The Grizzlies closed out their four-game west coast road trip Thursday night with a big win against the Golden State Warriors in their first overtime appearance of the season.
Coming on the heels of a brutal loss to the Portland Trail Blazers and a narrow defeat by the Los Angeles Lakers, this win against Golden State puts the Grizzlies at 2-2 for the road trip.
Let’s get into it.
Spoiler Alert: Steph Curry is still a menace from behind the three-point line, with 21 of his 36 points in regulation coming from distance.
This game wasn’t big in the sense that it was a blowout, more so that it was a big battle to overcome a 19-point deficit and Steph Curry’s hot shooting to secure the win. Forcing turnovers and converting them into points on the other end of the floor also contributed to the double-digit comeback.
Despite struggling for most of the first half and not holding a lead until deep into the fourth quarter, this Memphis team managed to scratch and claw their way to the season’s first overtime period. They hung on for dear life, not succumbing to enormous pressure from the Warriors. Pressure that would have overwhelmed them last season.
Ja Morant continues to do what he does, putting up 18 points in the third quarter alone.
Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, and De’Anthony Melton combined to score 18 of the Grizzlies 25 fourth-quarter points. This was a marked improvement for Melton, who has struggled for the past two games, even going scoreless in the loss against Portland.
By the Numbers:
Ja Morant led the team in scoring with 30 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals.
Desmond Bane finished the night with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists. Bane led the Grizzlies in three-point shooting with 15 of those 19 points coming from beyond the arc.
Jaren Jackson Jr. closed out with 15 points and 8 rebounds. Fellow big man Steven Adams put up 12 points and 7 rebounds.
De’Anthony Melton finished with 7 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, and 3 blocks. Melton’s contributions on both ends of the floor were vitally important for the Grizzlies.
Kyle Anderson had 8 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. Very important blocks, as seen below.
<Mike Breen voice> BLOCKED BY ANDERSON
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies return to Memphis where they will face off against the Miami Heat. It’s going down Saturday night in FedExForum. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. CDT.
