The Grizzlies played their final game before the Thanksgiving holiday, facing off against the Sacramento Kings. It did not end in the Grizzlies’ favor.
Let’s get into it.
This was one of the most frustrating games of the young season, and it illustrated once again just how important Desmond Bane is to this team.
Props to the Kings, who are having their best season in recent memory. Harrison Barnes remains a Grizz killer, and De’Aaron Fox seems to have picked up that vibe as well.
Even the early return of Ja Morant, who put up a career-high 20 points in the fourth quarter, was not enough to save this game. Not having their best three-point shooter has certainly put Memphis at a disadvantage. As a team, without Bane, they shot an abysmal 27 percent from beyond the arc.
Another area that hurt Memphis was bad ball security – they gave up 23 points off 18 turnovers.
Here’s a (not so) fun fact: Memphis is currently the worst free throw shooting team in the league, and Tuesday was no exception, with the Grizzlies shooting 19 of 30 from the foul line. That is 11 points they left on the table in a game they lost by 4 points.
This is becoming a pattern for Memphis.
In their 8 losses so far this season, 5 were lost by fewer points than the number of free throws missed by the Grizzlies. Fix it.
By the Numbers:
Ja Morant had a game-high 34 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists, with a career-high 20 points scored in the 4th quarter.
Jaren Jackson Jr put up 22 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and 5 blocks.
Dillon Brooks finished the night with 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.
John Konchar closed out with 10 points and 9 rebounds.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies will host the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, November 25th. Tip-off is at 7 PM.
