The Memphis Grizzlies embarked on a quick West Coast road trip, which they kicked off Saturday afternoon against the Los Angeles Clippers. After briefly being down by 11 points and losing a valuable player to injury, the Grizzlies clapped back hard, culminating in a 25-point victory.
It was their first appearance in the newly renamed Crypto.com arena, formerly known as Staples Center, and they certainly made an impression. If this game was a statement game, the message being sent is clear — don’t sleep on this Grizzlies team. Doesn’t matter that their star player was benched or that several other players were out due to health and safety protocols. There is always a next man ready to step up and show out, and that’s exactly what happened Saturday afternoon.
Let’s get into it.
In the first quarter, the Grizzlies struggled to get their bearings, further set back by Dillon Brooks suffering an ugly-looking ankle injury and being led off the court and to the locker room, unable to put weight on his injured foot. There is no way to sugarcoat it — this is bad, and it may well sideline Brooks for some time to come.
But that would not stop this hungry young squad, as they managed to strike back hard in the second quarter. Jaren Jackson Jr. led the charge in the first half, where he scored 18 of his 26 total points. He wasn’t the only guy to embrace the moment; Desmond Bane, Tyus Jones, and Brandon Clarke all put up stellar performances.
A 25-point margin of victory is impressive any time, but even more so when you factor in that the Grizzlies were doing all this without Ja Morant, Steven Adams, Kyle Anderson, John Konchar, and head coach Taylor Jenkins.
Saturday’s win allows the Grizzlies to extend their winning streak to a franchise-record eight games in a row and gives them the league-best record since December 1st.
By the Numbers:
Jaren Jackson Jr. led the charge for the Grizzlies and finished the night with a team-high 26 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals, and five blocks. Yes, you read that correctly — five blocks.
Desmond Bane closed out with 23 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals, including 5 of 8 from beyond the three-point line. Bane is that mane.
Next up, Tyus Jones ended the night with 18 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Followed closely by Brandon Clarke, who also finished with 18 points, a game-high 15 rebounds, three assists, and three blocks. [Brevin Knight voice] SHOUTOUT CANADA!
Killian Tillie’s nine points all came from beyond the arc. Mr. Do Something aka De’Anthony Melton had eight points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and two steals.
Rookies Santi Aldama and Ziaire Williams both closed out with seven points.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies will be returning to the same court Sunday night to face off again against the Los Angeles Lakers. This is going to be a late game, so extra caffeination is highly recommended. Tip-off is at 8:30 p.m. CST.
