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 Uncategorized

Nuggets Dismantle Grizzlies, 128-103

Lamar Steven shoots a jumper against the Denver Nuggets on March 25, 2024. (Photo by: Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Memphis Grizzlies finished off a four-game road trip with a 128-103 loss to the Denver Nuggets (51-21) at Ball Arena on Monday night. 

Denver improved to 15-2 since the All-Star break and currently are in first place in the Western Conference and is one game ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Grizzlies have lost five of their last six games to fall to 24-48 on the season. 

Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins is 5-11 against Denver in his coaching career.

“Obviously, we’ve fallen quite a bit throughout this season, but the spirit of this group has been great,” Jenkins said. “I just lean into that. What are the opportunities for us as a coaching staff to get better and the players individually and collectively? The dialogue has been great on what we can build on for the rest of the season and going into next year.”

After sitting out six games due to a left adductor strain, Lamar Stevens returned to lead the team with 19 points as a reserve. In his 13 games with the Grizzlies since coming over from Boston, Stevens is averaging 11.8 points and 4.8 rebounds off the bench. 

Scotty Pippen Jr. added 17 points and four assists in his 6th start of the season. Pippen Jr. is shooting 51 percent from the field, 55 percent from beyond the and averaging 1.3 steals in 11 games with Memphis. 

Both Desmond Bane and GG Jackson II ended up with 15 points apiece. 

Jaren Jackson Jr. had 11 points, five assists, four rebounds, four blocks, and two steals. 

The Grizzlies return to FedExForum to host the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday March 27, at 7 p.m. CT.

Jenkins said his team has to play better Wednesday and “it’s as simple as that.” 

Injury news

Brandon Clarke continues to rehab an Achilles injury that has sidelined him since last March 3, 2023. Clarke was upgraded to doubtful on the injury report against Denver and prior to the contest Jenkins said he would likely return in the next game or two.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Warriors Demolish Grizzlies

Jaren Jackson Jr. drives to the basket against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (Photo by: Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Golden State Warriors defeated  the Memphis Grizzlies, 137-116, on Wednesday night. The Warriors won the season series against the Grizzlies 2-1. Golden State improved to 18-18 at home, snapping a three-game home losing streak.

With the score tied at 58 in the second quarter, the Warriors went on a 22-0 run for an 80-58 lead. Memphis lost its fourth-consecutive game, fell to 23-47 on the season, and has been officially eliminated from playoff contention. 

Golden State is still fighting for postseason position, at 10th in the Western Conference, to be eligible for the Play-In Tournament.  

The Jacksons and Aldama led the way for Memphis. GG Jackson II scored a career high 35 points, and added five rebounds and three assists. Jackson also converted on a career-high seven 3-pointers and became the youngest player in the NBA history (19 years, 94 days) to do so.

With six consecutive games in which he has scored 19 points or more, Jackson II is now enjoying his best scoring performances of the season. The South Carolina rookie has solidified his position as a starter for the remaining weeks of the regular season. 

Warrior’s Chris Paul had good things to say about the 19-year-old after the game. 

Ja Morant also chimed in regarding Jackson II.

Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 28 points, four rebounds, and three assists.

This marks the fifth game in nine games since the All-Star break that the 24-year-old center has scored 25 points or more. Jackson Jr. has now appeared in 60 games for the season, averaging 22.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals. 

Santi Aldama added 27 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals. 

Tidbits 

Freaky Deeky, Dejon Jarreau who signed his second 10-day contract with Memphis before the game had a remarkable put-back. 

By the numbers 

The Warriors bench outscored the Memphis reserves, 63-20. 

Golden State had 20 fast-break points while the Grizzlies only had 3.

The Warriors outscored Memphis 62-46 with points in the paint. 

Golden State had a season-high 43 assists while the Grizzlies had 29.

The Warriors shot 58 percent from the field and 48 percent from 3-point range and held Memphis to 43 percent from the field and 36 percent from beyond the arc.

Up Next

The Grizzlies travel to San Antonio to take on the 15-54 Spurs on March 22 at 7 p.m. CT.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Hornets Were too Much for the Grizzlies

Mar 13, 2024 - Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward GG Jackson (45) handles the ball as Charlotte Hornets guard Vasilije Micic (22) guards during the first half at FedEx Forum. (Wes Hale Photo)

The Memphis Grizzlies (23-44) were defeated 110-98 by the Charlotte Hornets (17-49) at FedExForum on Wednesday night. Despite not having done so since the 2018–2019 season, the Hornets cruised to a 2-0 series victory. 

For the game, Memphis extended their franchise record for most starting lineups in a season with 40 different lineups deployed. 

There were stretches when the Grizzlies cut the lead to single digits, but Charlotte always had a counter. 

In this game, turnovers were the deciding factor. In all, 41 turnovers were committed by both squads. The Hornets finished with 20 turnovers, while Memphis finished with 21. The Grizzlies scored 24 points off of turnovers, while Charlotte scored 31. 

“We were flat to start,” said Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins on the team’s performance. “[The Hornets] definitely took advantage of that in the first half. Too many miscommunication breakdowns, transition, rotations, definitely pick-and-rolls. Not our best effort tonight.

“Obviously, we have a bunch of guys out there that have never really played together, so the chemistry is going to take some time,” said Jenkins on the costly turnovers.

“We tried to force the issue a little bit. We fumbled the ball at times. Guys trying to get some game reps as guys are in and out, but overall, I was still impressed that we were trying to move the ball. Our spacing was off. We didn’t really bounce the floor really well, so that made it tough to find those passes.”

With the Grizzlies, GG Jackson II is firmly establishing a long-term significant role. With Memphis battling a number of injuries, the 19-year-old got the nod to start for the third time in his career. 

Jackson II led the Grizzlies with 26 points while connecting on six 3-pointers. The rookie is averaging 25 points in his last three games. 

“With guys in the locker room like Des [Desmond Bane] — I talk to him a lot — he tells me when everybody’s out, much of the load may be on me to shoot those shots,” said Jackson II on his increased production with consistency. 

“You just have to take everything day by day, watch film and study where you can get better at. Because I’ve been watching film, I feel like I’ve been passing a lot recently, and if I continue to do that, the sky’s the limit.” 

Scotty Pippen Jr. was back in action after missing the Grizzlies’ previous 12 games with a lumbar disc bulge and joined the Grizzlies starting lineup and came through with a top-notch performance. Pippen Jr. had a near double double with nine points, 10 assists, two steals plus a highlight dunk. 

His father, six-time NBA champion Scottie Pippen, was in attendance to watch his performance and had an awesome reaction to the dunk. 

Jenkins had complimentary things to say about Pippen Jr. after the game: “What we’ve learned from Scotty in his few weeks with us is just his ability to get to the paint, touch the paint, come off the pick-and-rolls, close out situations.” 

“He had 10 assists and got a couple of turnovers,” Jenkins added. “It’s his first game in a long time playing, so he was just kind of finding his rhythm, but just him being able to get down, low center of gravity, get blows, defend and create advantages for us by touching the paint, and then his ability to distribute, I thought was really on point tonight. That’s what we love about him — his ability to kind of play that playmaking role. He’s got some scoring ability, of course, with the fact that he’s embracing that playmaker role is impressive.”  

Injury Update

Grizzlies star guard Desmond Bane is a step closer to returning to action after spending the last two months out with an ankle sprain. Bane, Brandon Clarke (left Achilles tendon repair), and Yuta Wabanabe (right wrist sprain) were assigned to the G League’s Memphis Hustle for practice earlier on Wednesday. 

Prior to the game, Jenkins said Bane is on course to return in the next game or two while Clarke will hopefully return later in the month. 

Up Next

The Grizzlies will have two days off before returning to action on Saturday inside FedExForum to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder at 7 p.m. CT.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Blasted by Thunder, 124-93

Wes Hale Photography

The Oklahoma City Thunder gave the Memphis Grizzlies an old-fashioned beatdown on Sunday evening, 124-93. 

It wasn’t surprising for the number-one team in the Western Conference to embarrass a team that has been without key players. The Thunder also recalls the 152-79 humiliation they suffered at the hands of the Grizzlies in December 2021, the largest winning margin in NBA history. 

The Grizzlies had a total of 10 players on the injured list, as the team has been short-handed much of the season. Desmond Bane remains out with a sprained left ankle. Marcus Smart is still out with an injured finger on his right hand. Plus Ja Morant is out for the season due to shoulder surgery, among other injuries for Memphis.

The Thunder were up by as many as 38 points in the second half. OKC converted 21 three-point shots compared to the Grizzlies with just 11 threes. 

As a starter, Rookie GG Jackson II led the Grizzlies with a career-high 30 points, six rebounds, and three assists. Jackson II is emerging as a longterm asset for Memphis as the youngest player in the NBA at 19 years old. In 31 games this season, he is averaging 11.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in 21.2 minutes. 

Jaren Jackson Jr. added 16 for Memphis. Jackson Jr. has played in 57 games this season, the most by any current player on the roster. The 24-year-old is averaging 22.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists on the season. 

Jake LaRavia continues to show improvement during his extended play. LaRavia finished with 13 points on 4-of-9 shooting, four assists, and two steals with his first career start for Memphis. Over his last eight outings, LaRavia is averaging 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 24.7 minutes of play. 

Newcomer DeJon Jarreau who signed a 10-day contract with Memphis on Saturday chipped in seven points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and three steals in 28 minutes of action. 

On Tuesday night, the Grizzlies will host the Washington Wizards at 7 p.m. CT. Tyus Jones, who was traded from the Grizzlies last summer, will be making his first visit to Memphis. The Grizzlies look to even the series after a 113-106 loss back in October 2023. 

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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.