The Grizzlies fought hard Monday night in Philadelphia against the Sixers but ultimately were not able to close out in overtime. Memphis’ team lost to the 76ers 119 to 122.
Let’s get into it.
As far as losses go, this one isn’t entirely disappointing. Not entirely, but still a little. There are many upsides to point out from this game, even in defeat. But there are also some lingering issues that continue to plague this Grizzlies team. Issues that need to be addressed sooner rather than later if they are going to make a deep postseason run.
The Sixers were without their star big man Joel Embiid, but Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey picked up the slack and helped secure victory for Philadelphia. Harris and Maxey combined for 64 points, more than half of the points scored by the Sixers.
But win or lose, the best player on the court was inarguably Ja Morant, with Desmond Bane in a supporting role. Morant and Bane are one of the most dynamic, exciting-to-watch backcourts in the league this year.
Ja-countability? Like the leader he is shaping up to be, Morant expressed in the postgame press conference that he feels responsible for the loss, citing key missed free throws and poor three-point shooting.
By the Numbers:
Before I get into individual stats, the elephant in the room needs to be addressed — missed free throws are hurting this team in a bad way. Overall free throw shooting for the Grizzlies was a dismal 68 percent. The team missed a collective 9 free throws in a game they lost by 3 and there is absolutely no excuse for it.
As bad as the free throw shooting was, the three-point shooting was even worse. Shoutout to Desmond Bane for hitting 5 of the 6 made three-pointers. Unfortunately, that is not a typo — the Grizzlies shot an abysmal 6 of 30 from beyond the arc.
But it wasn’t all bad for the Grizzlies — they scored 30 points off 21 turnovers, 29 fast break points, and 72 points in the paint.
Ja Morant led all scorers with 37 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. This makes the seventh consecutive game where Morant has scored 30 or more points, a career record for him and a franchise record for the Grizzlies.
Desmond Bane closed out with a career-high 34 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals, including 5 of 9 from beyond the arc.
Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
Rookie Ziaire Williams ended up with 8 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists, including 2 of 2 from the free-throw line.
This dish from Morant to Williams was next-level nasty:
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies continue their three-game road trip with an appearance Wednesday night at the World’s Most Famous Arena, to face off against the New York Knicks. Tip-off is at 6:30 p.m. CST.
