The Memphis Grizzlies snapped their two-game losing streak Friday night in a hard-fought win against the Orlando Magic, with a final score of 105-104.
This was not the Grizzlies’ finest offensive performance — it was their second-lowest-scoring game of the season. Neither team shot the ball particularly well from beyond the arc, with the Magic shooting 29% from three and the Grizzlies shooting 21.2% in Memphis’s lowest three-point shooting game of the season.
In the first half, the Grizzlies had a 12-point lead, but by the midway point, the Magic had eliminated it, and they headed into the second half tied at 53-53.
Orlando dominated for most of the third quarter, building up a 19-point lead thanks to an explosive performance by Franz Wagner, who scored 15 of his 25 points in the period.
In the final minutes of the third quarter, the Grizzlies took over offensively, going on a 19-0 run fueled by three consecutive three-pointers from GG Jackson.
Until Jackson’s hot streak, Memphis was 2 of 17 from beyond the arc.
Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. led the charge in the fourth quarter, combining for 17 of the Grizzlies’ 25 fourth-quarter points.
A layup by Morant with 1:50 remaining tied the game at 104-104, followed by Desmond Bane splitting a pair of free throws to give the Grizzlies a one-point lead. Jaren Jackson Jr. blocked Orlando’s final shot attempt with 8 seconds left on the game clock to secure the win.
Turnovers remain a problem for Memphis, as they have all season. The Grizzlies gave up 21 points off 15 turnovers, which could have easily cost them the game.
By The Numbers:
Ja Morant led the Grizzlies in scoring with 23 points on 10 of 24 overall shooting and 1 of 7 from three-point range. He added 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal. Morant scored 10 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter.
Desmond Bane put up 16 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals while shooting 5 of 13 overall and 2 of 6 from three-point range.
Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 16 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 3 blocks on 3 of 13 overall shooting and 0 of 6 from three. Jackson was 10 of 11 at the line, however.
Brandon Clarke led the bench in scoring with 13 points on 6 of 10 overall shooting. He added 11 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal.
GG Jackson added 12 points on 4 of 5 overall shooting and 3 of 3 from beyond the arc.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies will be in Cleveland Sunday night to face off against the Cavaliers. The broadcast has been moved from the FanDuel Sports Network to ESPN. Tip-off is at 6 PM CST.
