The All-Star break is over, and the stretch run is upon us. Memphis was up by 17 in the first half, but things deteriorated in the second half to the tune of a 110-105 Philadelphia win.
Let’s get into it.
Desmond Bane started out the game on fire and scored 19 points in the first quarter. Unfortunately, he only scored 6 points in the remainder of the game.
Ja Morant struggled in the scoring department, with 9 of his 15 points coming from the free throw line.
Brandon Clarke was in the starting lineup in the center position, but was horribly mismatched against Joel Embiid, the 76ers starting center.
The Grizzlies have hit a stretch where they are not closing out quarters effectively, which leads to them not closing out games effectively and losing games after having a double-digit lead. There are two dozen games left in the regular season, and that is how long this team has to figure out how to get back to the baseline they have played at through most of the season.
Hopefully, Steven Adams will be returning to the lineup soon and that might help slow the bleeding. Adams has been recovering from a right knee sprain for the past several weeks.
By The Numbers:
As a team, the Grizzlies shot 21.9% from beyond the arc, and 39.1% from the field overall.
Desmond Bane scored a team-high 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists. He shot 4 of 5 from three-point range in the first quarter, and 0 for 7 during the rest.
Jaren Jackson Jr finished the night with 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 blocks.
Ja Morant closed out with 15 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals.
Dillon Brooks scored 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists.
David Roddy and John Konchar each put up 9 points from the bench.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies are returning to Memphis to face off Saturday against the current frontrunners in the west, the Denver Nuggets. Tip-off is at 7 PM CST.
