Jaren Jackson, Jr. was a man on a mission from the start of the game on Thursday night in Orlando, putting on arguably one of the best performances of his career. He finished with a season-high 31 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks to help the Grizzlies improve to 25-13 on the season by beating the Orlando Magic, 123-115. It was the Grizzlies’ fifth win in a row.
Grizzlies color analyst Brevin Knight says no offensive player is safe when the 23-year-old is on the floor.
Jackson showed his defensive prowess and offensive precision. He shot an astonishing 90.9 percent in the paint area and 85.7 percent overall while going 12-of-14 from the field.
And Jackson had historic night for the franchise. According to Statmuse, Jackson was the first Grizzlies player to put up 30 points and 10 rebounds on 80 percent shooting since two-time NBA champion Pau Gasol.
Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins was impressed with the Michigan State alum’s efforts. “He was a force on both sides,” Jenkins said. Obviously, offensively scoring inside, scoring outside. I thought he set a tone in that first quarter for us blocking a number of shots.
Jenkins continued: “He really got rolling in that first quarter. And then when we needed some crucial buckets, put him in iso situations, post-up situations, he just made great reads, great plays. Overall, they felt his force tonight and his physicality on both sides is definitely one of the most impressive, if not the most so far this season for JJ”
“We knew they were going to throw a lot at Ja (Morant), which they definitely did throughout the game, especially in that fourth quarter,” Jenkins concluded. “Just having that balance of pick-and-roll motion play, dribble handoffs, post iso, something that we’ll continue to work on just so we’ll have better balance.” Morant was the game-high scorer with 32 points, six assists, and five rebounds.
It marked the first time in their careers that Jackson and Morant both scored 30+ points in the same game in the regular season. Grizzlies fans would love to see more of that on a regular basis from this dynamic duo.
After the game Morant shifted his praises to Jackson. “It was definitely one of the most complete games I’ve seen him play,” Morant said. “It helped us big time.”
“It makes the game a lot easier – opens the floor up,” said Dillon Brooks of Jackson’s defensive effort. “It gives us confidence to press up on the defenders and force them to come downhill to him. We are really tough to beat.”
Brooks finished with 11 points, six rebounds and tied his season-high with six assists.
“Today they were just shifting a lot and they were in the paint so I was able to find my teammates,” said Brooks on his improved playmaking. “It has always been a priority for me to pass the ball.”
Brooks believes Jackson is a one-of-a-kind talent. “He’s one of our guys who’s a mismatch nightmare, so we need him to be aggressive every night on both ends.”
In the game, Ziaire Williams was outstanding, coming off the bench for Memphis and scoring a season-high 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting with three 3-pointers and a +13 in only 14 minutes. The 21-year-old versatile wing is an important piece for the Grizzlies championship aspirations.
“Long overdue,” Williams said after the game. “Long overdue, for sure.”
The 21-year-old went on to say, “I told myself to have extreme confidence. You can only do so much work, but if you don’t trust it, it’s worthless.
Up Next
The Grizzlies return home to face the Utah Jazz on Sunday at 5pm CT inside FedExForum. Memphis is seeking retribution against the Jazz after two back to back losses in Utah earlier in the season.
