The Grizzlies kicked off the first game of a four-game road trip Sunday night with a win in the city of brotherly love against the top-ranked team in the Eastern Conference.
The Sixers were missing their star big man Joel Embiid, and while the remaining players put up a valiant effort, they were vastly outmatched against the Grizzlies. For their part, the Grizzlies played some of the best team basketball they have played all season.
Catching Philadelphia on the second game of a back-to-back was a bonus for Memphis.
By The Numbers
7 players scored in double figures:
Dillon Brooks – 17 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists
Ja Morant was the only starter to score in single digits finishing with 8 points, but his 10 assists were a sign of the kind of unselfish play that contributed to his teammate’s offensive success.
Jonas Valanciunas – 16 points and 12 rebounds
Kyle Anderson – 10 points and 6 rebounds
Grayson Allen returned to the starting lineup after missing two games due to injury. It’s good to see him back on the court, but I question the allotment of minutes between Allen and Melton. Allen closed out the night with 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists, but did so over roughly 27 minutes on 5 of 14 shooting.
Meanwhile, De’Anthony Melton put up 14 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists on 5 of 8 shooting and in only 15 minutes of playing time.
Maybe De’Anthony Melton could have some of those Grayson Allen minutes, as a treat?
Brandon Clarke – 15 points on 6 of 10 field goal shooting
Desmond Bane – 14 points and 5 rebounds, including 3 of 6 from distance
Tyus Jones – 5 points and 5 assists
SHOTS SHOTS SHOTS
As a team, the Grizzlies shot 42% from beyond the arc (16 of 38) against the Sixers. Combined with their 48% three-point shooting against Minnesota (19 of 39), Memphis is shooting just over 45% from behind the three-point line for the month of April. If they can hold fast to this higher level of outside shooting, the odds of making a successful push for the playoffs will go up considerably.
The Grizzlies currently hold the 8th seed in the Western Conference and with the win over Philadelphia the team moves above .500 on the season.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies are taking their talents to South Beach to face off against the Miami Heat. Tuesday night April 6th, with tip-off at 7 PM.
