The Memphis Grizzlies struggled mightily against the New York Knicks on Monday night at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks ended the Grizzlies’ six-game winning streak with a dominant 143-106 victory.
The Grizzlies’ ball-control issues led to a season-high 26 turnovers, including 20 steals from the Knicks, which they capitalized on, scoring 36 points off turnovers.
New York also dominated Memphis in fast break points, outscoring them 31-9. The Knicks put up 83 points in the second half.
Following the game, Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins offered his assessment of the team’s performance. He said, “We didn’t have it for 48 minutes. Give the Knicks a lot of credit — they played great tonight. (I) thought their physicality was great. We had so many uncharacteristic moments in the game — defensively and offensively — definitely not our best tonight.”
Jenkins continued: “We were just out of sync from the very get-go. I mean, I thought their physicality was good, just some of our decision making was tough. And, we struggled finishing. So overall, give them credit, they played a great physical brand of basketball that we struggled with all night.”
Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 21 points, shooting 8 of 14 from the field, and added four rebounds and two blocked shots.
Prior to the game, Jackson Jr. earned his first-ever NBA Western Conference Player of the Week award. He guided the Grizzlies to a perfect 4-0 record, averaging 25.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. The All-Star candidate’s stellar week was highlighted by his excellent shooting, with a field goal percentage of 57.6%, a three-point percentage of 38.1%, and a free throw percentage of 82.6%.
Desmond Bane contributed 16 points and 4 assists, but struggled with ball control, committing a team-high 6 turnovers.
Ja Morant scored 10 points on 5-13 shooting with two assists in 27 minutes, a departure from what we are used to seeing from the superstar guard.
Zach Edey had a strong outing, tallying 9 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks, just shy of a double-double.
The Grizzlies are gearing up for a showdown with the Houston Rockets at FedExForum this Thursday, January 30th, at 8:30 p.m. CT. You can catch the action live on TNT. The matchup promises to be an exciting one, as both teams are vying for the second spot in the Western Conference. The Grizzlies are currently 31-16, while the Rockets stand at 31-14.
