Due to the intricacies of the NBA regular season schedule, the Grizzlies played their second consecutive game against the San Antonio Spurs Wednesday night. Ja Morant made his return to the lineup and led Memphis to a hard-fought victory, extending their overall winning streak to eight games. Memphis currently owns the longest active winning streak in the NBA.
Let’s get into it.
The Grizzlies have now won 8 consecutive games against the Spurs, their longest-ever active streak over a single opponent. It is also San Antonio’s longest active losing streak against any single opponent.
High-scoring second quarters have become a hallmark of this team in the new year. The Grizzlies put up 44 points in the second quarter against the Spurs, setting a new franchise record for scoring in a second quarter. Averaging 39.2 points in the second quarter during the month of January, the Grizzlies are outscoring opponents by an average of 11.7 points in the second period.
Desmond Bane’s ongoing struggles shooting the three ball seem to be subsiding, and the squad overall had a fantastic night shooting from outside, averaging 60% from distance.
This year’s Spurs team is not doing great in the standings, but they fought hard from wire to wire and, to their credit, never let up in intensity regardless of the score.
In his postgame interview, Grizzlies Head Coach Taylor Jenkins had this to say about the Spurs tenaciousness: “It’s easier said than done, trying to put a game plan out on these guys. Number one, we say they’re relentless. It’s hard to prepare for a team that’s going to be nonstop for 48-minutes. How they cut without the ball, transition, 19 fast break points, a lot in the fourth quarter after we may have missed a shot … but we had an opportunity to get back and get set.”
By The Numbers:
As per usual, Ja Morant led all scorers, finishing with 38 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, including 3 of 5 from beyond the arc.
Jaren Jackson Jr put up a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds, plus two blocks.
Steven Adams also notched a double-double, closing out with 11 points, 18 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks.
Desmond Bane finished the night with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, while shooting 4 of 5 from three-point range.
Tyus Jones led the bench unit with 16 points, 3 assists, and two steals.
Who Got Next?
After finishing off this three-game homestand, the Grizzlies are hitting the road to take on the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, January 14th. Tip-off is at 6 PM CST.
