounmpo continued, “This is where the leader of the team takes a step forward. That’s what happens when he makes seven. You just got to execute and win the game. Tried to stay focused and know that I was going to come back in the fourth quarter.”


Historical Stats for Jackson
Jackson became the youngest player since Brandon Jennings on Nov. 14, 2009, to score 40 or more points in a game. He is also the youngest player in NBA history to make nine three-pointers in a single game and is the only player under 21 to do so.

Jackson’s 26 points in the third quarter set a new franchise record for most points scored in a quarter, passing Troy Daniels and Greg Anthony (22, each). His 26-point third quarter is the third most in a quarter in the NBA this season, behind James Harden (29) and Zach LaVine (27).

Jackson’s nine 3-pointers tied Mike Miller for the Grizzlies’ record for most in a game. Miller did it twice in the 2006–2007 season. Jackson’s seven 3-pointers in the third quarter set a new franchise record for most threes in a quarter. Daniels held the previous record with six. 

The Michigan State alum’s 43 points tied Pau Gasol for the third-most points scored by a Grizzlies’ player in franchise history. Miller holds record with 45, followed by Pau Gasol with 44. 

.@jarenjacksonjr ran his streak of games with 1+ 3PM and 1+ BLK to nine straight tonight, a @memgrizz franchise record.

That is tied (with Giannis Antetokounmpo) for the longest such streak in the @NBA this season. https://t.co/yIIg4Bj1Yi

— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) December 14, 2019

Jackson’s Historic Night Not Enough to Tame Bucks


Notes

Dillon Brooks finished with 19 points and three assists while going 4-of-7 from deep. He is averaging 24.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.9 steals per 48 minutes this season. 

Jae Crowder recorded a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, plus four assists. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo tallied a double-double with 37 points (17 in the fourth quarter), 11 rebounds, and two assists on 12-of-23 shooting. 

Brook Lopez tallied a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds

Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke sat out due to injury/load maintenance. 

The Grizzlies now have lost seven straight games on the home floor and are 8-17 on the season, overall.

Quotes from Jaren Jackson, Jr. on his historic night:

On whether he has ever had as good a quarter as he had in the third:

“No. There hasn’t been anything like that, because just everything for a minute was going in for me. I felt like just a crazy rhythm and the basket got bigger. It just felt good.”

On when he realized he was having a great game in the third quarter:

“Probably the banker. The banker was just like, ‘Thank you for the backboard being there,’ because otherwise, I would’ve air-balled it. That one was cool.”

On going head-to-head with Giannis Antetokounmpo:

“He’s just a great, great player coming at you with a full head of steam. You’ve got to pick your battles a lot. Tonight he was hitting the three a little bit, so you had to plan certain ways, doing euros trying to get around him and stuff. I always like that match-up though. He’s a great player.”

On what changed in the last seven minutes of the fourth quarter:

“Giannis (Antetokounmpo) kind of took control of the game a little bit more. Throughout the game, we were putting him at the free-throw line and we kind of gave up a lot in there. At the time we had our drought, they picked it up, so it was kind of just bad timing, honestly.”

On his confidence:

“I guess I always have confidence, just by the work I put in. In terms of shooting and getting my balance right and just getting my feet right so that I can make those shots when it’s harder and it’s like a hand up.”

On how he is attacking the ball differently now versus at the beginning of the season:

“My teammates are finding me a lot more in terms of the three-point line. They’re finding me in better spots and they’re looking for me a lot more, so that helps. Definitely in the summer, just working on my balance and working on having to get it off quicker because you have to get your release quicker and your feet down set. So, when you do that, you can take deeper ones and if it goes in, it goes in.”

Up Next
In a home back-to-back, the Grizzlies will face Bradley Beal and the Washington Wizards at FedEx Forum tonight at 7 pm CST. Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke are expected to return to the lineup tonight. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Shade Suns in Phoenix

CREDIT: Screen shot

A resilient Grizzlies team went into Phoenix on Wednesday night and came away with its second consecutive road victory, beating the Suns 115-108. The team hadn’t won consecutive games in almost a month. 

Screen shot

Ja Morant posterizes Aron Baynes. (see video below)

Dillon Brooks and Jaren Jackson, Jr. led the Grizzlies, who ended a 10-day road trip with the win. The Grizzlies (8-16) are now three games behind the Suns (11-13) for the eight spot in the Western Conference.

Brooks went 10-of-18 from the stripe, finishing with a game-high 27 points, plus two steals. Memphis is 6-0 this season when Brooks scores 20 or more points.

After the game, Brooks said, “We were taking it personally. They beat us at our house and we wanted to beat them in their crib and we were just guarding our ass off. We made the necessary plays. We went to the line and shot free throws and we didn’t back down. We guarded and rebounded.”

Grizzlies Shade Suns in Phoenix (4)

Jaren Jackson, Jr. added 24 points, six rebounds, and four assists, including 10-of-18 from the field, with three three-pointers and several strong finishes in the paint. Like the one below.

Grizzlies Shade Suns in Phoenix (2)

De’Anthony Melton, who came into his own after Morant missed four games due to back soreness, continued to make good use of his extended playing time off the bench. He finished the night with nine points, six rebounds, and a +22 in 19 minutes of play. 

Grizzlies Shade Suns in Phoenix (5)

Brandon Clarke returned to action after a four-game absence due to a sore left oblique. He led the bench unit with 15 points, seven rebounds, and two blocked shots in 22 minutes of action. Clarke still continues to be incredibly efficient, going 5-of-6 on the night, with 2-of-2 from three. Grizzlies fans should expect more from the Melton and Clarke duo. 

Grizzlies Shade Suns in Phoenix (3)

In 32 minutes, Jae Crowder stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and two steals

Frank Kaminsky led the Suns with 24 points (season-high) and five rebounds while Ricky Rubio added 22 points and a game-high eight assists.

HOLY SH*T JA MORANT
Ja Morant has become a human highlight reel in his young NBA career. Mr. Fourth Quarter has had mind-blowing, jaw-dropping plays in nearly every game he has played this season. And Wednesday night in Phoenix was no exception.

Morant posterized Aron Baynes with a vicious dunk that brought #NBATwitter to life. It was the second time Morant has posterized Baynes. There aren’t enough superlatives to describe this nasty dunk.

Morant talked about the dunk after the game. He said, “That’s my game — I’m going to try to finish every time. The first time was an and-1, the second one was a dunk.” He says it felt good. See it below.

Morant added, “I feel like everybody knows that’s my game. To go to the rack with force and try to finish the play aggressive, and I was able to get one tonight. They (the bench) was just laughing, (saying) “It took you two months to get one.” They were just excited and it just shows the type of team we have.”

Brooks was ecstatic about the dunk. “Oh my gosh, I was screaming, Brooks proclaimed. “That’s how electric he (Morant) is — he’s a special player. If he’s having a tough game or whatever he finds a way to electrify the game to put us over the top.”

Grizzlies Shade Suns in Phoenix

Grizzlies Shade Suns in Phoenix (6)

Morant finished the game with 13 points, nine of which were scored in the final period with the game on the line. 


What They Said!!
Taylor Jenkins, Grizzlies Head Coach
On the game:

“Unbelievable effort by our guys tonight, two nights in a row. You could maybe chalk this up to being another complete game for us. The Suns went out and got a couple early runs on us; we were a little too casual. But when we locked in, our guys were really good defensively. A team that’s been killing it on the boards and second-chance points, we just outrebounded them with all their crashers and athletic guys going in there. That was huge for us. Great job.”

Jenkins continued: “Multiple guys guarded Devin Booker; Kaminsky got hot early, but we changed up some matchups and some coverages and I thought our guys handled that great. Offensively, as we have been talking about all season long, when teams go on runs against us, continue to trust the offense. There were a couple of moments there when we forced some things, but the ball kept moving around, some big plays down the stretch.

“One sequence I have to mention: they have a fast break play; we have two guys go in and I think De’Anthony (Melton), Brandon (Clarke) block the shot, we go down to the other end, we get a tip-in off an offensive rebound. Plays like that. There’s more of them throughout the game, but that one sticks out. The bench was huge for us tonight. Just credit to our guys going out getting two big wins to finish this road trip. These games are always hard at the end of a road trip. Proud of our guys’ effort tonight.”

Up Next

The Grizzlies return home to Memphis to host Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night at FedExForum. Antetokounmpo missed Wednesday night’s contest against the New Orleans Pelicans due to right quad tendon soreness. The Bucks extended their winning streak to 16 games against the Pelicans. It is unclear Antetokounmpo will be available to play in Friday’s game. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

The Return of Ja Morant

After a four-game absence, the Grizzlies’ rookie sensation, Ja Morant, returned to the lineup and led Memphis to a road victory over the Golden State Warriors. Morant scored 13 of his game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter. For the game, Morant had seven assists, three 3-pointers, and a steal, while going 8-for-14 from the field in the 110-102 win.

Morant is tied for third with Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard in NBA fourth-quarter scoring this season. “It was fun — I missed it,” said Morant on his return after back soreness. “It was tough sitting there on the sideline, knowing that I wanna be out there. It just felt good to get out there again.”

The 20-year-old said about his fourth quarter scoring, “I kinda just like to focus on what I can control and on what happens between those four lines. In terms of all the accolades and awards and numbers, I don’t really pay attention to that stuff. I just take what the defense gives me. I never try to force anything. I feel like they were going under a lot of my screens and it’s either shoot or attack or find the open man. I think that tonight we were able to get stops and play the way that we wanted to. We had a lot of people step up tonight.”

Coach Taylor Jenkins was pleased once again with his young guard’s performance. He said, “Yeah, there’s a lot of trust with him and when the ball is in his hands. … We wanted to make sure that he was playing a solid 48 minutes with an attack mentality, knowing that he is ‘score first,’ but he is also super unselfish and will make the right plays. Had a couple of assists late and had some buckets that we needed in order to kill a run.”

Jenkins continued, “As a team we have to get better as a coaching staff when teams are trying to take away Ja (Morant), especially late in the game. But it is certainly a great thing to see early on in his career.”

The Murray State product continues to wow with his presence on the floor. As Master P would say, Ja “makes ’em say uhh.” Here are a few of his plays from Monday night in San Francisco. 

The Return of Ja Morant

The Return of Ja Morant (2)


Here is another angle:

The Return of Ja Morant (3)


Morant spoke to Grizzlies sideline reporter Rob Fischer after the game. 

The Return of Ja Morant (4)

Notes

The Grizzlies ended a three game skid with the win.

The Grizzlies were helped by their strong night in transition, as they outscored the Warriors 25-10 in fast break points. It was the sixth time this season that the Grizzlies have shot 50.0 percent or better from the field (41-of-82).

Dillon Brooks was engaged on both ends of the floor and finished with 17 points.  

Jaren Jackson, Jr. added 16 points and a team-high three blocks.

Grayson Allen had 13 first half points and finished the game with 15 points, before leaving with an ankle injury. He went 6-of-8 from the field and 3-of-4 from the three-point line.

Jonas Valanciunas notched his 13th double-double of the season with 13 points, 10 rebounds and four assists on 5-of-7 shooting.

Alec Burks led the Warriors with 18 points, as well as seven rebounds and six assists.

D’Angelo Russell added 18 points, seven assists, and three rebounds for the Warriors. 


Up Next
The Grizzlies will continue their four-game road trip on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 8 p.m. CT against the Phoenix Suns inside Talking Stick Resort Arena.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

De’Anthony Melton: All About That Grit ‘n Grind

CREDIT: NBA.com

De’Anthony Melton has found himself at the back of the bench with the Grizzlies, with more DNPs (did not play — coach’s decision) than playing time, plus multiple Memphis Hustle assignments. But Melton has the ability to make an impact on both ends of the floor — and all he needed was minutes to prove it. 

NBA.com

De’Anthony Melton

In the 2018 NBA draft, Melton was selected 46th overall by the Houston Rockets and then traded to the Phoenix Suns before the start of the season. He played in 50 games for the Suns while starting in 31. Melton averaged 5 points, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals as a rookie. 

The second-year guard was traded from Phoenix to Memphis in the off-season, along with Josh Jackson and some picks in exchange for Kyle Korver and Jevon Carter. Melton was said to be a key piece for the Grizzlies in the trade. 

As former Grizzlies legend Tony Allen would say, “stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.” And that’s exactly what Melton did after Ja Morant went down with an injury. 

In the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves last Sunday, Melton played 23 minutes and closed out a much-needed win to end a six-game skid. Melton stuffed the stat sheet with a near triple-double by finishing with nine points, a team-high eight assists, seven rebounds, and two steals.

After the game, Melton talked about how the Grizzlies overcame their third-quarter woes: “We were just going out there and scrapping — we were down a couple of guys but, you know we didn’t let that hinder our success. So we were going out there playing hard, playing Grizzlies basketball.”

Melton gave his coaches credit for believing in him and advising him to stay ready. “The coaching staff always telling me to stay ready, Melton said. “They definitely believe in me and see what I can do. The coaches are big advocates for staying ready and being aggressive — so that’s what I did and played my game.”

In his pregame presser prior to Monday’s game against the Pacers, Jenkins praised Melton for his play in the winning effort against the Timberwolves. 

“All of the work that he has been doing — the offensive work, the defensive work and preparing himself for an opportunity. I think he set a tone for us defensively with a couple of steals and a couple of deflections. He had a couple of loose-ball rebounding, outside-of-his-area plays. Offensively he kept it simple. He could have come in there trying to prove something. I thought he proved it the right way by attacking, playmaking, tallying assists, finding his teammates and finding the right time to attack and score. He had a great overall game on both ends of the floor and he was huge for us.”

Monday night in a losing effort against the Pacers, Melton came alive for his best game of the season. In 25 minutes of play, the former USC guard tallied a season-high 16 points, nine rebounds, and four assists, on 6-of-10 shooting. 

Jaren Jackson, Jr. is pleased with his teammate’s contribution in the absence of Ja Morant. Jackson said, “He’s [Melton] really good in the pick-and-roll. Obviously his shiftiness is going to get him a long way because he’s keeping defenders on their toes.”

Jackson added, “He can really read the defense well. But yeah, he’s been huge, especially that last win we had [at Minnesota]. He was huge in that game, came alive for us. Here he was ready to play [Monday night], came in and did the same thing. A lot to look forward to with him.”

Melton chimed in on his recent play, “I’m just playing hard, honestly — I’m just playing hard, trusting the offense, trusting my teammates, too. My teammates are doing a great job. We are all moving the ball. Everybody’s getting touches. We’re getting out and running. People are getting easy buckets, not only me, but just our whole team.”

Melton’s performance has won his coach over and the fans alike. He also has been outplaying Tyus Jones who was inserted into the starting lineup with Morant sidelined.

The 21-year-old says he has learned a lot from Jackson and Morant. He says they have both taught him how to handle different situations especially being young focal points and also being able to be successful with it.

Melton says, “Being in Memphis just teaches you to be scrappy and every night our team preaches the grit and grind — and to compete no matter what.”

Jenkins continued to give Melton praise, “As we’ve talked all season long, when that chance came he’s been prepared. A player that we see a bright future with. If he keeps having the simple mentality on defense and offense, keeps his game plan pretty simple for himself I think he could have a really bright future.”

In just two games, Melton has proven he deserves a spot in the rotation. He has been making his presence felt on both ends of the floor. Only time will tell if Jenkins and company will give him more opportunities to showcase his talents on the court. 

Melton is not taking his newfound opportunity lightly, “I’m just going out there and having fun, he said. “Basketball’s a fun sport for me, so going out there and having fun, playing hard, playing with my teammates and just enjoying it. It doesn’t matter whether I’m the one or the two, it’s just basketball, playing hard.”

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Morant Named Western Conference Rookie of the Month

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant was named the NBA Western Conference Rookie of the month for games played during October and November. Morant is the first Grizzlies rookie to be named Western Conference Rookie of the Month since Nick Calathes in February 2014. 
Larry Kuzniewski

Ja Morant

The Murray State standout is averaging 18.6 points, 6.4 assists and 1.4 steals in 28.7 minutes per game in his rookie season. He is shooting 45.7 percent from the field and 41 percent from beyond the arc. Morant led all rookies in scoring average, assists per game, 20-point games (9) and double-doubles (3) through the end of November.

In his third NBA game, the rookie point guard tallied 30 points (career-high), nine assists, and four rebounds in 32 minutes. He became only the third player in NBA history to score at least 30 points and have at least nine assists within the first three games of their career, joining Isiah Thomas (1981) and Trae Young (2018).

Morant scored a game-winning bucket after splitting three defenders with a left-handed drive to the rim with 0.7 seconds left on the clock to lift the Grizzlies over the Hornets on November 13th. He led the way for his team that night, as he recorded the first double-double of his career, finishing with 23 points and 11 assists.

The 20-year-old became the youngest NBA player in nearly 10 years to make a game-winning basket on the road with under one second remaining in the game. 

Morant has consistently received high praise from fans and other players around the league. The second overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft shares Rookie of the Month honors with Miami Heat guard Kendrick Nunn, who earned the monthly award for the Eastern Conference. 

Morant is currently on the injured list, having missed two games with back spasms. He is listed as week-to-week. 

Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke was also a nominee for NBA Western Conference Rookie of the month honors. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

‘Funky Lineups’ Help Grizzlies End 6-Game Losing Streak

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

The Grizzlies ended their six-game losing streak against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday afternoon, 115–107. Unlikely heroes emerged for the team, which played without Ja Morant (back soreness), Kyle Anderson (heel soreness) and big man Jonas Valanciunas (illness). To make matters worse, Brandon Clarke also left the game with an aggravated hip injury. 

Larry Kuzniewski

Dillon Brooks

Taylor Jenkins had clear instructions for his short-handed team on the road: “I hit the guys with a simple message that we were going to have some funky lineups up there and I just need guys going up there and competing,” he said. “That’s what we’re all about and that’s what we need to get back to and I’m super proud of them. To come out here against a playoff team, with a high level back-and-forth for our guys to dig down for 48 minutes it created energy for us and that’s the positive spirit we need to have, win or lose and to come out on top of that, cements the recipe we’re talking about.”

Larry Kuzniewski

Dillon Brooks, Taylor Jenkins

Jenkins continued, “Our bench was huge for us today and we got that production from our starters and our bench not just on the offensive side but our defense was amazing and it was a great team effort and these guys deserved it.”

Dillon Brooks led the Grizzlies with 26 points, going 4-of-5 from the three-point line.
When Brooks scores 20 or more points, this team usually wins. “We just found a way and figured it out, said Brooks of winning on the road. “It started with our defense and then we translated into our offense.”

‘Funky Lineups’ Help Grizzlies End 6-Game Losing Streak

Bruno Caboclo and De’Anthony Melton played significant minutes to help their team secure the victory. Caboclo added 12 points and 13 rebounds in 29 minutes for his first double-double of the season. With 12 pts and 10 rebounds in the 2nd half, Caboclo became the first reserve to post a double-double in a single half since Zach Randolph in 2016. Melton ended the game with nine points, a team-high eight assists, seven rebounds, and two steals in 23 minutes.

‘Funky Lineups’ Help Grizzlies End 6-Game Losing Streak (4)

‘Funky Lineups’ Help Grizzlies End 6-Game Losing Streak (3)

Notes

‘Funky Lineups’ Help Grizzlies End 6-Game Losing Streak (2)

In his first game back in Minnesota, Tyus Jones ended with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting, four rebounds, and seven assists.

“We did whatever we had to get a win at this point — and stop the losing streak we had been on, said Jones.” We corrected what needed to be corrected and it says a lot about this team and how we are able to stick with it. We came on the road here and beat a good team.”

Grayson Allen had a good game off the bench with 13 points on 4-of-9 from the field and 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. Allen also grabbed five rebounds.

For just the third time this season the Grizzlies outscored an opponent in the third period, 38-32. Jones said it was their focus to have a big third quarter. He said, “We talked about it at half-time and we wanted to come out and not let them go on a run and not let the third quarter be the difference in a negative way and let it be a positive for us.”

Solomon Hill tallied 11 points and five rebounds. Hill finished with a game high +22.

Karl-Anthony Towns was held to 7-of-21 from the field. He ended the game with 21 points and 12 rebounds. It was his 15th double-double of the season.

Quotables
Taylor Jenkins, Grizzlies head coach

On what it was that resulted in a strong second half…

“I think we let it slip away in the second quarter. We didn’t get a bucket, they would score, we turned it over and our guys were pissed off. They realized we had this lead on the road and we needed to go win a ball game and they kept their spirits up. They recognized that wasn’t good enough to finish, let’s come out the second half with our foot on the gas pedal and they started it with defense. It was a back and forth game but our guys had that mentality and broke through with the right stops, execution, and effort.”

Dillon Brooks, Grizzlies guard
On using unfamiliar lineups, but having success…

“We practice and we practice hard. Everyone’s focused, everyone knows the plays. Everyone is professional and is ready to contribute when their time comes. With Ja [Morant] out, Brandon [Clarke] out, Kyle [Anderson] out, and JV [Jonas Valanciunas], guys stepped up.”

On how the team defended Karl-Anthony Towns…

“We pressured the heck out of him, we didn’t want him getting to his spots. We just contested every single three he had. You know, he shot 1-for-10, that was great. A tribute to Jaren [Jackson]’s contests, Bruno [Caboclo]’s contests and just playing physical with him.”

Up Next
The Grizzlies return home to host the Indiana Pacers at FedExForum on Monday. Tip-off at 7 p.m. CST. 

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Blues on Beale: Grizzlies Lose to Jazz 103-94

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

The Memphis Grizzlies suffered their sixth straight defeat, losing to the Utah Jazz on Friday night, 103–94. The Grizzlies’ last win was against those same Jazz on Nov 15th at FedExForum before a national TV audience in the teams’ first matchup. Memphis is now 5–13 on the year. 

Utah outscored Memphis 63–39 in the second half, after the Grizzlies led 55-40 at the half. The Grizzlies shot 45.7 percent in the first half, but the Jazz held them to 33.3 percent shooting in the second half. The Jazz scored 12 straight points to open the third quarter. 

Third-quarter woes continue to plague Memphis early in the season. “We didn’t do what we needed to do in the third quarter, because we let them come out and punch us early and we didn’t respond,” said Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson, Jr. “Credit to them. They were active on the glass, actively just making the right plays, hitting a lot of shots, but we have to know that that’s coming. Especially because we played well in the first half.”

Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins didn’t mince words after the game. He said, “Great first half, terrible second half . Credit the Jazz. They came and played a whole lot harder than us in the third quarter, and that’s why they won the ball game.”

Jenkins described how the Jazz set the tone for the second half, “We turned over the first possession. We gave up an offensive rebound. They scored. We controlled the boards in the first half, and then the next possession, they go down and miss a wide-open layup in transition —  get an offensive rebound, put it in, call timeout, come out and continue to get offensive rebounds. I think they had [13] second-chance points in the second half or something along those lines. It’s been a weakness of ours. We just didn’t come ready to play in the third quarter, and they took full advantage of it.”

“We came out with a sense of urgency,” said Utah guard Donovan Mitchell. “We knew we were better than what we showed. So, for us, it was just continuing to battle. It helps when Bojan [Bogdanovic] gets hot. Mike [Conley] made some crucial plays. Royce [O’Neale] had defensive stops, and we all did our best to do our part.”

Difficulties maintaining leads

For the sixth time this season, the Grizzlies blew a double-digit lead — the most in the NBA.

“We just have to execute,” said Jackson. “We have to continue to do the things that we were doing and expect the team to play harder, but we can’t expect them to bring the same energy or drop their energy because they’re losing. They probably got ripped at halftime. They’re probably feeling a type of way, and they’re probably getting amped up. We have to come out there and make sure we deliver.”

Sharon Brown


Playing with the same energy a full 48 minutes

“We have to play all four quarters like we did in the first half,” said rookie guard Ja Morant. “It helped us get out to a bigger lead, I think like 15 points. We just have to do that all four quarters.”

Energy and effort may be an issue. Morant said of the second half, “It was us — high energy just died down and they just took advantage of it.”

“I feel like it was just us mainly coming out in the third quarter with a lack of energy, lack of focus and they capitalized on that,” said Grizzlies rookie forward Brandon Clarke. 

The Grizzlies can’t win when Morant and Jackson combine for 7-of 26 from the field. Morant ended the game with 11 points (4-of-13) and four assists. Jackson chipped in nine points (3-of-13) and four assists plus four blocks. With his fourth block, he reached 100 career blocks and became the third-fastest player in franchise history to tally 100 career blocks, behind only Pau Gasol and Roy Rogers.

For the second consecutive game, Jonas Valanciunas was the Grizzlies high scorer with 22 points and 17 rebounds. He posted his 11th double-double of the season. 

Sharon Brown

Jonas Valanciunas

Clarke tallied 13 points off the bench and went 5-of-6 from the field. Clarke has a 64.3 percent field goal percentage this season.

Utah’s Bojan Bogdanovic tied his season-high with 33 points while shooting 12-of-20 from the field (4–8 from three). He scored 16 points in the fourth quarter. Donovan Mitchell added 20 points, while Rudy Gobert notched his 11th double-double of the season with 13 points and 13 rebounds. 

Up Next

The Grizzlies will travel to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves on Sunday. Tip-off at 2:30 pm, CST. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Jackson and Morant Shine as Grizzlies Fall to Lakers 109–108

CREDIT: Sharon Brown

There are no moral victories; a loss is still a loss. However, a young Grizzlies team can take positives away from Saturday night’s loss to the Lakers — and learn from it. 

Jaren Jackson, Jr. and Ja Morant performed like the Grizzlies must have envisioned they would when they were paired together. It was the first time this season that Jackson and Morant scored 20+ points in the same game.

Morant ended the night with 26 points, six assists, and a career-high five steals in 33 minutes. It was Morant’s eighth game of 20-or-more points this season. The rookie point guard entered the game averaging 23.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 6.6 assists in 27.3 minutes in his last seven home games. 

“I think it just flat out shows (our game),” said Morant about the loss to the Lakers. “That no matter what, we can be in ball games and win ball games. We weren’t able to close out tonight, but tonight showed what type of team we are and who we want to be. I’m never satisfied with losing, but I can say I’m satisfied with how we played tonight. We played together, competed to the end and just came up short.”

Morant had many “wow” moments in the game. See below. 

Jackson and Morant Shine as Grizzlies Fall to Lakers 109–108

Jackson and Morant Shine as Grizzlies Fall to Lakers 109–108 (2)

According to Grizzlies PR, Morant became the first NBA rookie to record 25+ points, 5+ assists and 5+ steals in a game since John Wall on Nov. 2, 2010.

Jackson Jr. finished the night with 20 points, seven rebounds, and two steals, shooting 8-of-16 from the field and 4-of-7 from deep. It was Jackson’s fourth game with four-or-more three-pointers in his first 14 games this season after having two such games in the 58 games he played during his rookie season.

Jackson also saw the positives in the loss. “It just shows that we came to compete today — we brought all the energy; it started on defense,” Jackson said. “I am just proud of the effort we gave. Obviously, we wanted to pull it out at the end but the ball doesn’t bounce your way. We just got to take the good things and move on and the bad things and try to figure them out, too.”

Jackson added, “We understand that if we bring it we’re always gonna be in ball games. Little things like that, we learn more and more every day. We have to focus on our effort because our youth and energy can sometimes win out if we’re running hard and we’re playing defense and we’re scrambling and wearing teams down and playing in transition. So, I think those are the things we’ve gotta focus on.”

Jackson and Morant Shine as Grizzlies Fall to Lakers 109–108 (4)

Jackson and Morant Shine as Grizzlies Fall to Lakers 109–108 (3)

Jae Crowder chipped in a season-high 21 points while knocking down 4-of-9 from the three-point line. 

After the game, Crowder said, “We have to play better on any given night. I feel like we brought it tonight because of who we were playing. Good teams bring it every night, no matter their opponent, so once we learn from this game, we can continue to build, take this to Indiana and get us a win on the road. It’s definitely something to build off of.”

Crowder acknowledged that the team doesn’t bring it every night. “I think it’s just being with a young team,” he said. “Knowing that shots may not fall on a nightly basis but your effort and energy have to be there on a nightly basis. So you have to take care of your bodies and be prepared to play at a maximum level each and every night.”

Kyle Anderson came off the bench and garnered 11 points, six rebounds, and four assists while shooting 5-of-11 from the field.

LeBron James led all scorers with 30 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while grabbing his 9,000th career rebound.


What They Said!
Taylor Jenkins, Grizzlies head coach

On the game: “Heck of a game by our guys. I’m super proud of their efforts from the beginning of the game to the end of the game. One-point loss against the best team in the league. I know there are no moral victories, but how our guys competed for 48 minutes, I’m beyond proud given how we played the last two games. (We) had a chance to win at the end — a couple of plays on offense, big time rebound at the end that we have to learn from, but we got significantly better today, and I’m proud of how they played. If we can play like that every night we give ourselves a chance.”

On Jackson Jr.’s contribution to the offense: “For him to be very versatile, plays off the bounce, hitting threes. … He’s an inside-out player. It’s huge for his growth. He’s still really young in his career, so as he’s identifying those opportunities to be in attack mode I think it really benefits our offense. We need another dimension outside of just our point guards being playmakers. To have him be a playmaker for us is huge.”


On the Grizzlies’ youth: “Like I said to them after the game: super proud. Their effort was unbelievable. Our defensive activity set a tone to start the game. If we can play up to that standard night in and night out you’re going to hopefully have a chance to win more ball games. Obviously, in the fourth quarter, a couple of moments there where we have to execute a little bit better. But what they were able to do for a majority of the game, that’s where we have to be. That’s what we’ve hung our hat on. A week ago, it kind of slipped away from us, but if they can kind of engrain that into their mind, this is what it is. This is the fun style to compete that way. I’m super proud, and that’s the Grizzlies I love to be a part of.”

Up Next
Grizzlies travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers on Monday night. Tip-off at 6 pm CST. 

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Don’t Give Up on Jaren Jackson, Jr

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

Last year, Jaren Jackson, Jr. was seen as the face of the future for the Memphis Grizzlies. Fans fell in love with the Michigan State product during his rookie season. Now, as he struggles to learn a new system implemented by new head coach Taylor Jenkins, Jackson finds himself drawing the ire of some of those same fans who praised him a year ago. A group of fans on social media have even called for Jackson to be traded, this early in the season. 

Larry Kuzniewski

Jaren Jackson Jr.

What a difference a year makes. Last year, fans were furious and thought the team was wasting his first season in the league with J.B. Bickerstaff as his head coach. Many said Bickerstaff didn’t know how to play Jackson to showcase his talent. Since then, the Grizzlies have had a front-office makeover and almost a complete roster overhaul.

When Jackson first came into the league, the locker room was completely different. There was a heavy veteran presence with Grizzlies mainstays Mike Conley and Marc Gasol.
He also learned from JaMychal Green, Garrett Temple, and Joakim Noah.

Now Jackson has to rely for guidance on veterans Jae Crowder, Solomon Hill, and fellow big man Jonas Valanciunas. The players have to gel and he knows it is a long season and the team can’t get too high or too low, but has to take it one game at a time. After the ugly loss against the Warriors on Tuesday night, Jackson said, “I just have to play better  —  I wasn’t good by any means. I didn’t help us out there today.”

He went on to say, “You just have to improve, keep doing the same things. You can’t really change too much.  I need to see the game first and look at it. Definitely not something I’m proud of.”

Jackson is prone to foul trouble and has fouled out of three out of the team’s 13 games this season. Teams have scouted him and know that getting him in foul trouble
early in games messes with his psyche. Early foul trouble has often been an
indicator Jackson won’t have a good game.

Jackson knows he has his work cut out for him to right the ship for his sophomore season.  “I have to get better offensively and work on the things that I work on, as well as playing with my teammates better and reading things better,” he said. “A lot of things I have to work on for sure.”

Jackson took responsibility after the ugly Warriors loss. He said, “We just didn’t do what we needed to do. I can’t speak on them [Golden State] and their locker room. I just know, in here, we need to be better, I need to be better. I have to bring it next game.”

Jenkins says he isn’t too concerned about Jackson’s slump. Thursday after practice,
Jenkins said he would “keep encouraging him with positivity. I think if he can latch on mentally to how he could be good defensively, he can be a two-way player. He is still trying to find his way on the offensive end if he just focuses on the defense, the offense will come in time.”

Jenkins said that Jackson and Ja Morant are still developing chemistry in the young season, adding that that Jackson’s rookie season was cut short after playing in just 58 games last season. He also pointed out that Jackson is adjusting to a new system, a new coach, a new style of play, and a new role. 

Through 13 games played, Jackson is averaging 14 points, 4.9 rebounds, while shooting 46.5 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from the three-point line.

Among sophomore players in the league, Jackson is in the top 10 in scoring, based on traditional stats. His usage is 22.7 percent and he is ranked in the top 15th percentile for second-year players. And it’s worth pointing out: Jackson’s numbers aren’t terrible. He’s scored in double figures in 8 out of 13 games and has scored 20 or more points in four of those games.

The Grizzlies have a roster full of young players who need development. As Jackson said, they don’t have time to be rookies. They’re being thrown into the fire and have to learn on the fly. Building chemistry will ultimately help Jackson and his teammates compete for 48 minutes and win some more games. 

Grizzlies fans need to understand and accept the necessity of growing pains for this young team this season. There is plenty of basketball left to play. Patience is the key for Jackson, his teammates, and the coaching staff  — and for the fans.