The “most hated” team in the NBA, as defined by Ja Morant, got back on track with a win on Tuesday night at FedExForum.
Memphis was on a three-game skid and needed to stop the bleeding. The home team beat the Chicago Bulls 104-89 behind dogged defense, outpacing the Bulls 32-14 in the final period. Fourth-quarter execution on both ends of the floor had been an issue for Memphis during their most recent slump.
After the game, Jaren Jackson, Jr. talked about getting over the hump. He said, “I think we just made more shots that we had been taking all game, locked in on defense a little bit more. We changed some coverages around. I thought our coaches were great today; they’re always, but today, they just knew exactly what was going on.
“Just getting stops, rebounding,” Ja Morant on fourth-quarter execution. “Obviously, these recent games, we’ve been giving up too many layups, second chance points. We were back, pretty much, to our defense. Later, we’ll be able to get out. People know that.”
All-Star 12
Morant led Memphis with 34 points, six rebounds, and seven assists, in his 30th career 30-5-5 stat line. Morant returned after being sidelined with an injury in the loss against the Toronto Raptors. Despite controversy and distractions, Morant let his play on the court do all the talking Tuesday night.
Morant says he has a better day when his daughter Kaari is with him. Maybe Kaari can be the team’s good luck charm.
All-Star Trip
Jackson Jr. finished with 24 points, five blocks, (four in the first quarter) and two steals in 34 minutes of action. The Michigan State alum was the tone setter from the start.
“I [was] just feeling it out like I normally do,” said the 23-year old on his first quarter performance. “Just trying to see what was going on and just was feeling it out. I wasn’t really thinking that much stuff. I don’t really like to think that much. I just kind of just do whatever.”
“He and I talked yesterday (Monday),” said Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins on Jackson’s performance. “And it was more about the offensive stuff, and obviously he was phenomenal tonight, just the post threat physicality.
“He had a couple great kickout slasher three-point shots out the post, but he’s going to do what he does defensively, so you don’t have to really coach him up much there.”
Jenkins added, “He did a phenomenal job setting the tone. He had nine points early, had probably like five blocks early, something like that. He definitely set a tone, but he carried it out for four quarters and had a phenomenal game tonight.”
“That’s pretty much what we’re doing,” Morant said about Jackson Jr. setting the tone for the game. “He’s pretty much playing the four for us. Most teams nowadays try to swing one to four. No team should be able to do that versus us with him being the forefront. Our messages to the team, to each other is to find him, and we’re going to dominate whoever is guarding him. It’s clicking for him. We’ve seen how well he’s been playing. [The Bulls] came out with a lot of energy and locked in on the defensive end, and he got some big stops for us and allowed us to get going early.”
The Grizzlies could use more of this for the remainder of the season and beyond from Jackson Jr., who is the team’s best all-around player.
Up Next
The Grizzlies host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday at 7pm CT in the final regular season match-up. The Timberwolves has a 2-1 edge Memphis looks to even the season series.
