Tag: Brandon Clarke

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Grizzlies Beat Suns in the Valley

Ja Morant goes up for a layup in a game against the Phoenix Suns on February 11, 2025 (Photo by: Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Memphis Grizzlies edged the Phoenix Suns, 119-112, in Phoenix, Tuesday night. After establishing a strong 36-26 lead in the first quarter, the Grizzlies maintained their advantage, fending off a determined Suns team that fought until the final buzzer. Memphis hasn’t lost consecutive games since January 3-4. 

Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins credited his team for responding well throughout the game, starting with a strong first quarter, fueled by defense. He noted that they withstood a second-quarter run by the Suns and, despite a tough third quarter, stayed focused and composed, ultimately staying the course as the game tightened to single digits.

“Guys were collected and composed in the timeouts — went out and executed,” Jenkins stated.

He said the team’s victory was due to their ability to make crucial defensive plays and quickly shift into a high-speed offense, especially in the final quarter. He went on to praise the reserves for their role and noted that the Suns’ intense defensive pressure required a sustained effort throughout the game.

Ja Morant led the Grizzlies with 26 points, adding seven rebounds and six assists. The performance marked his 19th game this season with 20 or more points.

“Great, now we are starting to realize that when we are out there, when we see guys on the opposing team out there heavy breathing, leaning over, that is when we normally realize it and try to ramp it up,” said Morant when on the luxury of having a fully healthy team.

Morant continued, “We know how we train, how we are conditioned, and it is for 48 minutes. We know it is hard for teams to withstand us pushing the pace, us picking them up full court and being real physical. We just try to wear teams down and at the end of the day go get a win.”

Desmond Bane scored 20 points, shooting 6-of-13, and also contributed 8 rebounds and 4 assists as Memphis improved to 36-17 on the season. The performance extended Bane’s streak of 20-point games to four and marked his 11th in the last 13 games.

Jaren Jackson Jr. recorded a solid all-around performance with 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals. Meanwhile, reserve Brandon Clarke made the most of his 19 minutes, scoring 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting and grabbing 7 rebounds.

Santi Aldama paced the Grizzlies’ bench with 14 points and 5 five rebounds in 23 minutes, shooting 5-of-10 from the field and 4-of-6 from three-point range. Aldama got off to a scorching start, going 4-of-4 from the field in the first quarter, including a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc in the opening 12 minutes.

After the game, Aldama talked about the difference with the team now compared to two months ago. He said, “More experience together — guys stepping up when guys are locked in going into the All-Star break. There’s nothing different. Just playing better and putting the ball in the hoop.”

Up Next

The Grizzlies have a Western Conference showdown against the Los Angeles Clippers Thursday night, marking their final outing before the All-Star break. The late-night matchup is set to tip off at 9:30 p.m. CT.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Jaren Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama Lead the Way in Rout of Wizards

Jaren Jackson Jr. battles for the opening possession. (Photo: NBAE/Getty Images.)

On the second night of back-to-back games, the Memphis Grizzlies decimated the Washington Wizards without Ja Morant and Desmond Bane.

With a final score of 140-112, the Grizzlies emerged from their weekend road trip 2-0.

After a hard-fought win against the Boston Celtics in which he scored a season-high 31 points, Ja Morant sat out against the Wizards with back soreness.

Expect Memphis to continue its cautionary approach to managing Morant’s injuries.

But even without two of their best players, the Grizzlies looked poised, prepared, and just plain better than their opponents, largely thanks to their incredible depth.

Scotty Pippen Jr. and Marcus Smart moved into the starting lineup, but even without them, the bench outscored the starters 76-64.

The Wizards were led on both ends of the court by a familiar face — Lithuanian big man Jonas Valančiūnas, who played for the Grizzlies from 2019-2021.

Despite Valanciunas’ 20-point, 14-rebound double-double, the Wizards had no answer for the Grizzlies. Washington held a two-point lead for a grand total of 47 seconds in the first quarter.

Memphis was led offensively by Jaren Jackson Jr., who fielded 21 points, four rebounds, and four blocks on 8 of 15 overall shooting and 3 of 8 from beyond the arc — all in a mere 16:46 minutes of playing time.  

Scotty Pippen Jr. looked right at home back in the starting lineup, delivering 14 points, 12 assists, and 2 steals on 6 of 11 shooting from the field.

Marcus Smart was similarly at ease moving from the bench unit to the starters, putting up 13 points and three rebounds while shooting 5 of 8 from the field and 3 of 6 from three-point range.

Brandon Clarke was coming off his best game of the season against the Celtics but still had a respectable showing against the Wizards. He finished the night with 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

Jay Huff and Santi Aldama celebrate during the game against the Washington Wizards. (Photo: NBAE/Getty Images.)

Santi Aldama was the leading scorer off the bench with 19 points, seven rebounds, five assists, one steal, and three blocks while shooting 7 of 11 overall and a team-best 3 of 5 from beyond the arc.

Reserve center Jay Huff finished the night with 17 points and three rebounds while rookie shooting guard Cam Spencer added 14 points, four rebounds, and five assists on 4 of 8 shooting from the field and 2 of 4 from three-point range in his third ever NBA game.

We even got a brief appearance from Yuki Kawamura in the fourth quarter:

Who Got Next?

The next two games are recent additions to the schedule, among other teams that have also been eliminated from the NBA Cup: Friday, December 13th, at home against the Brooklyn Nets, with a 7 p.m. CST tip-off time, and Sunday, December 15th, on the road against the Los Angeles Lakers, tipping off at 8:30 p.m. CST.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies End Decade-Long Skid in Beantown

Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies at the free-throw line during the game against the Boston Celtics on December 7, 2024. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

The drought is over. The Memphis Grizzlies ended a decade-long losing streak in Boston by defeating the Celtics 127-121, Saturday night. It was the Grizzlies’ first win in Boston since November 27, 2013.

In a testament to their resilience, the Grizzlies overcame the daunting challenge of TD Garden, one of the NBA’s most hostile environments. Memphis has won eight of its last nine games. 

The Grizzlies’ stifling defense proved too much for the Celtics, who were held to 40 percent shooting and 30 percent from beyond the arc (18-60). Memphis’ defensive game plan was particularly effective in limiting the Celtics’ star players, with Jayson Tatum struggling to a season-low 28.6% shooting and Jaylen Brown coughing up a team-high five turnovers.

Memphis outscored the Celtics 64-40 in the paint. The Grizzlies had 22 fast break points while Boston had just four.

Shaking off a tough night against the Kings in his previous game, Ja Morant delivered a clutch performance, with a near triple-double: 31 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists.

And as the old folks would say, he had pep in his step. 

Jaren Jackson Jr. was also on fire, doing a little bit of everything to secure the victory. He had a stellar fourth quarter, going 6 of 9 from the field to score 14 of his 27 points. Jackson Jr.’s impact was more than just scoring; he also contributed nine rebounds, four blocks, and three steals, showcasing his remarkable defensive prowess and all-around talent.

Brandon Clarke turned in a standout performance, contributing 18 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals while shooting 9-of-11 from the field. Desmond Bane also played a key role down the stretch, scoring nine of his 14 points in the final period to help the Grizzlies improve to 16-8 on the season. 

In his first game back at TD Garden since the 2023 trade that sent him to Memphis, Marcus Smart had a tough shooting night, going 1-of-11 from the floor for three points in 19 minutes of action. But the only thing that mattered was a win. 

Smart entered the game with 8:50 remaining in the first quarter, the Celtics crowd erupted into a standing ovation, prompting Smart to pause and wave in appreciation of the warm reception.

Up Next

The Grizzlies will take on the Washington Wizards tonight at 6:00 p.m. CT at Capital One Arena. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports Uncategorized

Ja Is Back! Morant’s Return Sparks Grizzlies

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) dunks the ball against the Portland Trail Blazers during the first half at FedExForum on Nov 25, 2024. (Wes Hale Photo)

After an eight-game injury absence, the Memphis Grizzlies saw an instant benefit from Ja Morant’s return. In the Grizzlies’ 123-98 rout of the Portland Trail Blazers, Monday night, Morant had an outstanding game, scoring 22 points and dishing out 11 assists.

After the win, Morant reflected on his return, saying, “I felt good, I played good.”

Several highlight-reel plays demonstrated that Morant’s return to the lineup was a smooth one. He showed great team chemistry by setting up Jaren Jackson Jr. for an alley-oop and dishing a behind-the-back pass to Brandon Clarke.

And we can’t forget his out-of-nowhere dunk. 

Before his injury, Morant was becoming the go-to offensive catalyst for the Grizzlies, with averages of 20.6 points, 9.1 assists, and 5.0 rebounds per game. With his return, the team’s energy and dynamic seemed to be revitalized, leading to an increase in offensive speed. His exceptional playmaking skills not only elevate his own game but also create opportunities for teammates to excel.

The win over the Blazers propelled Memphis from seventh to fifth place in the wild, wild Western Conference standings.

The Grizzlies extended their winning streak to three games, matching their longest streak of the season. They’ve also won four of their last five games, showcasing their growing momentum.

Morant’s influence on the game was a testament to his return to form. “Just attacking my return process,” Morant said after the game. “The ramp up. Making sure I’m in rhythm when I’m out there.”

Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins praised Morant’s return. “He works his tail off, throughout the return-to-play process,” said Jenkins. “He loves this game. He misses being out there. I think I said it to someone before the game – his engagement, even when he’s out, you all don’t get to see the work that he’s putting in.”

Jenkins added: “This past week was some of the best work I’d seen from him … His engagement with his teammates, his voice in the locker room, film sessions, and on the sidelines — he was chomping at the bit to get out there. He and I were talking on the side saying, ‘What’s this going to look like in two weeks from now?’ We were talking two weeks ago about the things he was doing well, what he can correct, what he can get better at, where the team’s head space is at, what we have to do better just as a team … He was translating that to the guys throughout the game. He was just locked in the last three-ish weeks.”

“He loves the game — he put in the work,” Jenkins said. “And this is no shock — the impact he made with the pace of play. I thought he did a phenomenal job on [Anfernee] Simons defensively. He held him to five points. His point of attack defensively definitely set a tone for us as well tonight.”

Jackson Jr. powered through a slow start to post 21 points, with 12 coming in the 4th quarter, while shooting 66.7% from the field. 

The 25-year-old big man emphasized the importance of versatility, saying that a player can’t rely on just one skill. Instead, being effective requires a mix of different abilities, such as posting up, driving, and shooting from outside. This versatility also allows for more energy and activity on defense.

“It felt more like a playoff atmosphere, I was loving it,” said Jackson Jr. on the energy inside FedExForum. 

Santi Aldama secured a career-high 17 rebounds and 13 points (6-12 FG, 1-1 3P), marking his sixth double-double of the season. Aldama has achieved three double-doubles in his last four games.

With their two-time All-Star back in the lineup, the Grizzlies are well-positioned to make a playoff push. However, to make a deep playoff run, Morant’s health is crucial. After navigating earlier season challenges with injuries and inconsistencies, the team’s success hinges on Morant’s ability to stay healthy.

Next Up

The Grizzlies will host the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, November 27, at FedExForum. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM CST. To make the game even more appealing, the first 3,000 fans in attendance will receive a City Edition Scarf.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Nets Hand Grizzlies Tough Home Loss

Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams (1) shoots the ball as Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13), John Konchar (46) and Ja Morant (12) attempt to block the shot during the first half at FedExForum on October 30, 2024 (Wes Hale Photo)

The Memphis Grizzlies dropped to 2-3 on the season, falling 119-106 at home to the Brooklyn Nets. Injury woes continued, as starters Marcus Smart and Desmond Bane exited the game with ankle issues.

Despite favorable expectations, Memphis underperformed, hindered by careless ball handling which led to 22 turnovers that Brooklyn capitalized on for 31 points.

The Grizzlies’ quest for a faster tempo remains elusive, marred by sloppy execution and costly mistakes.

Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins expressed disappointment in the Grizzlies’ defensive performance, and praised the Nets offense. He admitted his team failed to execute their planned strategy and took responsibility for not adequately preparing them. 

“We just have to fill our cup,” Jenkins said, on dealing with injuries. “Tomorrow, [we play] a great [Milwaukee] Bucks team, and they’re going to be hungry for a win. We’re hungry for a win. It’s going to be two teams battling.” 

He continued, “We have to bring a better effort tomorrow, and whoever’s available to play has to go out there and compete even better than we’ve done the last two games. The guys are feeling it. They know it’s unacceptable.” 

“We [the coaches] have to find a way to be included,” Jenkins concluded. “I have to lead better —I have to prepare them better. Our guys have to go out and play better, so it all comes down to responsibility. We’ll just take it day by day. I don’t know where we’re going to stand tomorrow, but once we get through, we know we’ve still got depth that can go out there and can be better [than] before.”

Jaren Jackson Jr. poured in a season-high 30 points, shooting 83% from the field (10-12) and perfect from three (3-3), with 7-10 from the free throw line, his 23rd career 30-point game.

Ja Morant posted 14 points, eight rebounds, and 11 assists, securing his 64th career double-double and second of the season, despite shooting 5-16 from the field and 1-6 from three.

Zach Edey tied his career high and Brandon Clarke set a season high, each scoring 13 points. Edey went 6-9 from the field and 1-2 from the line, while Clarke shot a perfect 5-5 from the field and 3-3 from the free throw line.

No Time to Panic

Although disappointing, it’s only 5 games out of 82. As Jackson Jr. said last night, “Can’t panic. Soldiers don’t panic. Should never panic. Panic just makes it worse, makes anything worse. You just stay calm and work on what you have to do — work on your craft.” 

Up Next 

The Grizzlies’ four-game home stand comes to a close on Thursday, October 31, with a showdown against the Milwaukee Bucks at 7 PM CST.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Topple Bucks to Sweep Season Series

Jaren Jackson Jr. dribbles the ball against Giannis Antetokounmpo as the Grizzlies faced off against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)

On the road in Milwaukee, the Grizzlies topped the Bucks, 111-101, Wednesday night. The Grizzlies have won five in a row over the Bucks, and they also swept the season series.

Milwaukee made 18 three-pointers, while the Grizzlies made just seven. That is generally not a recipe for a win. However, Memphis dominated in the paint, outscoring the Bucks 76-36 and shot 50.5% from the field.

It was the JJJ show in Milwaukee. Jaren Jackson Jr. was by far the best player on the floor Wednesday night. In the final minute of the game, Jackson Jr. gave Memphis a 10-point advantage with a baseline fadeaway 3-pointer over two defenders. 

Jackson Jr. scored a game-high 35 points on 14-for-26 shooting, along with four assists and three steals.

“I was taking what the defense gives me,” the 24-year-old said after the game. “I’ve been working on my game a lot and I was glad to get the opportunity to get out there and show it a little bit.”

Rookie GG Jackson II finished with 15 points and a career-high 12 rebounds for his first career double-double.

Jackson II has been on fire ever since he was moved to the starting lineup, with respectable stats overall and 10 straight starts in which he scored 10 or more.

Brandon Clarke keeps impressing. in just his fourth game of the season as he makes his way back from an Achilles injury suffered in March 2023. He finished with 14 points off of 7-for-10 shooting, and added seven rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. 

“It means a lot; everybody here wants to win. We don’t really want to lose,” said Clarke about Memphis winning two in a row, after the struggles the team has faced. “I think it’s about pride, really. It’s about just finding ways to win for next year too; finding ways to get better even when you know it’s tough in the season.”

With 13 points, 12 boards, and seven assists, bench player Jordan Goodwin nearly recorded a triple-double. He has grabbed 10 or more rebounds in each of his last three games.

The Grizzlies will host the Detroit Pistons on Friday, April 5, at 7 p.m. CT, in their return to FedExForum.

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Sports Sports Feature

Orlando Gives the Grizzlies a Magic Beatdown

Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke dunks the ball against the Orlando Magic on March 30, 2024. (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)

On Saturday night at KIA Center, the Orlando Magic thrashed the Memphis Grizzlies 118-88.

The first quarter came to a close with Memphis already down 20 points. Orlando put up 33 points, while the Grizzlies managed just 13, shooting a dismal 21.7 percent from the field.

The victory snapped the Magic’s three-game losing streak. Earlier in the week, they lost close games against the Sacramento Kings, the Golden State Warriors, and the Los Angeles Clippers.

Orlando ended a five-game losing streak against the Grizzlies. The previous meeting ended in a nail-biter at FedExForum, 107-106, with a Grizzlies win on January 26th. 

Memphis dropped to 24-50 for the season, with eight games remaining, a mark they’ll want to forget. It appeared early on in Saturday night’s contest that Memphis’ players were focused on something other than basketball, and it showed. 

Reserve Jordan Goodwin led the Grizzlies with 16 points and 11 rebounds for his first career double-double.

In his second game back from injury, Brandon Clarke had a solid showing, with 13 points and four rebounds off the bench. 

“It was already out of hand — they won every single quarter,” said Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins after the game. “You have to give the Magic tons of credit. They played with a lot of physicality; their defense was phenomenal tonight. Couldn’t get in the paint — couldn’t knock down an open shot. They played beautiful basketball, shared the rock.” 

Jenkins added, “So you know we just kept trying to fight. I thought we had a chance to win that second quarter — have some momentum, but the Magic had an answer for everything; so many different guys stepped up and played well.” 

“I thought BC [Clarke] did a really good job; liked seeing Jordan [Goodwin] have kind of a bounce-back game. I thought he did some good things. Well, obviously Luke [Kennard]’s been out for a couple of weeks now, just seeing him have some pop with his conditioning and stuff. And we’re just trying to find every way possible to have some positives and move forward. And obviously we’ve got to respond on Monday against Detroit.”

“Keep fighting, keep making something out of each every day,” Jenkins said about his message to his players as the season is winding down. “That’s what we’ve done all season long. Every year that I’ve been here we got different guys that are gonna hear that message for the very first time. Over and over again. Obviously we haven’t been in this situation since I’ve been here, but you gotta make the most of every day. That’s what we stand for.” 

Memphis travels to Detroit to take on the Pistons, Monday, April 1st, at Little Caesars Arena at 6 p.m. CT. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports Uncategorized

Grizzlies End Skid Behind Jackson, Morant

Ja Morant, Dillon Brooks and Xavier Tillman, Sr. inside FedExForum on January 29, 2023 in a win against the Indiana Pacers. (Credit: Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Grizzlies’ five-game losing streak is over with a comeback win against the Indiana Pacers, 112-100, at FedExForum, Sunday night. 

After falling behind by as many as 19 points in the first half, the Grizzlies staged their biggest comeback victory of the season by outscoring the Pacers 62-38 in the second.

The Grizzlies have the best home winning percentage (.875) in the NBA after improving to 21-3 at home this season. Memphis has now won eight consecutive games at FedExForum, a season best.

Jaren Jackson Jr. led all scorers with 28 points, and added eight rebounds and five blocks in a season-high 38 minutes. And the blocks were real; more on that later. 

“Tonight is a product of him just being aggressive, his teammates finding him,” said Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins on Jackson’s touches in the game. 

“There was a lot of dialogue about opportunities for him,” added Jenkins. “They were switching, he was doing a good job running the floor, getting early post-up touches, then we made some calls and he just had great poise, in that post-up game. Even kicked it out a couple of times, just missed some shots but really impressive what he did on the offensive side to back up what he did defensively.”

Jackson acknowledged the importance of the team stopping the losing streak. He said, “Very important. You know, make sure you stop the bleeding. Coming together, and I think maybe coming home, helped for sure. Yeah man, put it together. It’s important. Feels good.”

With 27 points, 10 boards, and 15 assists, Ja Morant recorded his second straight triple-double and his fifth triple-double of the season. Morant logged 40 minutes while playing the entire second half. It was Morant’s ninth career regular season triple-double. It was the second time in franchise history a Griz player had accomplished the feat two games in a row. Delon Wright did it April 5-7, 2019.

“It just shows when we play our basketball and play with some energy, majority of the time, we win basketball games,” said Morant on getting his swag back after the losing streak. Tonight, obviously showed us we are capable of it, and we just got to continue to do it from start to finish.”

 

In his third-straight start, Brandon Clarke had 13 points while going 5-of-5 from the field. 

Xavier Tillman Sr. finished with nine points and a season-high 11 rebounds, including a career-high eight offensive rebounds.

Conspiracy 

A Redditt user sent NBA Twitter and the betting world in a frenzy with a bogus claim that the Grizzlies’ scorekeeper was inflating Jackson’s steals and blocks at home. The NBA and media members refuted the claims quickly. 

The NBA issued a statement backing the Grizzlies’ scorekeepers and stressing that game action and statistics are evaluated in real time.

Jenkins had this to say about the conspiracy, “Foolish — NBA made a statement. Conspiracy, conspiracy. [Jaren Jackson Jr.] is one of the best defensive players in the game. So lucky to have him on our team.”

Jackson addressed the conspiracy after the game. He said, “That was good. I thought that was pretty funny. I didn’t really understand it at first. I saw that I beat the case, so that was dope. It was just lighting up group chats on my phone, you know how it is when your homies are letting you know. I’m getting texts like, ‘You good?’ or whatever, and I’m like half asleep, still don’t even know what’s going on.”

Yes, JJJ you beat the case.

Up Next

The Grizzlies will host the Portland Trailblazers on Wednesday night with an early 6pm CT tip-off time. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Drop 5th-Straight Game to End Road Trip

Ja Morant shooting the ball on January 27, 2023 against the Minnesota Timberwolves (Credit: NBAE via Getty Images)

The Grizzlies finished a five-game, season-long road trip winless, after losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday by a score of 111-100.

Yes, Memphis has lost five straight games after going on an 11-game win streak to begin the year.  The road has not been kind for the Grizzlies as the team is 11-15 this season. However, there’s no place like home. Memphis has one of the best home records in the league at 20-3. 

Desmond Bane (right knee pain) and Steven Adams were absent for the Grizzlies on Friday (right knee PCL sprain). John Konchar also is in concussion protocol. With 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists, Ja Morant led the Grizzlies, and notched his fourth season triple-double and eighth of his career.

On the season, Morant is averaging 27.3 points, 8.1 assists and 5.6 rebounds and will surely be selected as an All-Star reserve by NBA head coaches. 

To round off the scoring, Dillon Brooks finished with 17 points, Brandon Clarke added 15 points, seven rebounds, and three steals, and Jaren Jackson Jr. ended with 14 points, seven rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. 

The Timberwolves’ Kyle Anderson finished with a season-high 23 points and six assists, including a season-high four 3-pointers in the win against his former team.

Deficiencies

Free-throw shooting reared its ugly head in losses in the losing streak. The team only shot 80 percent or above in two of the five games. The worst outcome was going 26 of 40 against the Los Angeles Lakers and losing 122-121. 

Memphis shot 26 of 37 against the Golden State Warriors and lost by 2 points, 122-120. This has become a problem that has cost the team regular season games and if not corrected will haunt them come playoff time. 

Memphis tragedy

Prior to the game, a moment of silence was held for Tyre Nichols, who was fatally beaten by Memphis police officers earlier this month. Both the Grizzlies and the Timberwolves issued statements prior to the release of the disturbing videos on the deadly encounter. 

Jackson Jr. shared his thoughts on Twitter prior to the game.

After the game Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins spoke to the media:

“There’s way harder things on in the city versus what’s going on with our basketball right now. I’m proud of our guys going out there. We’re playing with heavy hearts, but we’re also playing for our city that’s going through a lot right now.My words will only mean so much. I want to continue to encourage people to put their arms around each other. To put their arms around the Nichols family, the Wells family to remember a beautiful life in Tyre Nichols – who I did not know, but I’m learning about.”

The team’s locker room was closed on Friday after the game and players were not made available to speak with the media. #JusticeForTyre

Up Next 

There’s no place like home. The Grizzlies will look to end their slump on Sunday when they return home to take on the Indiana Pacers at 5 pm CT.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Extend Win Streak Against Pistons, 113-103

Jaren Jackson, Jr. (Credit: Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Memphis Grizzlies extended their winning streak to five games with a 114-103 victory over the Detroit Pistons at FedExForum on a foggy Friday night in the Bluff City. The Grizzlies are now 11-2 at home and have a 17-9 overall record.

Jaren Jackson, Jr. had 20 points to lead the Grizzlies and also added five boards, four blocks, and two steals on 8-12 shooting from the field and 3 of 5 from deep. 

The defensive specialist has recorded four or more blocks in half of his 10 appearances this year. Jackson is averaging 3.2 blocks per game on the season. The 23-year-old also reached 400 career blocks.

Even though Jackson is playing great on both ends of the floor early in the season, he said, hopefully, it’s not his best, so the team can continue improving. 

Jackson has been taking advantage of mismatches, scoring inside, and getting to the foul line more this season. “I’m definitely using my size better and working on getting extra dribbles, not just lunging out there — and getting to the free throw line more,” said Jackson. “I’m emphasizing all that stuff.”

He attributes his increased rate of blocks to his availability on the court. “I’m staying on the floor,” he explained. “I’m able to be out there longer. When you’re out there longer, you can do more things. I’m just staying on the floor better.”

Taylor Jenkins had plenty to say about the improvements he wanted for Jackson after last season. “Obviously, he didn’t have the benefit of being able to work much this offseason, but just continue to challenge him, to build off of what you’ve done the summer before,” Jenkins said. “Defensive activity, versatility, obviously he’s so gifted with what he can do to protect the rim. Continue to challenge him to rebound — four defensive rebounds tonight.”

Jenkins continued: “Offensively, continue to be a playmaker and challenge him to continue to move the ball. A lot of the offense runs through our guards, so trying to find those spots and just really do a good job, being a presence in the post, getting good finishes — a playmaker out there if they double team him, and teams are going to start switching more. We’ve got to be able to punish them with him on the inside.”

“Jaren [Jackson Jr.] helps with everybody; he makes everyone’s job easier when he’s back there protecting the rim,” said Tyus Jones after the win. “It definitely allows us to kind of pressure the ball a little bit more and have that confidence knowing that they really don’t even want to try to get all the way to the rim with him back there. He definitely makes our job easier.”

“Jaren is a huge part of our defense and our offense,” said big man Brandon Clarke. “Really, he is a great anchor for us [defensively]. He can do everything on the other end too, offensively. He can shoot it, he can finish in the post, and I feel like we all have really good chemistry with him too. So, it just makes playing these games much easier.”

Clarke finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, and two assists while going 7-of-8 from the floor. 

Ja Morant secured his eighth double-double of the season with 15 points, 12 assists, six rebounds, and a game-high three steals. 

Morant has recorded 10 or more assists in seven games this season. 

Dillon Brooks added 16 points and four assists. 

Up Next

The Grizzlies will look to extend the winning streak to six games on Monday night at FedExForum against the Atlanta Hawks. Tip-off: 7pm CT.