Yesterday the Memphis Grizzlies played their 21st Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Game against the Phoenix Suns. It was a resounding victory in which the Grizzlies defeated the Suns 136-106, and extended their current winning streak to 10 games, the longest in the NBA.
Let’s get into it.
Before the game tipped off, women’s basketball legend Nancy Lieberman, former NBA stars Gary Payton and Luol Deng, and NFL star Eddie George were all presented with the 18th Annual National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy Award.
On the court, the Suns closed out the first quarter with a seven-point lead. The Grizzlies responded by outscoring the Suns 107-70 in the remaining three quarters.
The three-point shooting drought appears to be over for this Grizzlies team — five players had two or more three-point makes.
Turning defense into offense remains one of the cornerstones of Grizzlies basketball, and this game was no exception. Memphis forced Phoenix into 15 turnovers, and then converted those into 24 points on the other end of the floor. Their ability to get stops on the defensive end allowed the Grizzlies to take nine more shot attempts overall than the Suns.
By the Numbers:
Ja Morant had a game-high 29 points and 7 assists, including 5 of 8 from three-point range.
Desmond Bane closed out the night with 28 points, 6 assists, and 2 steals, while shooting 3 of 4 from distance.
Jaren Jackson Jr finished with 18 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, and 6 blocks.
From the second unit, Brandon Clarke put up 13 points and 6 rebounds on 6 of 8 field goal shooting.
Tyus Jones had 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists, and rookie David Roddy put up 10 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies will face off against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, January 18th at FedEx Forum. Tip-off is at 7 PM CST.
