The years of the Spurs being the Grizzlies’ most feared matchup are in the rearview, with Wednesday night’s seventh consecutive victory over San Antonio.
Let’s get into it.
This game had lots going for it – Ja Morant and Desmond Bane each dropping 32 points, Steven Adams feasting on the boards with 19 rebounds, good production from the bench, free basketball, and the Grizzlies’ play-by-play crew ready to square up against the refs.
Yes, my friends, Ja and Des did the heavy lifting on the offensive end, but the game MVP award goes to announcers Brevin Knight and Pete Pranica.
In the final 20 seconds of the extra period, the clock never restarted once the Spurs gained possession, resulting in a San Antonio fastbreak and bucket on the other end, all with the game clock stopped. The mishap allowed the Spurs to cut a five-point lead to one point.
How three officials didn’t notice that the clock had not in fact started is beyond me, but our fearless heroes Pete and Brevin were not ready to let this go quietly, resulting in a very heated exchange with the refs.
Thankfully, the Grizzlies were still able to come away with the win. But turnovers were not Memphis’ friend in this matchup, with the Grizzlies committing 20 turnovers and giving up 18 points off those turnovers.
By The Numbers:
Ja Morant and Desmond Bane each had a game-high 32 points, with Morant putting up 5 rebounds and 5 assists and Bane with 6 rebounds and 6 assists.
Their performance marks the first time in franchise history that two Grizzlies players had 32 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in the same game.
Dillon Brooks scored 13 points, and had 5 rebounds and 3 assists while shooting 3 of 5 from three-point range.
Tyus Jones finished the night with 11 points and 3 assists, also while shooting 3 of 5 from three-point range. Once again, Jones showed precisely why the Grizzlies were correct to pay him in the offseason.
Steven Adams closed out with 7 points and NINETEEN rebounds. Adams is currently fourth in the league in total rebounds but leads the league in total offensive rebounds.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies return home to face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves Friday night. The team will be wearing their newly unveiled city edition uniforms. Tip-off is at 8:30 pm CST
