With a final score of 118-110, Memphis fell to the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night, giving them their seventh consecutive loss and their longest losing streak of the season.
Once again, a poor second-half showing allowed a Memphis opponent to wipe out a lead and go on to win the game. The wheels came off completely for the Grizzlies in the fourth quarter, on both offense and defense.
Let’s get into it.
What transpired against the Bulls — building a lead in the first half and losing it in the second — has been one of the hallmarks of the season for the Grizzlies, especially on their home court. Of their 18 wins, only five of them have been in FedExForum, a far cry from their league-leading 35 wins at home last season.
The Bulls had four players (DeMar DeRozan – 30, Andre Drummond – 21, Nikola Vučević – 20, Coby White – 20) who combined for 101 of their 118 points. While par for the course for DeRozan, Vučević, and White, it was just the third 20+ point game of the season for Drummond, who made a game-high 10 of 11 field goals.
Chicago had more free throw attempts in the 4th quarter (14) than the Grizzlies (13) did for the entire game and shot 90.9% (20 of 22) from the line, while Memphis shot just 61.5% (8 of 13) from the charity stripe.
The Grizzlies were able to capitalize on the Bulls’ poor ball handling, converting 15 turnovers by Chicago into 20 points.
By The Numbers:
Jaren Jackson Jr. closed out the night with a team-high 28 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists. Jackson fouled out late in the 4th quarter.
Unfun fact – Jaren Jackson Jr. currently leads the league in personal fouls with 171.
G.G. Jackson II put up a career-high 27 points and 9 rebounds, the most points scored by a Grizzlies reserve player this season. He also became the youngest player (at 19 years, 53 days) in NBA history to score 25 or more points off the bench, breaking the record previously held by Kobe Bryant (25 points at 19 years, 78 days).
His performance in the 20 NBA games he’s played in this season earned him a multi-year contract, it was announced by the team this morning.
Santi Aldama finished the night with 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists.
Scotty Pippen Jr. added 15 points, 2 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Vince Williams Jr. put up 13 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies are taking a quick trip to Charlotte to face off against the Hornets on Sunday before returning to Memphis for a five-game homestand. Tip-off is at 6 PM CST.
