The Memphis Grizzlies took on the Philadelphia 76ers Saturday night and came up with a resounding 124-107 victory on the back of career nights from several team members.
The game started slowly in the first quarter, with the Grizzlies struggling with turnovers from sloppy ball handling and poor three-point shooting.
But Memphis pushed the pace in the second quarter, outshooting Philadelphia from the field and beyond the arc. The Grizzlies finished the half with a seven-point lead that would only continue to grow in the second half. They were missing Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart, who are listed as week-to-week after suffering a right oblique strain and a right ankle sprain, respectively, both acquired in Wednesday’s matchup against the Brooklyn Nets.
Philadelphia was without Joel Embiid and Paul George, neither of whom has played this season. After their quick first-quarter start, the 76ers struggled, giving up 28 points off 14 turnovers.
Highlights of the night include all five Grizzlies’ starters finishing the night in double-digits, rookie center Zach Edey’s first career double-double, and backup big man Jay Huff’s career-high 20 points.
Jaren Jackson Jr. led all scorers with 27 points, and added six rebounds, three steals, and two blocks.
Ja Morant finished the night with 18 points, six rebounds, and 12 assists on six of 13 overall shooting.
Jaylen Wells added 15 points and five rebounds on six of 11 overall shooting and two of four from three-point range.
Zach Edey put up 10 points and 10 rebounds in posting his first career double-double.
Santi Aldama also added 10 points, along with 13 rebounds and four assists.
From the second unit:
Jay Huff led the bench with his career-high 20 points on five-of-seven three-point shooting, with 12 points coming in the third quarter. He also posted five rebounds.
Scotty Pippen Jr. closed out the night with 12 points, four rebounds, and 13 assists. Both Huff and Pippen Jr. are showing how they earned an upgrade from two-way players to regular-season contracts.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies are now 4-3 on the year and head to Brooklyn to face off against the Nets Monday night for the second and final time this season. Tip-off is at 7 PM CDT.
