Tag: De’Anthony Melton

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Fall in Game 1 Thriller, But Game 2 is on the Horizon

Ja Morant takes flight against Malik Beasley. Credit: Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images

Sunday afternoon in Memphis, the Memphis Grizzlies and the Golden State Warriors put on a fantastic show before a sold-out crowd at FedExForum and a national TV audience on ABC. It is the first time in franchise history that Memphis has hosted Game 1 of a playoff series after the first round. The Grizzlies fell to the Golden State Warriors in a nail-biting contest, 117-116.

Ja Morant led the Grizzlies with a near triple-double, 34 points, nine rebounds, and 10 assists. 

Jaren Jackson Jr. had another breakout game with his best game of the entire season. Jackson finished with a double-double with 33 points and grabbed 10 boards. “It was cool — got going,” said Jackson on knocking down 6-of-9 from 3-point shots. “They were finding me. I mean my teammates just found me. You know, when you hit a couple the rim kind of looks bigger. Not really thinking about much, just letting it go. So yeah, it just felt good right there.”

“They are a really good defensive team,” Jordan Poole said about the Grizzlies. “They are long and athletic so [I’ve] got to find ways to get into the seams and be aggressive but also make the right plays because they feed off of energy and turnovers.”

“I mean pick your poison. He is so good at hitting in the key and I don’t think you know,” said Klay Thompson on Morant. Three-point shooting is not his strongest attribute — so when he gets in the lane and gets other guys involved, that’s when they’re really dangerous. We just tried to limit his impact around the rim because obviously he’s one of the best in the NBA when it comes to finishing down there and kicking out the three-point shooters.” 

In spite of the loss, the Grizzlies and their season will not be defined by this one game. 

Keys on how the Grizzlies Can Win Game 2

Win the rebounding battle 

Golden State out-rebounded Memphis 51-47. However, what hurt the Grizzlies the most was the fourth quarter rebounding disparity. The Warriors grabbed 15 crucial rebounds to Memphis’ nine. To break that down further, Warriors had 10 defensive rebounds and five offensive rebounds while the Grizzlies only had three offensive and six defensive rebounds. Memphis seriously needs to clean that up especially in the final period. 

“We just got to get the ball — find a way to get the ball,”  said Jackson on the team’s rebounding struggles in Game 1. “If they shoot deep threes, it’s going to be different types of bounces. Can’t get the ball under the rim so you got to just fan out. It was just some tough bounces there. Credit to the way it was getting off the rim, it’s tough. Some of those were tough.”

“[We] gave up too many second chance points,” said Morant after Game 1 against the Warriors. “Gave up 26 — gave up 18 fast break points. Definitely not something we want to give up and play a factor in this game.”

“I feel like that’s where we kind of messed up,” Morant said about the long rebounds off three point shots. “Felt like we were running to the rim on their shots. There were some long rebounds, 50/50 balls we got to come up with this team. We can’t allow them second chances or any open looks and they pretty much made us pay for it.”

Win the paint battle 

The Grizzlies strive better when they are winning the points in the paint battle. Although they connected with more three-pointers than the Warriors, it may not be sustainable. Memphis led the league in paint scoring at 57.1; however, Golden State outmatched them in the paint by 12 points (56-44). Instead of seeking contested three-pointers, the Grizzlies should find their way inside if the shots are there. 

This can’t happen in Game 2, if so Memphis will be in some serious trouble. Morant led the league with 16.6 in the regular season and the Warriors baited him into shooting more threes. Morant went 4 of 11 from beyond the arch. Although Morant was successful in the paint, he shot 58.8 percent in that area. 

Jackson must remain available

JJJ was a one-man wrecking crew against the Warriors. “Whoever is there really — I work on my game enough to deal with anyone,” said Jackson on post mismatches. “So yeah, you want to seek out a mismatch but it’s just about getting to your spot, really. Do what you work on.”

However, availability is required. In the first round, JJJ averaged 4.9 fouls per game in the playoffs, with seven games in total. To have him available at all times will be beneficial to the Grizzlies on and off the court. In order for Memphis to advance to the Western Conference finals, JJJ will be a key player in that process. A big question going into Game 2 is whether or not he can equal his offensive output. Jackson had a true shooting percentage of 75.1 in Game 1. 

Better output from the bench 

After limited minutes in the first round, De’Anthony Melton returned to the lineup in Game 1 and made an immediate impact on both ends of the floor. We are so used to three or four guys off the bench that can score in double figures on any given night. 

“[Melton] was phenomenal, staying ready,” said Taylor Jenkins on Melton’s Game 1 performance. “Wasn’t really in the rotation at the tail end of the last series, but just have a lot of faith in him, what he’s been doing all season long, staying ready. He’s had a good regular season overall, but especially against the Warriors. He was a huge boost for us tonight. Good stuff defensively, but obviously his shot making, 50/50, winning plays throughout the game. He was great tonight.”

Tyus Jones hit some big shots in the series against Minnesota. His offense is needed for Game 2 and beyond. According to reports, Jones wasn’t happy with the bench’s performance.

Have fun

When the team is having fun, they click on all cylinders and demoralize their opponents. Instead of overthinking, they need to go out and play as freely as possible. Match the intensity of the Warriors while having fun. The team is great at supporting one another on and off the court. It will be crucial to have fun and play their game to secure the win inside FedExForum at 191 Beale Street.

Fans in attendance will receive an awesome Growl towel:

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports Uncategorized

Grizzlies Splash Past Warriors

Desmond Bane goes up for a jumper against the Warriors. (Photo cred: Memphis Grizzlies Twitter)

With a 123-95 win over the Golden State Warriors at FedexForum Monday night, the Memphis Grizzlies improved to 53-23 on the season. Memphis now has a five-game lead over the Warriors for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference with six games left in the regular season, and are primed to make noise in the 2022 NBA playoffs. The team currently is on a five-game winning streak.

The Grizzlies are 18-2 without All-Star guard Ja Morant this season. Onlookers outside of Memphis keep saying the team is better without Morant. Which is far from the truth. This is a complete team that has a great coaching staff, led by Taylor Jenkins.

Meanwhile, Morant doesn’t care about the noise. He supports his teammates and loves to see them shine. He’s the best player on the team, and his enthusiasm makes everyone better. 

The Grizzlies have been blowing teams out by large margins this season. In their four-game home stand, Memphis won by an average of 23.8 points, extending their home winning streak to a season-high eight games. Clinching the 2-seed in the Western Conference will give the Grizzlies home court advantage throughout most of the playoffs if the team makes a deep run. 

By the Numbers

Desmond Bane finished with 22 points and made 5-of-6 from beyond the arc. Bane has scored 20+ points in five consecutive games and tied the franchise record (Mike Miller and Jaren Jackson Jr.) with his 13th straight game with multiple 3-pointers made.

“You know, it all starts with our mentality,” Bane said about his team after the win.” Being aggressive but playing the right way, moving the ball. It’s everybody eats. I mean we got a bunch of dudes playing well right now and I think it’s because the ball is moving and everybody’s making their plays.”

Everyone has been eating for sure. 

De’Anthony Melton had 21 points as a reserve, and has averaged 20.6 points during the Grizzlies’ five-game winning streak. Melton also has broken franchise records in 3-point makes. The 23-year old made 5+ 3-pointers in four straight games and 4+ 3-pointers in five straight games. 

Oh and he can dunk too. 

Bane said he knew the Melton dunk would happen. He said, “He was doing it all day. I was making jokes in the locker room like, shoot threes, dunking on people getting steals. What’s next? You rapping? He does it all, so they call ‘Mr. Do Something’.”

Both Bane and Melton have been lights-out from three lately.

“We talked about it on the bench, when both of us are out there and we’re running — it’s tough, because if he’s bringing the ball up the floor, he’s a threat to shoot it,” Bane said about Melton’s hot shooting. “If I’m bringing the ball to floor, I’m a threat to shoot it, and we just kind of balance off each other and play off each other. He’s playing great basketball. I’m really happy for him. He’s put the work and put the time in and the results are showing.”

To round it out, Dillon Brooks ended with 21 points, 15 of which were in the second period, when Memphis outscored the Warriors 43-21. 

After the game, Brooks talked about the Grizzlies playing as a team. He said, “It’s great. (De’Anthony Melton) has always been a good shooter. His form looks like it’s perfect. And he’s finally getting arc on his shots so it’s just dropping in. And (Desmond Bane), both those guys work on their craft, come every single day with a positive attitude and work hard and you can see in the games it’s coming in fruition.

Brooks continued, “And we all tell both those guys keep shooting because they open up the floor for us and you get driving angles and able to work in space. So that’s where we’re built and it’s fun to play. It’s fun to watch as well. 

“We always get up for those games — the games like Indiana and like one of those trap games that, last year, we couldn’t get done,” the Oregon alum revealed about the four game home-stand. “This year, we’re finally growing and taking care of business. And like on our last road trip against Atlanta, we let one slip but then we come back on this home stand and not let the Indiana game slip, not the Milwaukee game slip, so it’s just coming in every single day — locked in and trying to get each other better, because we want to go into the playoffs with momentum.” 

Brooks said it’s difficult to enjoy the ride at the moment. “It’s very hard to because when you when you start talking about it, gets you relaxed. But it’s an amazing feeling, to keep making history, like Des getting the most 3-pointers in a season and (Steven Adams) the most (offensive) rebounds, it’s an amazing feeling to be a part of that. And then you keep winning and you make history in Memphis and it just goes to show that we’re here to build something great. Our fans see it and you can see — it’s getting thicker in there every single night and we play for our fans and especially [they] play for us as well.”

Who Got Next 

The Grizzlies head to San Antonio to take on Southwest Division rivals San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, March 30 at 7:30 p.m. CT.

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Desmond Bane Leads Grizzlies Over Pacers … Again

Desmond Bane (Photo credit: Memphis Grizzlies Twitter)

Another day, another Grizzlies win by 30 points against the Pacers, as Memphis’ team beat Indiana, 133-103. If it feels like we’ve been here before, it’s because we have.  

Let’s get into it.  

After meeting the Pacers on their home turf on March 15th, this time, the Grizzlies hosted the Pacers in the Grindhouse. Different arena, same outcome.  

Once again, the Grizzlies were without their star point guard Ja Morant. Once again, everyone on the squad stepped up, once again led by the offensive prowess of Desmond Bane.  

Memphis is two games into a four-game homestand and quickly approaching the end of the regular season. Thursday night’s victory clinched a playoff berth for the Grizzlies, who as of this moment are sitting comfortably in the second seed in the Western Conference.  

This victory is slightly overshadowed by the announcement that Morant will be sidelined for at least another two weeks. With just eight regular-season games remaining over the next two weeks, it seems unlikely Morant will return before the postseason.  

The Grizzlies have shown that this team is more than capable of holding their own without Morant during the regular season, and it is a testament to just how well constructed this roster is. But the playoffs are another thing entirely. 

By the Numbers:  

Desmond Bane led all scorers with 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists while shooting 12 of 15 overall and 5 of 7 from three-point range. Bane has also set a new franchise record for most three-pointers made in a season, passing Mike Miller’s 2006-2007 record of 203 three-pointers made.  

Jaren Jackson Jr. closed out with 20 points on the night, including shooting 4 of 7 from beyond the arc.  

De’Anthony Melton led the bench with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists while shooting 5 of 9 from distance. Mr. Do Something did a little of everything.  

John Konchar put together a solid game, finishing the night with 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists.  

Xavier Tillman also contributed double figures from the bench, finishing with 16 points and 5 rebounds.  

Who Got Next?  

The Grizzlies continue their homestand Saturday night when they face off against the reigning NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks. Tip-off is 7 p.m. CDT.  

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Win Thriller Against Wolves

Brandon Clarke versus the Timberwolves (Courtesy Memphis Grizzlies)

The Memphis Grizzlies appeared to be dead in the water at the FedExForum on Monday night, while the Minnesota Timberwolves looked to be in command, ahead by 16 in the fourth. A 14-point deficit loomed over the Grizzlies with less than five minutes remaining.

When it was all said and done, the Grizzlies emerged victorious in overtime, 125-118, over the Timberwolves. With the most recent victory, the Grizzlies have now beaten the Timberwolves seven times in a row.

After the game, Taylor Jenkins talked about his team’s perseverance. He said, “The positive vibes throughout, the guys knew that [it’s a] long game, we have more to give. They went on a crazy run there. We went cold, down 16 in the fourth quarter. Just to hear the guys saying there’s tons of time left, there’s six minutes left, 12 point game, we knock down these free throws — it’s a 10 point game. Just that confidence and you get the result.”

Jenkins added, “Some crazy plays down the stretch that forced it to overtime, that will really test your resolve and your spirit going into overtime with a momentum play like that, but we’re the ones that jump out to the lead in overtime. I think a couple quick buckets and then we just made the plays. Our guys were dialed in on the fly defensively, offensively. Tons of credit. Hopefully, this is something that we can build off of. Find consistency. There’s lots of different ways to win a game. This is an impressive one for sure.”

Brandon Clarke, who had been the odd man out of the Grizzlies rotation, played a critical part in their comeback win with his best game of the season.

Jenkins applauded Clarke’s crucial contribution off the bench. “I’ve definitely got to shout out Brandon Clarke — he’s been out of the rotation for a while,” Jenkins said. “He was huge tonight early in the game and then he’s out. And then when Jaren [Jackson Jr.] fouls out, still it had been a really long time since he had been in the game, and now he’s got to read and guard one-on-one and a couple big time tip-in plays. He was huge.”

In 24 minutes, Clarke led the bench with a season-high 20 points and nine rebounds. Clarke was thankful about his return to the lineup. “I am just glad that coach had trust in me,” he shared. “I have been working on my game every day and training. I have been ready every game, so I am just glad that coach had that trust. I am just glad that coach saw me working, and that he knew when he put me in the game I would be able to be me. It is really just me bringing my energy. That really makes me.”

Clarke admitted it was difficult being out of the rotation. “It was kind of hard mentally,” the 25-year old said. “It was harder last year when I wasn’t in the rotation, because that was the first time that happened to me. I learned from last year not to get down and I knew how fast things change. It was really early in the year, so I was never really down mentally. I wasn’t happy, but I was never down. I was always putting in the work, and I felt like whenever I was given the chance, that I would just try to make the best of it.”

Tidbits
Ja Morant continues to amazes. The 22-year-old finished with 33 points, eight assists, and six rebounds on 10-of-24 shooting. According to the Grizzlies, Morant now ranks fifth in the NBA, averaging 5.3 points per game in “clutch time.” Take a look at two clutch plays.

Move over Morant — De’Anthony Melton has hoops too.

Melton chipped in 19 points, three rebounds, and three assists while shooting 7-of-12 from the field.

The Grizzlies’ bench outscored the Minnesota Timberwolves’ bench 43-16 while shooting 61 percent from the field and 43 percent from beyond the arc.

The Timberwolves had three players with 20 plus points. D’Angelo Russell scored season-high 30 points adding seven assists and five rebounds. Anthony Edwards added 27 points with five rebounds and three steals, and Karl-Anthony Towns recorded a double-double by 25 points and grabbing 13 boards.

Up next
On Wednesday, the Grizzlies will face off against LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets at the FedExForum. Tip-off: 7 p.m. CT

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Ja Morant Pushes Grizzlies to Victory in Season Opener

Ja Morant in the air (Photo courtesy of the Memphis Grizzlies on Twitter)

Season openers are not too kind to the Memphis Grizzlies, however, Ja Morant took care of business on Wednesday night to lift the Grizzlies past the Cleveland Cavaliers, 132-121. Morant’s performance was so impressive at one point during the game, the crowd chanted, “MVP, MVP, MVP.”  The Murray State alum admitted he was a little distracted by the chant but knew he had to make his free throws.

Morant showed off his out-of-this world athleticism on both ends of the court during the game. Take a look:

Massive Block

The 22-year old was stunned on how high he went in the air for the block. After the game he said, “I did surprise myself on the block, though. The layup was kind of high. When I had seen the replay I had to duck my head a little bit. My main focus right now is to try to be more active on the defensive end, and I feel like we’re a better team when I’m locked in.”

Eye-popping Dunk

In 34 minutes, Morant led the Grizzlies with 37 points while going 17-of-29 from the field to go with six rebounds, six assists, and two blocks.

If Morant was Captain America during the season opener, then Desmond Bane and De’Anthony Melton were his Falcon and Winter Soldier. 

Bane put on a show with 22 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals. He’s playing with a lot of confidence and swagger that wasn’t seen in his rookie campaign. “Last year, I didn’t want anything to do with the paint,” Bane said after the victory over the Cavs. “I was strictly catch and shoot, getting out in transition every once in a while. Coach has given me more freedom. Darko [Rajakovic] and the whole staff, we worked tirelessly all offseason for positions like this and I feel comfortable for sure.”

“He’s in year three, I’m in year two. Hopefully, by year five or six, it will be something special,” Bane continued, touching on his connection with Morant. “Just keep chipping away and growing — both of us are obviously tireless workers. I think the chemistry will continue to grow. I’m looking forward to playing with him hopefully for a long time.”

The TCU alum went on to say, “He’s an electric athlete, and I can shoot threes. It takes a little pressure off of him and gives him space to work. When they decide to collapse, I’m there for an open look to shoot it, drive it, whatever. I think it’s a good fit.”

De’Anthony Melton knew what his responsibility was, and he didn’t disappoint. On his first start of the season, Melton said, “It felt great — my name was called and I knew the assignment. I knew go in, play my game, play hard, play defense, get stops and get out. I was just doing what I knew how to do.”

In his first start of the season, the California native finished with 20 points, four rebounds, and three assists. One of Melton’s assists was to Morant for a massive dunk. Melton spoke about a lob to Morant, saying, “I probably saw him around half. Once Ja starts full-speed sprinting, then you already know where he wants to go. I just threw it up there. If it didn’t get tipped, he was going to catch it. I just threw it high enough to where only he could get it. He did the rest with it.”

Tidbits

Morant shared a moment with Grizzlies legend Zach Randolph.

Jarrett Allen is a good basketball player and he still has a cool fro. Allen led Cleveland with 25 points while going a perfect 11-of-11 from the field. 

Up Next

They are going on a brutal four-game road trip out West. First up are the Clippers on Saturday night at 9:30 p.m. CT. 

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Strong Second Half Lifts Grizzlies Over Timberwolves

Grayson Allen and Ja Morant via Grizzlies Twitter

With a win 120-108 win at FedExForum over the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Grizzlies are back at .500 (23-23) for the season. After just leading by two at the half, Memphis outscored the Wolves by 10 points in the second half.

“It’s a good team win for us,” said Grizzlies guard Tyus Jones during media availability. “Everyone [was] contributing, everyone [was] playing really well, especially off the bench. That’s how we want to play and contribute to the game. That was good for us. It was a good team win from top to bottom. We’re happy with it.”

Game notes

1. Memphis moved to 12-14 at home this season. Memphis shot 48 percent from beyond the arc after going 19 of 39. Nine different Grizzlies players made a 3-point shot. 

2. Jonas Valanciunas led the Grizzlies with 19 points and 11 rebounds to record his 32nd double-double of the season. Valanciunas has had a double-double in nine straight games. 

3. Grayson Allen finished with 15 points while going 5-of-7 from the three-point line. It was the fifth time this season in which Allen converted on five or more three-point shots. 

4. The Grizzlies bench outscored the Timberwolves’ reserves 56-38. Memphis’ second unit had four players in double figures while Minnesota only one player in double figures off the bench. 

With 39.8 points per game, Memphis entered the night ranked third in the NBA in bench points, first in bench steals with 4.5, second in bench assists at 10.0, and fourth in bench 3-point percentage at nearly 40 percent. 

De’Anthony Melton had a solid night to lead the bench for Memphis. Mr. Do Something finished with 14 points (4-of-6 3P), four rebounds, three assists, and three steals in 24 minutes. Xavier Tillman chipped in 12 points and four rebounds. Brandon Clarke and Jones added 11 points each. 

5. The Wolves had three players in double figures. Karl-Anthony Towns led the way with 30 points and 16 rebounds. Rookie sensation Anthony Edwards added 22 points and six assists. As a reserve, Naz Reid chipped in 18 points and 5 rebounds as the Wolves dropped to 12-37 on the season. 

 Up Next

The Grizzlies head out for a four-game road trip starting Sunday to take on the Philadelphia 76ers.

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Rally Past Thunder to Win Three Straight

The Grizzlies have won three straight games after defeating the Thunder 116-107 Wednesday in Oklahoma City.

It took a massive third period for Memphis to take control of the game for good. Grizzlies outscored the Thunder 33-20 in that period — after giving up four straight turnovers.

Dillion Brooks led the way for Memphis with 25 points off 8 of 13 from the field and 8 of 9 at the charity stripe. The Grizzlies improved to 9-4 when Brooks scores 20 points or more this season.

Grayson Allen added 20 points and five rebounds. Allen shot 8 of 14 from the field and 4 of 9 from beyond the arc.

Meanwhile, Jonas Valanciunas chipped in 16 points and 15 rebounds to tally his 28th double double of the season as the Grizzlies improve to 21-20 for the year.

Off the bench, Brandon Clarke chipped in a near double-double with eight points and nine rebounds. Clarke was huge defensively with a career high five blocks plus two steals. Clarke became the third Grizzlies reserve in franchise history behind Stromile Swift and James Johnson to record 2+ steals and 5+ blocks.

Mr. Do Something, De’Anthony Melton finished with 14 points while shooting 4 of 6 three-pointer as a reserve.

The Thunder had seven players in double figures. Moses Brown led OKC with 19 points and 12 rebounds as a reserve. Lu Dort finished with 14 points, three rebounds and three assists as the Thunder fall to 19-25 for the season.

Up Next

The Grizzlies play back to back against the Jazz in Utah, Friday and Saturday night.

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports Uncategorized

Grit ‘n Grind Returns to Memphis

Grizzlies Twitter

For one night only, the Grit ‘n Grind Grizzlies made an appearance at the FedExForum on Wednesday with a 89-85 win against the Miami Heat.

When asked if it gave him pride to win in an old school style, Ja Morant said with a smile, “Hell yeah. Simple as that.”

Miami shot just 36 percent of its shots while Memphis only went 35.3 percent from the field. This was definitely a mud game. Grizzlies fans remember those so well.

After the game Taylor Jenkins said of the win, “This was probably one of the gutsiest wins I can recall in my time here, definitely this season. This was a heck of a game.”

Jenkins added, “To come away 89-85 and hold them to mid-30’s shooting, limiting some of their best players, I give our guys a lot of credit to just stick with it. That’s why it’s gutsy.”

The last time the Grizzlies and their opponents scored under 90 points was on Nov. 7, 2018 when Memphis defeated Denver 89-87.

Memphis managed to get their defensive mojo back after the last two opponents were lights-out with the three-ball. The Grizzlies’ defense had been nonexistent in consecutive games, giving up a combined 28 three-pointers in the last two losses against Oklahoma City and Phoenix.

With 1.2 seconds remaining in regulation, Morant went coast to coast and finished with a driving left handed finger roll layup off the backboard to give the Grizzlies the lead for good.

“Go get a bucket, simple as that,” Morant said in the postgame interview with Rob Fischer about his game winning bucket. “I live for those moments and I want that pressure.

During the postgame Zoom availability, Morant proclaimed, “When in doubt, ‘Call 12.'”

The Grizzlies star guard finished the game with 13 points, six assists and four rebounds in 36 minutes of action. Kyle Anderson also chipped in 13 points and five rebounds while going 4 of 9 from the field.

In 23 minutes off the bench, De’Anthony Melton secured a double-double with 13 points, a career-high 10 rebounds, six assists, and two steals.

“Coach (Taylor Jenkins) said before the game that we were going to go with a smaller lineup,” Melton stated after the game. “He wanted all of the guards to get in there and rebound and scrap. I think that’s what we emphasized today, just limiting them to one or two shots and just getting out and running. We’re one of the better pace teams, so we just want to get out there and just keep going and keep attacking them to see how they react to that.”

With the win, Memphis moved to 18-19 on the season after dropping three straight games.

Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 24 points and seven rebounds. Bam Adebayo had 15 points (5-11 FG), 12 rebounds, six assists, and one steal in 35 minutes as the Suns dropped to 22-19 for the season.

Memphis’ own Precious Achiuwa made his first appearance at the FedExForum since being drafted by the Heat in 2020. Achiuwa finished with two points and five rebounds in 10 minutes of play as a reserve.

Up Next

The Grizzlies will host a back-to-back home-stand against the Golden State Warriors on Friday and Saturday.

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Brooks, Clarke Help Grizzlies Pull Past Brooklyn

The Grizzlies (3–6) were able to secure their first home win of the season after defeating the Brooklyn Nets (5–5), 115–110 on Friday night. Memphis finished the game shooting 45.9 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from three. The Grizzlies take the season series 2-0. 

Dillion Brooks led the Grizzlies with a season-high 24 points, while going 10-of-19 from the field. Memphis is now 3–0 this season when Brooks scores 20 or more points and 23–6 going back to last season.

Brooks, Clarke Help Grizzlies Pull Past Brooklyn (3)

Brandon Clarke arguably had his best performance of the season after struggling in previous games. Clarke finished with a season-high 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and two blocks in 33 minutes. After the game, Clarke said, “It was hurting, obviously losing those games ’cause we all just really really want to win  —  we got a bunch of winners, so it just feels really good to get that first game at home.”

Tyus Jones recorded his second double-double of the season with 11 points, 10 assists, and a team-high four steals. Meanwhile, De’Anthony Melton led the bench with 14 points, five rebounds, one block, and one steal.

Brooks, Clarke Help Grizzlies Pull Past Brooklyn

Brooks, Clarke Help Grizzlies Pull Past Brooklyn (2)

Caris LeVert led the Nets with a game-high 43 points, five rebounds, and six assists on the night. Taurean Prince chipped in 16 points and four rebounds, while Joe Harris added 13 points while going 6-of-9 from the field as a reserve in 28 minutes of play for Brooklyn.

Notes

It was announced at halftime that Grizzlies center Jonas Valanciunas wouldn’t return to the game due to health and safety protocols.

“As soon as we got the notification in conversations with the league, we had to pull him from the game out of an abundance of caution and put him into the Health and Safety Protocols,” said Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins. “The big thing is he’s not (tested) positive, but it’s an abundance of caution.”

Up Next

The Grizzlies will head to Cleveland to seek revenge against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, Jan 11. Tip-off starts at 6 pm CST.

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Shade Suns in Phoenix

CREDIT: Screen shot

A resilient Grizzlies team went into Phoenix on Wednesday night and came away with its second consecutive road victory, beating the Suns 115-108. The team hadn’t won consecutive games in almost a month. 

Screen shot

Ja Morant posterizes Aron Baynes. (see video below)

Dillon Brooks and Jaren Jackson, Jr. led the Grizzlies, who ended a 10-day road trip with the win. The Grizzlies (8-16) are now three games behind the Suns (11-13) for the eight spot in the Western Conference.

Brooks went 10-of-18 from the stripe, finishing with a game-high 27 points, plus two steals. Memphis is 6-0 this season when Brooks scores 20 or more points.

After the game, Brooks said, “We were taking it personally. They beat us at our house and we wanted to beat them in their crib and we were just guarding our ass off. We made the necessary plays. We went to the line and shot free throws and we didn’t back down. We guarded and rebounded.”

Grizzlies Shade Suns in Phoenix (4)

Jaren Jackson, Jr. added 24 points, six rebounds, and four assists, including 10-of-18 from the field, with three three-pointers and several strong finishes in the paint. Like the one below.

Grizzlies Shade Suns in Phoenix (2)

De’Anthony Melton, who came into his own after Morant missed four games due to back soreness, continued to make good use of his extended playing time off the bench. He finished the night with nine points, six rebounds, and a +22 in 19 minutes of play. 

Grizzlies Shade Suns in Phoenix (5)

Brandon Clarke returned to action after a four-game absence due to a sore left oblique. He led the bench unit with 15 points, seven rebounds, and two blocked shots in 22 minutes of action. Clarke still continues to be incredibly efficient, going 5-of-6 on the night, with 2-of-2 from three. Grizzlies fans should expect more from the Melton and Clarke duo. 

Grizzlies Shade Suns in Phoenix (3)

In 32 minutes, Jae Crowder stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and two steals

Frank Kaminsky led the Suns with 24 points (season-high) and five rebounds while Ricky Rubio added 22 points and a game-high eight assists.

HOLY SH*T JA MORANT
Ja Morant has become a human highlight reel in his young NBA career. Mr. Fourth Quarter has had mind-blowing, jaw-dropping plays in nearly every game he has played this season. And Wednesday night in Phoenix was no exception.

Morant posterized Aron Baynes with a vicious dunk that brought #NBATwitter to life. It was the second time Morant has posterized Baynes. There aren’t enough superlatives to describe this nasty dunk.

Morant talked about the dunk after the game. He said, “That’s my game — I’m going to try to finish every time. The first time was an and-1, the second one was a dunk.” He says it felt good. See it below.

Morant added, “I feel like everybody knows that’s my game. To go to the rack with force and try to finish the play aggressive, and I was able to get one tonight. They (the bench) was just laughing, (saying) “It took you two months to get one.” They were just excited and it just shows the type of team we have.”

Brooks was ecstatic about the dunk. “Oh my gosh, I was screaming, Brooks proclaimed. “That’s how electric he (Morant) is — he’s a special player. If he’s having a tough game or whatever he finds a way to electrify the game to put us over the top.”

Grizzlies Shade Suns in Phoenix

Grizzlies Shade Suns in Phoenix (6)

Morant finished the game with 13 points, nine of which were scored in the final period with the game on the line. 


What They Said!!
Taylor Jenkins, Grizzlies Head Coach
On the game:

“Unbelievable effort by our guys tonight, two nights in a row. You could maybe chalk this up to being another complete game for us. The Suns went out and got a couple early runs on us; we were a little too casual. But when we locked in, our guys were really good defensively. A team that’s been killing it on the boards and second-chance points, we just outrebounded them with all their crashers and athletic guys going in there. That was huge for us. Great job.”

Jenkins continued: “Multiple guys guarded Devin Booker; Kaminsky got hot early, but we changed up some matchups and some coverages and I thought our guys handled that great. Offensively, as we have been talking about all season long, when teams go on runs against us, continue to trust the offense. There were a couple of moments there when we forced some things, but the ball kept moving around, some big plays down the stretch.

“One sequence I have to mention: they have a fast break play; we have two guys go in and I think De’Anthony (Melton), Brandon (Clarke) block the shot, we go down to the other end, we get a tip-in off an offensive rebound. Plays like that. There’s more of them throughout the game, but that one sticks out. The bench was huge for us tonight. Just credit to our guys going out getting two big wins to finish this road trip. These games are always hard at the end of a road trip. Proud of our guys’ effort tonight.”

Up Next

The Grizzlies return home to Memphis to host Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night at FedExForum. Antetokounmpo missed Wednesday night’s contest against the New Orleans Pelicans due to right quad tendon soreness. The Bucks extended their winning streak to 16 games against the Pelicans. It is unclear Antetokounmpo will be available to play in Friday’s game.