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 Rally Past Sixers

(Photo: Wes Hale)

Despite being down 12 points entering the fourth quarter, the Memphis Grizzlies rallied to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 115-109 on Wednesday night. They went on an 11-0 run near the end of the quarter and outscored the 76ers, 34-16. 

Memphis has won their last two games after snapping a five-game losing run after the All-Star break. 

“I challenge the guys at halftime — I mean that was pretty poor performance in the first half, lack of urgency, lack of communication,” said Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins. “The Sixers got whatever they wanted in the first half, rotation, second chance points — through three quarters they had 30 second chance points and ended up with 35.

Jenkins continued, “So [a] better job in the fourth quarter but challenged them at halftime a little bit better even though we lost the third quarter by four. I said, hey, flush the first three quarters, we’re gonna come out, we’re gonna play our best quarter in the fourth. 

“We just found a way to execute down the stretch and came down to just being in the right spots, the ball movement, multiple guys with multiple assists, but Vince [Williams Jr.] and Santi [Aldama] especially. Those guys did a great job facilitating some big time shots, knocked down some big free throws, and then just limiting them at the end of the game, second-chance points was huge for us to get this victory.

“These guys have just been really hanging in,” Jenkins said. “There’s still a lot more basketball left to play in the season. We keep reminding them, here’s what’s in front of us, here’s our reality. What are we going to do about?

“We go out there, we just keep pushing them to make the winning plays by our standard, and guys have been rising to the occasion,” Jenkins added. You see a lot of different guys rise to the occasion and get this opportunity. It’s pretty special to see and hopefully carries forth this season and beyond.”

After missing three games with right quad tendon pain, Jackson returned to the lineup and wasted little time making an impression. The All-Star forward finished with 30 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks. Jackson Jr. recorded a double-double for the seventh time this season, and tied his season high for rejections. 

Jake LaRavia had another solid game 19 points, 13 rebounds, and three blocks. For the second game in a row, the sophomore forward recorded back to back double-doubles as a reserve.

To close it out Vince Williams Jr. chipped in 17 points, team-high nine assists, seven rebounds, and two steals. Santi Aldama added 17 points, seven assists, four rebounds, and three blocks. 

Memphis totaled 15 blocks on the night. 

The Grizzlies return home on Friday, March 8th, to face the Atlanta Hawks at 7 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM ESPN.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Blazers Snap Nine-Game Skid With 30-point Win Over Memphis

Memphis Grizzlies forward Lamar Stevens (24) shoots the ball during the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers at FedEx Forum on March 1, 2024, in Memphis TN. (Wes Hale Photo)

On Friday at FedExForum, the Portland Trail Blazers snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 122-92 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, thanks in large part to a stellar third quarter. The Blazers outscored Memphis 40-27 in the third. 

When asked how the team would bounce back from the 30-point loss at home, Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins seemed visibly upset and uttered, “We have to — this is embarrassing.”

How embarrassing was it, though? Both teams have been impacted by injuries and were missing key players.

For Jenkins, missing key players was not an excuse for the team’s performance against Portland: “They played extremely well, and we didn’t have it. We played poorly.”

Rookie GG Jackson II who finished with 11 points off the bench on Friday night didn’t like the feeling of letting the fans down. 

“You see your fans leaving with like eight minutes left in the game —that really sticks to us as players,” said Jackson II. “They want to come see us play. That’s kind of like them slapping us in our face saying, ‘We don’t want to see you play.’ We got to change that.” 

The Grizzlies have dropped their third straight game and 12th in their last 14. For an organization that finished second in the West the previous two years, it is a huge letdown. 

Jake LaRavia has been mired with injuries most of his tenure with the Grizzlies. As a reserve on Friday, he led the Grizzlies with a career-high 21 points, going 7-for-13 from the field. 

The second-year forward’s play was one bright spot for Jenkins on the night. “It was really encouraging,” Jenkins said of LaRavia’s performance. “I thought he came out aggressive — shooting the 3-ball, getting downhill, getting to the free throw line, [and] a couple assists. I thought he did some good things defensively. Definitely some things that [he] can clean up on the defensive end; playing a little bit more physical on the ball, better one-on-one. I think, as a team, we just got embarrassed one-on-one, but he was a bright spot for sure. Love his movement off the ball, movement with the ball, but being aggressive, that was the biggest takeaway.”

The 22-year-old forward is averaging 9.8 points, 4 boards, 2 assists, and 1 steal in four games since returning from an ankle injury. 

Lamar Stevens had a season-high 19 points off the bench. With no starter scoring more than 10 points for the Grizzlies, Stevens and LaRavia tried their best to carry the load. 

Since joining the Grizzlies prior to the trade deadline, Stevens has been a reliable frontcourt player. In his last seven games for the team, he has shot 56.3% from the field while averaging 12.1 points, 5.1 boards, 1 assist, and 1 block in just 20.7 minutes per game.

Up Next 

Like deja vu, both teams will play again tonight, at FedExForum with a 7 pm tip-off. 

The Grizzlies will look to put up a better performance in front of the home crowd. “Every loss motivates a basketball player, but this one in particular definitely motivates us,” Jackson II said after Friday’s blowout loss. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Clippers’ Late Surge Downs Grizzlies

Feb 23, 2024; Memphis Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) shoots the ball as Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) defends during the first half at FedExForum. (Wes Hale Photo)

Late game mistakes cost the Memphis Grizzlies Friday night in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, 101-95. The Clippers went on a 12-4 run late in the final period to seal the deal. 

For most of the game, it was a tightly contested matchup with the Clippers leading by as many as 8 points, while Memphis’ biggest lead was 7. 

“I think we should have won,” said Lamar Stevens, who finished with 8 points and 8 rebounds off the bench. “I don’t really like the moral victory stuff; I think we should’ve won. I think that we kind of gave it away down the stretch; some of the turnovers and offensive rebounds really hurt us, but those are all things that we can control.”

“We just got a bunch of dogs in here that are hungry— everybody has something to prove,” Stevens said, about how the team is playing well on defense despite missing key players. “Everybody’s getting a different kind of opportunity. You get that opportunity in this league, you want to make the most of it and take advantage of it and just control what you can control. I think people come in here looking at the roster and don’t really know who this person or that person is, but they’re dogs and they’re hungry. I think that’s what’s able to keep us in games and keep us in position to win.”

Stevens received praise from Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins after the game: “I love what I’ve seen with Lamar [Stevens]’s defensive activity, switch ability. He’s given us a little pop in our scoring ability. He’s kind of figuring out his role on the opposite side. He’s playing a unique position at the five there, but his versatility on defense really just jumps off the page. Doesn’t matter who he’s guarding, whether it’s a guard or it’s a big.”

“It’s encouraging what we’ve seen the last couple of games,” Jenkins added. “That kind of gave us some confidence to put him into that five spot.”

Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 29 points, 5 assists, 4 steals, and 4 rebounds. Jackson Jr. has scored 25 or more in 20 games this season. He continues to improve his playmaking ability for himself and his teammates. 

GG Jackson II continued to impress off the bench, finishing with 11 points and 2 rebounds. Vince Williams Jr. added 9 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds. 

Highlight of the Night

After getting a steal, John Konchar raced down the floor and threw a spectacular lob to Ziaire Williams. Williams finished with 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals. 

Roster Moves

The Grizzlies announced the signing of Jordan Goodwin to a two-way contract and have waived guard Jacob Gilyard. Gilyard had nearly reached his 50 game limit with the Grizzlies as a two-way contract player. 

Up Next

The Grizzlies will host the Brooklyn Nets on Monday, February 26, at FedExForum at 7 pm CT. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Snap Losing Streak

GG Jackson #45 of the Memphis Grizzlies dunks the ball during the second half against Houston at FedEx Forum on Feb. 14, 2024, in Memphis TN. (Wes Hale Photo)

The Memphis Grizzlies snapped a nine-game losing skid Wednesday night by beating the Houston Rockets, 121-113 at FedExForum. 

The bench came up huge with 57 of the Grizzlies’ 121 points. Wednesday was Valentine’s Day with love and basketball when Grizzlies’ ex Dillon Brooks stepped on the floor for the Rockets, but the Memphis newcomers spoiled his revenge story.

Lamar Stevens had a “Welcome to Memphis” moment in just his second game with the Grizzlies. He finished with 14 points (4-of-8), eight rebounds, and two blocks, as a reserve.

“It is just good communication and talking throughout the game,” Stevens said. “We are trying to get on the same page. We were talking on the defensive end how we were going to adjust and play together. It’s like putting a puzzle together and trying to figure it out. It’s a bunch of good guys that want to win.”

After he sat out against the Pelicans due to violating a team rule, GG Jackson II came back with a vengeance, leading the Grizzlies with 20 points off of 8-for-15 shooting, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks, off the bench. 

“You know, I don’t want to use my age as an excuse, but you make some mistakes here and there, and it’s on you to learn from them,” Jackson II said. “The coaching staff expressed to me how they know I’m better than that, and they know I’m going to continue to get better. They told me to get ready for Wednesday’s game, so I kind of got an extra day to prep, just making sure my shot feels good. I got in the gym, taking care of my body.” 

Newcomer Jordan Goodwin’s first game with the Grizzlies yielded good dividends with 10 points, three rebounds, three assists, plus a stock. Goodwin signed a 10-day contract with the Grizzlies just Tuesday afternoon. 

“I just go out there and just play hard, don’t do too much — try to go out there and play my game,” said Goodwin after the game. “…Just go out there, just being myself, doing all the right things off the court, being a good teammate. Listening and paying attention, just taking everything in. I didn’t know it was this culture here. This is a cool group of guys. Everybody’s pulling for each other.”

Luke Kennard finished with a season-high 19 points, shooting 71.4 percent from the field. 

Vince Williams Jr. finished with a near triple-double 12 points, eight rebounds seven assists, and three steals while going 10-of-12 from the free throw line. It marks Williams Jr.’s fourth consecutive game with seven or more assists. 

Jaren Jackson Jr. had only five points in the first half and was hampered by foul trouble again. He came up big in the final period to finish with 11 of his 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting, and added three assists. 

“I think he’s got a great ability to kind of figure out how teams are guarding him,” said Coach Taylor Jenkins on Jackson Jr.’s performance. “I think they were swarming him. He ended up with four turnovers, was missing some of his teammates, and he was aware of it, but just after the fact.

“And then he was able just to kind of reset, see the crowds. I think there were a couple of drives late where he saw the defense not in their shifts and he was able to drive and kick. I thought he did a good job of moving the ball, and then, obviously, he was a product of just being a spacer. We talked about maybe him being off the ball, creating those advantages on the second side, using Lamar [Stevens] more as a screener, and I thought he just kind of adjusted as the game went on, which was impressive.”

Tid-bit

Welcome back Ziaire Williams and nice dime by Goodwin. He was out for about two weeks with hand soreness. 

Next up

The Grizzlies will host the Milwaukee Bucks tonight, exclusively on TNT at 7:30 p.m. CT.

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Beyond the Arc Sports Uncategorized

Grizzlies Lose Eighth Straight Game

Photography by: Wes Hale

As they entered the second night of a back-to-back, the Charlotte Hornets were riding a 10-game losing streak while the Memphis Grizzlies had lost seven in a row. One of those losing streaks came to an end on Saturday night as the Charlotte defeated Memphis, 115-106. 

The Grizzlies, losers of eight straight games, have the longest active losing streak in the association. Memphis is now 18-35 on the season. 

Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 29 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. Jackson Jr. shot 52 percent (12-for-23) from the field and 56 percent (5-of-9) from three. It marks the 7th straight game he has scored 20 or more points which is a career-high. 

GG Jackson II had his two-way contract converted to a multi-year deal with the Grizzlies on February 8th. Against the Hornets, Jackson II had 16 points while shooting 50 percent from the field, plus two assists and two steals off the bench.

Vince Williams Jr. had 14 points, a team-high eight assists and two steals. In his last five games played Williams Jr. has averaged 15.6 points, 5.6 rebounds 5.4 assists, and 1.4 steals.

To round it out, Santi Aldama and Luke Kennard finished with 11 points each. Derrick Rose finished with 10 points, five assists, and four rebounds.  

Up Next 

The Grizzlies will have a three-game homestand before the All-Star break, starting on Monday night against the New Orleans Pelicans. 


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Uncategorized

Warriors Blow Out Grizzlies

Jaren Jackson Jr. #13 of the Memphis Grizzlies shoots a layup against Draymond Green #23 of Golden State during the second half at FedEx Forum on February 2, 2024, in Memphis Tennessee. (Wes Hale Photo)

The Memphis Grizzlies (18-31) fell to the Golden State Warriors (21-24) on Friday night at FedExForum, 121-101. Memphis has lost four straight games in the last seven days. 

“I know we’re not getting the results, but the Grizzlies stand for competitiveness for 48 minutes,” said Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins. “The fourth quarter learning opportunities we’re getting from Indiana, Sacramento the other night, and then tonight, are going to be great for us.”

“We’re working through some things,” Jenkins went on to say. “Guys are taking advantage of their opportunities. Guys are stepping up in different roles, maybe the full 48 minutes, or it’s a spark in the third quarter, or helping to start the game. We’re just trying to figure it out one game at a time. I’m just really impressed with how these guys are coming out there. They’re trying to take on the challenge. They’re not letting this game get out of hand at any point in the first half, or even in the third quarter.”

“We’re battling and we’ve just got to come up with those plays in that fourth quarter, and hopefully even have cleaner games in the first three quarters. Maybe we have a bigger lead going into the fourth. You win in different ways. You’re going to lose in different ways. The fact that we’re competing and giving ourselves a chance, that’s the thing that sticks out the most.”

Injuries have plagued the Grizzlies all season; however, Luke Kennard & Derrick Rose returned to the lineup Friday in limited minutes off the bench. Rose finished with 12 points and four assists while Kennard added six points. 

The man of the match was second-year guard Jacob Gilyard who is on a two-way contract with the Grizzlies. Gilyard finished with a career-high 16 points, five assists, two steals, and a highlight block on Steph Curry. 

After the game, the 24-year-old said, “I tried to be a little more aggressive tonight. I didn’t get yelled at, but I got told to be more aggressive. Especially with how teams have been guarding Jaren [Jackson Jr.], having guns to shoot, shooters out there to help them out, you make life easier for them.”   

“Great floor command out there … I thought he did a great job getting the guys organized,” Jenkins said of Gilyard’s performance. “We keep stressing how we’re going to get to the paint: pick-and-rolls, screen rolls. His ability to facilitate our offense, but then to have a scoring night when we’ve challenged him to be even more aggressive shooting the three. I’m glad that he had a night like that tonight.”

Jackson Jr., who had a team-high 27 points, five rebounds, two steals, and two blocks had complimentary things to say about Gilyard. 

“I think Gilly (Gilyard) is great,” Jackson Jr. said. “He’s a great defender, great at getting steals and he can honestly shoot the lights out. I tell him that every day, and he rolls his eyes. There are some he makes where I look pissed, because it’s like, ‘You can make them anytime you want.’”

“He’s unreal, his playmaking gets us in those sets. He slows it down, speeds it up,” Jackson Jr. went on to say.  “He’s not getting ripped because he’s good at  ball handling. I’m glad he’s doing all that when you never know when you’re playing, really.”

Vince Williams Jr. chipped in 15 points, six rebounds, and four assists while David Roddy had 16 points and four assists. 

The Grizzlies will head to Boston to take on the Celtics on Sunday, February 4 at 5 p.m. CT. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Three-Game Win Streak Ends

Vince Williams Jr. goes to the basket during a game against the Indiana Pacers on January 28, 2024. (Photo by: Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Grizzlies lost a close game in Indiana due to mental mistakes, a breakdown in the third quarter, and squandered opportunities. The Pacers defeated Memphis 116-110 to snap their three-game winning streak. 

Indiana capitalized with 24 points off the Grizzlies’ 13 turnovers and grabbed 11 offensive rebounds that resulted in 15 second-chance points.

Jaren Jaren, Jr. led Memphis with 25 points, five rebounds, four assists, and two steals. He also tied a career-high with 11 made free throws.

In January, Jackson Jr. averaged 24.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists as the Grizzlies went 8-6 in the month.

Vince Williams Jr. continues to impress, game by game. He finished with 20 points while shooting 8-of-12 from the field, and had eight rebounds.

“They had a lot more offensive rebounds than us, and that led them to easy baskets at the rim,” Williams Jr. said on how the Pacers closed out the game. “Honestly, the bigs got nice rebounds and put it right back up on us, and that kind of hurt us at the end of the day.”

Despite missing key players, the 23-year-old believes the team is up for the challenge of competing against anyone. “We all come in together; we work hard together; so honestly, team chemistry is still there all the way. We just came up short tonight, and really it was just offensive rebounds that hurt us.”

Williams Jr. took responsibility for his blunders down the stretch, which Indiana took advantage of to pull out the win. 

“My two missed layups, and I missed my free throws,” said the VCU alum on the differences in the last three minutes. “But they just out-hustled us, which led to some easy buckets in the fourth too, and they got some wide-open threes, and we had to play catch-up.”

“Not really, because we were still in the game at the end,” said Williams Jr. when asked if the Pacers wore them down due to key players being out with injuries. “We come out and play hard each and every day, and we just try to put ourselves in the best position to win.”

When GG Jackson II is given extended minutes, he takes full advantage. In 28 minutes off the bench, the rookie finished with 18 points and four rebounds on 6-of-9 shooting. 

“I feel like it just shows the depth that this team has,” said Jackson II of the tenacity of the team. And fully healthy, I feel like we can be a serious contender going deep in the playoffs and even contenders for a title.”

“The first half, we tried to keep it tight and were really keen on personnel,” explained Jackson II on what went right for the Grizzlies in the first half. “The ball was popping a lot,  multiple guys were scoring, and Jaren (Jackson, Jr.) was getting his sweet spots again with the left-hand hook. 

The 19-year-old continued, “I feel like overall we were playing really good basketball, and then later in the second half (there were) costly turnovers and lackadaisical effort sometimes. You gotta have 110% effort the whole 48 minutes if you want to win a basketball game.”

“A lot of missed opportunities at the rim obviously. I felt like at times the ball kind of got stagnant … and then [on the] defensive end guys were just scrambling around a lot and a couple of their guys hit threes. We really did not want to live with it. But the situation from scrambling left them open. So it’s just little things like that, that if we pick up on those and fix those, I feel like we’ll be good.”

No rest for the weary. The Grizzlies look to start a new winning streak tonight at FedExForum against the Sacramento Kings at 7 p.m. CT. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Win Third in a Row

Jaren Jackson Jr. #13 of the Memphis Grizzlies during the second half against Orlando Magic at FedEx Forum on January 26, 2024, in Memphis Tennessee. (Wes Hale Photo)

On the court at FedExForum, the Memphis Grizzlies haven’t had much luck this season, with a disappointing 4–15 home record going into Friday night. Nevertheless, they defeated the Orlando Magic in a nail-biter, 107-106, to win their second consecutive home game. It marked Memphis’ fifth straight win against the Magic.

Memphis has now won three games in a row and recorded at least 30 assists in each victory. 

“Moving forward, continue to make that a priority — it’s as simple as that,” said Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins on how the team’s assists correlate to a winning formula. “We know that’s got to be a big part of our identity. We’ve had to work all season to catch this wave of a couple of games in a row. Keep prioritizing the spacing.” 

Jenkins went on to say, “I talked about the willingness to see it on film, see it in the practices, see it within the game — that’s what our guys have to continue to focus on.”

“In terms of a correlation, we know what our identity is,” Jenkins explained. “It’s our defensive activity that generates that excitement and momentum. We know when we play like that, you’re getting the production as well. When you’re setting your teammates up, that’s the excitement that we’re used to playing with. Encouraged by the play the last couple of games, and these guys know I’m not going to stop hitting them over the head with it.”

Despite starting 11 different lineups in January, the Grizzlies managed an 8-5 record for the month.

Leading the way for the Grizzlies Friday night was Jaren Jackson Jr., who scored 30 points, snatched 8 boards, and dished out 2 assists. It was Jackson Jr.’s eighth 30-point performance this season.

Jackson Jr. bullied the Magic bigs under the hoop and scored around the rim with consistency. He tied a season-high with 24 points in the paint for the Grizzlies, who finished with 50 paint points.

Jackson Jr. is the lone regular part of the Grizzlies core who is not sidelined for Memphis. His improved play has been another bright spot of this tumultuous season. 

“Yeah, for sure — very well said,” was Jackson Jr.’s response to a question about whether playing without Ja Morant and Desmond Bane is helping him grow. “Try (to) go out there every day and work on my game. Work on what I work on, doubles, shifts, and more attention. It is all going to be good because you don’t always get opportunities like that. So, you got to make the most of it and really grow when your name is called in situations like that.”

For Jackson Jr., it’s a good feeling to win in front of the home crowd. “It’s always good to win here,” he said. “I know we’ve had a better record on the road. So, every time we come back here, and we can get it done, all these games are going to mean something at this point.”

“We’re trying to crawl back,” Jackson Jr. continued. “We’re trying to make this push right here, which we are going to get that done. But it’s going to take a lot of fights. So, every game is going to be played like a playoff game.”

Off the bench, Ziaire Williams added 17 points (7-10 FG, 3-6 3P), four rebounds, and five assists. Williams has been struggling mightily as of late and has received plenty of criticism about his performances. 

After the game, Williams responded to the criticism, “I’ve just been taking it one day at a time, taking the good with the bad and the bad with the good — staying true to myself and putting the work in. I’m glad it paid off today. I just have to keep it up and believe in my ability.”

Luke Kennard added 15 points (5-11 FG), connected on five 3-pointers, and dished out six assists. In his last four games, Kennard has made 19 3-pointers.

Up Next

The Grizzlies travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers, Sunday, January 28 at 2:30 p.m. CT.

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Short-handed Grizzlies Beat the Heat

Vince Williams Jr. with the ball against the Miami Heat on Wednesday, January 24, 2024. (Photo credit: Isaac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

When there’s a starting lineup that features Jacob Gilyard, John Konchar, Vince Williams Jr., David Roddy, and Jaren Jackson Jr., it might be a tad bit perplexing. But that’s where Memphis is with so many players down due to injuries — a list that now includes Luke Kennard and Santi Aldama.

The Grizzlies had a total of nine players out for last night’s game in Miami against the Heat, but despite the daunting odds, Memphis won, 105-96, in a back-to-back road victory, improving to 13-12 on the road for the season. The team went 2-2 on the 4-game road trip.

The Grizzlies’ defense held Miami to 40.2% shooting and forced 17 turnovers leading to 24 points. It marks the fourth time this season Memphis has held opponents to less than 100 points. 

After falling behind 82-68 to start the fourth quarter, Miami rallied for a 12-4 run, bringing the Grizzlies’ lead down to 90-85 with six minutes remaining.

After the Heat cut the lead to two points with little more than a minute remaining in the game, Memphis went on a 7-0 run to seal the deal. 

“Just be authentic to who you are, understand the reality, and every single day, I think our group’s maintained a great spirit,” Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said after the win. “I think our staff, coaching staff, medical team — everyone’s dealing with a lot right now, trying to navigate the injuries and guys being in and out.”

Williams Jr. led the Grizzlies with a career-high 25 points off of 8 for 10 shooting, while converting on 5-of-6 from beyond the arc. He added five rebounds and four assists. 

The 23-year-old continues to be a bright spot for the Grizzlies in his breakout second season. He has definitely solidified his presence as an important part of the team going forward due to his defensive prowess and offensive contributions. 

After the game he earned the walk-off interview: 

In the last six games, Williams Jr. has averaged 18 points while shooting 54.8 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from the three-point line, along with 7.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists.

Rookie GG Jackson II chipped in 17 points and four rebounds off the bench and newcomer Scotty Pippen Jr. added a career-high 15 points, six rebounds, and six assists. 

Jaren Jackson Jr. had an off shooting night with 15 points, six rebounds, and four assists while John Konchar secured a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. 

Up Next

The Grizzlies return home to host the Orlando Magic on Friday, January 26, at FedExForum at 7 p.m. CT. 

Categories
From My Seat Sports

Grizzlies Defeat Raptors

Jaren Jackson Jr. goes up for a bucket against the Toronto Raptors on January 22, 2024. (Photo by: Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images)

On Monday night in Toronto, the Memphis Grizzlies secured their first wire-to-wire victory of the season by beating the Toronto Raptors 108-100. Memphis improved to 12-12 on the road while just being 4-15 at home on the season.

Memphis seems as if it has been cursed for most of the season with multiple key players dealing with injuries. In their abscence, Jaren Jackson Jr., the longest-tenured player on the roster, continues to dominate opponents and is at times unguardable. He was in his bag against the Raptors and finished with 27 points on 12-for-22 shooting, six steals (career-high), five assists, and four rebounds in 32 minutes.

The reigning Defensive Player of the Year now has 5+ assists in back-to-back games for the first time in his career.

Luke Kennard added a season-high 19 points and dished out seven assists. Kennard converted on 5-of-13 from the three-point line, and seems to have found his rhythm as of late.

Vince Williams Jr. continued to be dominant on both ends of the floor, adding 18 points and 10 rebounds (7-of-11 FG) for the first double-double of his career.

Jon Konchar scored six points, and had five rebounds, five blocks (career-high), and four assists.

Tid-bits

Every player that entered the game for Memphis recorded an assist.

Analysis

In my summation, with half the season gone, the Grizzlies have nothing left to play for. The chances to make the play-in tournament are all but over. And the team still might not have a poor enough record to get a lottery pick.

The NBA Trade Deadline is fast approaching: February 8, 2024 (3 p.m. CT). Memphis is linked to a number of players in trade rumors, but it would surprise me if the Grizzlies make a major trade at this point. I do think minor trades will likely happen. Memphis needs to solidify its bench for seasons to come.

With a healthy Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jackson Jr., this team is hard to beat, but with better role players, they would be championship contenders. For the rest of the season, Memphis should just continue to develop the young talent on the roster to have them prepared for next year.

Next Up

The conclusion of the Grizzlies four-game road trip is Wednesday night in Miami against the Heat. Tip-off: 6:30 p.m. CT