What’s good, Grizz Nation? Your Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Brooklyn Nets 134-124 in the second home game of the season.
Let’s get into it.
Drama plagued Brooklyn in the offseason, with one of their star players, Kevin Durant, requesting to be traded and that Nets’ owner Joe Tsai fire general manager Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash. None of those things happened, and Durant opted to remain with the team. Judging from his performance in Monday night’s game, any residual awkwardness from Durant’s off-season behavior has not affected his on-court ability. Durant and Kyrie Irving each scored 37 points in the loss.
The Grizzlies welcomed the return of Dillon Brooks, who played for the first time this season. Brooks had a quiet night offensively but still brought his signature defensive effort, culminating in him and Kevin Durant receiving double technical fouls in the first half.
But the real dynamic duo of the night turned out to be Ja Morant and Desmond Bane. Their combined 76 points set a new franchise record for combined points by two teammates. Morant and Bane each put up 38 points, with the latter setting new career highs in scoring and three-pointers made.
By the Numbers:
Ja Morant closed out the night with 38 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and two steals while shooting 4 of 6 from three-point range. Morant is currently leading the league in total points scored (141) and in highest-scoring game (49).
Desmond Bane also finished with 38 points and 7 assists, shooting 8 of 11 from beyond the arc. Bane scored 32 of his points in the second half.
Santi Aldama had 17 points and 4 rebounds; Brandon Clarke dropped 13 points from the bench on 4 of 5 field goal attempts.
Steven Adams put up 9 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies are embarking on a 4-game road trip, with their first stop in Sacramento to face off against the Kings Thursday night. Tip-off is at 9 PM CDT.
