It’s freezing here in the 901, but the Grizzlies did their part keeping us warm Thursday night by scorching the Phoenix Suns 125-100 in a wire-to-wire win. And so, it is my distinct pleasure to inform you that after a brief two-game losing streak, the Memphis Grizzlies are back to their winning ways.
Let’s get into it.
First things first: The best part of the night was the return of Desmond Bane. Bane returns to the lineup after missing the previous 18 games with a sprained toe.
It also marks the first time this season that the Grizzlies were able to play with their desired starting five.
Phoenix was missing Devin Booker but that hardly puts an asterisk next to this victory. Memphis was the best team on the court from wire-to-wire and dominated the game on both ends of the floor.
The Grizzlies remain at the top of the Western Conference with a 20-11 record, now tied with the Denver Nuggets.
Thursday night’s victory also put head coach Taylor Jenkins (148) ahead of former coach Dave Joerger (147) as the second-most winningest coach in Grizzlies franchise history. Lionel Hollins holds the record with 214 regular season wins, but I will be shocked if Jenkins does not surpass it during his tenure in Memphis.
During the game, no Grizzlies starter played more than 28 minutes and they got a big boost from the bench unit led by Brandon Clarke and Santi Aldama.
By The Numbers:
Lots of good stuff from this one, including a better than usual showing from the free throw line. I will overlook ten missed free throws when they win by 25 points.
Jaren Jackson Jr. led the team with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks, along with Brandon Clarke who put up 24 points, 10 rebounds, and two steals from the bench in his best scoring game of the season.
Clarke also had a career-high free throw shooting game, going 10 for 10 from the foul line. Shoutout Canada!
Desmond Bane put up 17 points, 3 rebounds, and two assists in his return from injury. He struggled from the beyond the arc only shooting 2 of 8 from distance. But he too had a perfect night from the charity stripe, going 7 for 7.
Dillon Brooks contributed 16 points, 10 of which came in the first quarter. Also notable is that Brooks only had 9 shot attempts.
Ja Morant had a quiet night offensively, but he elevated his teammates, finishing with 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 11 assists.
Who Got Next?
In a franchise first the team will be playing on Christmas Day. Expect it to feel like a western conference semifinals rematch in the Bay as the Grizzlies face off against the Golden State Warriors.
Tip-off will be at 7 PM CST. There will not be a local broadcast so tune in on ABC or ESPN.
It’s going to be a very Merry Grizzmas indeed.
