Tag: Dillon Brooks

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Grizzlies Hold Off Cleveland for Seventh Straight Victory

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

The Memphis Grizzlies knocked off the Cleveland Cavaliers 113–109 on Friday night at FedExForum to extend their winning streak to seven straight games. The last time Memphis won seven consecutive games was in the 2014–2015 season. The Grizzlies now have the longest active winning streak in the NBA. 

Lawrence Kuzniewski

Dillon Brooks

The Grizzlies are now 20–22 on the season and in the eighth spot in the Western Conference. Memphis is three games back of the 7th seed held by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Memphis is 14–6 in their last 20 games, after starting the season 6–16.

Dillon Brooks was the catalyst for this team’s victory. The Grizzlies are 13–0 when Brooks scores 20 or more points this season. Brooks led Memphis with 26 points (9–16 FG, 4–7 3P). The Oregon product has connected on multiple 3-pointers in eight of the last nine games. “This is the longest winning streak I’ve ever been on since I got here,” Brooks said after the game. “Jaren [Jackson, Jr,] and I were just talking, and I was telling him ‘That’s the longest streak I’ve ever been on.’ And he was telling me, like, ‘You’ve seen it all.’ Like I told him, the longest streak I’d been on was like three games. I’ve seen this group grow from when I first got here, seeing the fans coming to the arena more, and it’s a great feeling, makes you want to play harder every time out.”

“It can become great,” said Brooks about the team’s growth. “Even with some guys with foul trouble, guys can pick up the load. Every time, it comes to guys like Melt [De’Anthony Melton], Grayson [Allen], Tyus [Jones], Kyle [Anderson]. Those guys are always ready, even when guys like me or Jaren are in foul trouble. Guys are ready to step up.”

Grizzlies Hold Off Cleveland for Seventh Straight Victory

The anticipated Rookie of the year, Ja Morant, was sensational once again. In 33 minutes, Morant finished with 16 points, 7-of-14 from the field, eight assists, five rebounds, and three steals. Before the game, Morant was awarded his second Kia NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month award for the month of December. More than a thousand fans from his alma mater, Murray State, were at the game.   

Grizzlies Hold Off Cleveland for Seventh Straight Victory (2)

Grizzlies Hold Off Cleveland for Seventh Straight Victory (4)

Grizzlies Hold Off Cleveland for Seventh Straight Victory (3)

Brandon Clarke was a spark off the bench with 15 points, three assists, and two rebounds while going 6 of 8 from the field. Meanwhile, Grayson Allen added 11 points and two assists on 5-of-6 shooting as a reserve. 

Grizzlies Hold Off Cleveland for Seventh Straight Victory (5)


The Other Guys
Cleveland was led by Collin Sexton, who finished with 28 points (11-of-25 shooting), plus six assists and four rebounds. Kevin Love added 19 points to go with nine rebounds and two assists. Love was limited to 0-of-6 from three. Larry Nance Jr. added 16 points, six rebounds, and two steals on 7-of-8 shooting as a reserve. Alfonzo McKinnie garnered a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds off the bench for Cleveland. 

Tony Allen

Larry Kuzniewski

Tony Allen is one of the Griz veterans whose future has yet to be decided.

Before the game, Coach Taylor Jenkins confirmed that former Grizzlies guard Tony Allen is now a player development coach for the Memphis Hustle. Jenkins’ statement:

“I am super excited. At the start of the year, Tony came to us and talked about his passion for the organization. When we sat down and he talked about how much he could not wait to get back, we tried to find a good opportunity. It took us some time to figure out what would make sense. Allowing him to dive into player development, which he is passionate about, we thought the Memphis Hustle would be a good avenue for him. He knows the game. He loves the game. We think he will be a great teacher of the game with the things that he does on his own. But to give back to the team that meant so much to him, it is going to be awesome to have him in the fold.”

Who Got Next
The Grizzlies will host the New Orleans Pelicans on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day for a 4 p.m. tip. It will be broadcast regionally on FOX Sports Southeast and nationally on TNT. The game’s 15th annual Sports Legacy Award recipients will be former WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes, former NBA stars Robert Parish and Caron Butler, and former NFL quarterback Doug Williams.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Thump Timberwolves; Sweep Season Series

Dillon Brooks (Credit: Lawrence Kuzniewski)

After a sluggish start, the Grizzlies overcame their largest deficit of the season with a win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, 119–112, at FedExForum Tuesday. The Grizzlies have won three in a row and improved to 16–22 on the season. 

Lawrence Kuzniewski

Dillon Brooks

The Grizzlies have scored 110 or more points in nine straight games, marking the longest such streak in franchise history and the longest active streak in the NBA.

“What a game; obviously a great comeback win for us,” Memphis Grizzlies Head Coach Jenkins said about his team’s fourth-quarter comeback. “Didn’t start off with the edge that we needed to [have], which we had seen the last couple of games. Defense wasn’t there pretty much in the first half, maybe even until the start of the second half, but we just found a way, picked it up. To end up with 12 steals, six blocked shots — obviously Jae [Crowder] set the tone for us with five steals. JJ [Jaren Jackson Jr.] continuing to block shots, three blocks. You go down the whole roster: starters, guys off the bench, [all with] three, four-plus rebounds. Obviously we started making some shots in that second half.”

Jenkins added, “I told the guys, ‘You know, they’re playing great in the first half, we just didn’t have it in the first half. We’re down five — we’ve got to pick up our urgency, pick up our aggressiveness on the defensive end.’ They’re hitting some good shots, they’re hitting some tough shots. Found a way to just get some more impactful plays on the defensive end. Just a huge run there in the fourth quarter. Obviously winning the third quarter was huge, being [that we were] down at halftime. One of our better come-from-behind wins this season. We talked about before the game [about] getting back in front of our home fans, about how the building was rocking in that fourth quarter. It wasn’t just the made shots.”

“When JJ hit that big three[-pointer], the crowd erupts, they call timeout,” Jenkins went on to say about his team’s late-game heroics. “But you could just sense our crowd just continue to stay behind us all game, especially when we were getting some big stops. The Timberwolves gave us a heck of a game for 48 minutes, it came down to the wire. Proud of the execution in that fourth quarter against some different coverages. Ja [Morant] with some big plays, JJ with some big plays, other guys with some big plays, really stepping up as well.”

Memphis recorded its 13th game this season with at least 60 paint points. The team leads the league in points in the paint per game. 

“They are a team that plays with confidence, no matter of being up, being down — I give them credit,” Timberwolves coach Ryan Saunders said about the Grizzlies’ fourth-quarter push. “I think Taylor [Jenkins] is a very good coach too. I give that staff credit for having them ready and keeping them in. They got physical with us offensively and defensively, I thought. We just didn’t do a good job coming up with defensive rebounds,as well.”

The Grizzlies are 10–0 this season when third-year guard Dillon Brooks scores 20-or-more points. Brooks led the way for the Grizzlies with 28 points off of 11-of-20 from the field and 2-of-4 from deep to go along with three rebounds and a steal. 

During their three-game sweep of the Timberwolves this season, the former Oregon standout has averaged 28.3 points, while shooting 53.7 percent from the floor and 68.8 percent from deep.

Jaren Jackson Jr. became the first player in NBA history to record at least three 3-pointers and three blocks in three straight games. Jackson ended the night with 21 points and seven rebounds, along with those three blocks. Jackson began the final period 1 of 7 from the three point line, but went 3 for 3 in the fourth period, including 2 clutch threes to seal the victory. The Michigan alum has now made multiple three-pointers in 10 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in Grizzlies franchise history 

“We had to lock in and make sure we went out in the second half, brought some more energy,” said rookie guard Ja Morant. “Like Jae [Crowder] started back for us, layups, got us going a little bit. We had to ramp it up even more, get some stops to be able to come out with a win.” Morant finished the game with 25 points (12–18 FG), seven assists, and four rebounds. This marked Morant’s 15th game with at least 20 points and five assists (tied for seventh-most in the Western Conference).

Crowder tallied 14 points, eight rebounds, and a career-high-tying five steals. Crowder tied for the most steals from any Grizzlies player this season. Morant had 5 steals on November 23 against the Lakers.

De’Anthony Melton chipped in six points, four rebounds, and an assist off the bench for Memphis. Melton now has a +76 plus-minus in 132 minutes over his last seven games, including a +24 in 21 minutes in the win over the Timberwolves.


The Other Guys

Jarrett Culver had a career night for the Timberwolves as he finished with a season-high 24 points (8–11 FG, 3–5 3P) along with five rebounds and two steals. Jeff Teague had 18 points, six assists, and two steals in 29 minutes off the bench. Robert Covington added 17 points, six rebounds, and two assists. Andrew Wiggins tallied 15 points, four rebounds, and two assists as Minnesota dropped to 14–22 on the season.

Quotes from Grizzlies veteran forward Jae Crowder

On getting a win after a long road trip:

“Me being in the league this long, I’ve realized that when you come off a West Coast road trip like that, usually, probably 75-80 percent of the time you lose that game. That’s a tough game to play, the first one back home, fresh off a road trip. We dug in deep and found a way and got a win today on our home court.”

On beating Minnesota:

“It speaks volumes to our growth. I think we’ve done a good job of growing each and every game — win, lose or draw. We’re doing a good job of watching film, trying to get better, trying to make the right plays on both ends of the court. I think all our guys are on the same page, more times than not, when we’re on the court and that’s a sign of a good team, a good team growing and trying to do the right thing.”

On how habits and attitudes have changed over the last two weeks:

“Our guys are just on the same page. We’re trying to buy into the team. Obviously, there’s a lot of different ages on our team, so we’re just trying to come together, continue to grow from each and every game, and continue to learn.”

On if there’s anything holding the Grizzlies back from being a playoff-caliber team:

“We’re going to take it one game at a time. A young team, I don’t want to get too excited. Obviously, we’re right there where we need to be to gain ground in the playoffs, but we have to take it one game at a time. We did a good job on our road trip, taking it one game at a time, bouncing back from a tough loss in Sacramento and winning the last two. We have a good stretch at home, so hopefully we’ll take it one game at a time and see where we fall.”

On being a veteran:

“I’ve been in this situation before. Obviously, our team was counted out and we’re surprising people with wins here lately. I really feel like that’s the message we should preach, is to just take it one game at a time and let the chips fall where they fall.”

On surprising teams:

“I’ve been the underdog my whole life, so I’m in familiar territory here. I’ve not been a high draft pick or nothing like that. I’m just a guy who comes to work each and every day. I think our team has taken on that identity. We’re not buying into the hype of the media. Obviously, we got counted out early as not a playoff team, but you’ve got to play basketball in this league and that’s what we’ve been doing. We’re trying to get better each and every night.”

Up Next

The Grizzlies continue their home-stand against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night at FedExForum. The Grizzlies are only a half-game back of the Spurs in the Western Conference for the eighth playoff spot. Tip off is at 7 pm CST. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Amid Second Half Woes, Grizzlies Fall to Thunder 126-122

The Grizzlies’ loss to Oklahoma City Wednesday night was easily the most frustrating loss of the season, and unfortunately, it overshadowed the best game of Brandon Clarke’s young NBA career.

Props to OKC because they clearly just wanted this win more, coming back from a 24-point deficit and wearing the Grizzlies down, to take a 126-122 win in Oklahoma City.

The Thunder also had an unexpected X factor — Dennis Schroder, who led all scorers with 31 points, 22 of which came in the second half.


By the numbers:

    *      Brandon Clarke finished the night with a career-high 27 points, 7 rebounds.

  • Jonas Valanciunas had another monster game offensively, with 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists. 
  • Ja Morant scored 22 points, along with 5 rebounds and 7 assists. 
  • Dillon Brooks finished with 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists, shooting 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. 


What went wrong?

While the Grizzlies have notably struggled during 3rd quarters this season, it was in the 4th quarter where the proverbial wheels fell completely off Wednesday night. Things started going downhill towards the end of the 3rd quarter, when the Thunder went on a 19-5 run, capped off with a buzzer-beater by guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder followed that up by outscoring the Grizzlies by 11 points in the 4th quarter.

A few more of the factors that contributed to this dumpster fire of a loss:

  • Turnovers, foul trouble, and free throws.
  • Eight Grizzlies turnovers in the 4th quarter led to 10 points for the Thunder.
    Meanwhile, the Grizzlies only managed to score two points off of four OKC turnovers.
  • Memphis getting into the penalty with five minutes left in the game.
  • OKC shot and made ten free throws in the 4th; Memphis made 2-of-4 free throws.
  • Jaren Jackson Jr. In foul trouble and benched two minutes into the 4th quarter.
  • Ja Morant missing two critical free throws with 1:19 remaining in the game.
  • Poor coaching decisions through the final 10 minutes of the game.

The foul call against Jaren Jackson Jr. at the 10:12 mark should have been contested by Coach Taylor Jenkins. Jackson was called for his 5th personal foul against Thunder center Steven Adams, even though the replay video appeared to show Adams tripping over his own foot.

This is exactly the sort of play where the coach’s challenge should have been utilized. If not on that one, certainly on another bad call on ball possession at the 9:02 mark, which allowed OKC an extra possession which led to a field goal.

Understandably, Jackson was subbed out for Jonas Valanciunas after that 5th personal foul, but it made absolutely zero sense for him to sit the entire rest of the game. There is no universe in which Solomon Hill should be on the floor in a close game situation while Jackson still has one foul remaining.

Let’s hope this was a learning experience for Jenkins as well as the team.

Who Got Next?

The Grizzlies are headed to Cleveland to face off against the Cavaliers Friday, December 20th, at 6 p.m. CST.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Quarter Season Progress Report, Part Two: Hope on Board

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

Larry Kuzniewski

Jae Crowder

This is part two of a three-part series of player progress reports from the first quarter of the season. You can read part one here.

Dillon Brooks – So far Brooks appears to have bounced back well after missing most of last season due to injury. He’s had some tremendous shooting games, and the Grizzlies are undefeated this season when Brooks scores 20 or more points. These are all good things and should be celebrated as such. However, inconsistency in scoring is still an issue with Brooks, as is the number of fouls he’s amassing. None of this is so dire as to make him a liability, at least not yet. His potential far outweighs his shortcomings. B  

 

Jae Crowder – Crowder has been the face of veteran leadership for the Grizzlies, in addition to playing the largest number of minutes of any player on the roster. He does a lot of things well, better than perhaps was expected. Even on the nights that he’s not producing a ton of points, he’s obviously putting in a lot of effort in other ways. His game-winning bucket against the Brooklyn Nets brought the Grizzlies their first victory of the season, and it was just his second made shot of the game. Crowder also has the second-highest number of rebounds for the Grizzlies this season and the third-highest number of assists. Bossman, indeed. A

 

Solomon Hill – Any evaluation of Hill must also come with the knowledge that his arrival in the Bluff City facilitated the departure of Chandler Parsons and his albatross of a contract. For that alone, I’m willing to give him a key to the city. On a team as young and green as the Grizzlies are currently, there is value in having experienced players on the roster. As it stands, Hill has outperformed expectations and offered real contributions on the court. All in all, the Grizzlies are getting more from Hill than just salary cap relief. Given the context in which he was acquired, any actual basketball accomplishments are a bonus. B 

Jonas Valanciunas – The Lithuanian big man is the sole remaining player acquired from the trade that sent Marc Gasol to Toronto last year. Valanciunas has been the picture of doing more with less for the Grizzlies this season. His minutes per game are lower than they were last year after he joined the Grizzlies, but his shooting percentages are higher. As the team’s primary rebounder, I would like to see Valanciunas having more double-digit rebound games. But for a team in the earliest stages of a rebuild, with a new coach and multiple inexperienced players, the Grizzlies are getting their money’s worth out of him so far this season. A

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Grizzlies Trounce Wizards, Break Home Losing Streak

CREDIT: via Memphis Grizzlies twitter

via Memphis Grizzlies twitter

Brandon Clarke posterizes Ian Mahinmi


Coming on the heels of a disappointing loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Grizzlies roared back with a 128-111 victory against the Washington Wizards Saturday night. The win also snapped a 7-game losing streak on their home court.

#GrzNxtGen: The Future is Bright

Saturday night’s game against the Wizards was a glimpse into the future of the franchise, and a young core who are still a long way from their respective ceilings. Even beloved former Grizzlies legend Tony Allen, aka the Grindfather, has taken notice:

Grizzlies Trounce Wizards, Break Home Losing Streak (3)


Dillon Brooks led the Grizzlies in scoring with a team-high 29 points, but arguably the most outstanding performance of the night came from rookie forward Brandon Clarke.

Clarke scored a career-high 25 points, shooting 11-of-14 from the floor, while also providing some absolute gems for a highlight reel, including this play in the 2nd quarter where Clarke put Wizards center Ian Mahinmi on a poster.

Grizzlies Trounce Wizards, Break Home Losing Streak (7)

Grizzlies Trounce Wizards, Break Home Losing Streak (2)

Jaren Jackson Jr. closed out the night with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Ja Morant finished with 18 points and 5 assists, on 5-of-11 shooting. 

 

Jae Crowder was benched for the night with a sore left ankle, so Kyle Anderson took on the role of starting small forward in his stead. Scoring just two points, Anderson’s personal offensive contribution was minimal, but he still made his presence felt with five rebounds and five assists. One such assist led to this amazing dunk from Brandon Clarke.

Grizzlies Trounce Wizards, Break Home Losing Streak (5)

 

Bench Mob:

The Grizzlies second unit tallied 59 points on the night while shooting 23-35 from the floor and 6-of-12 from three. The 59 points put up by the bench marks a new season-high.

Solomon Hill continued to provide help off the bench, finishing the night with 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc. 

De’Anthony Melton closed out with 7 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists, and backup guard Tyus Jones ended the night with 9 points and a game-high 9 assists.  

 

History Made:

Saturday marked the first time in NBA history that two Japanese-born players (Memphis’ Yuta Watanabe and Washington’s Rui Hachimura) faced off in an NBA regular-season game. Watanabe and Hachimura are the second and third Japanese natives, respectively, to play in the NBA. 

Grizzlies Trounce Wizards, Break Home Losing Streak

Who Got Next?

The Grizzlies will face off against the Miami Heat on Monday night, closing out this three-game homestand.

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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. 

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‘Funky Lineups’ Help Grizzlies End 6-Game Losing Streak

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

The Grizzlies ended their six-game losing streak against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday afternoon, 115–107. Unlikely heroes emerged for the team, which played without Ja Morant (back soreness), Kyle Anderson (heel soreness) and big man Jonas Valanciunas (illness). To make matters worse, Brandon Clarke also left the game with an aggravated hip injury. 

Larry Kuzniewski

Dillon Brooks

Taylor Jenkins had clear instructions for his short-handed team on the road: “I hit the guys with a simple message that we were going to have some funky lineups up there and I just need guys going up there and competing,” he said. “That’s what we’re all about and that’s what we need to get back to and I’m super proud of them. To come out here against a playoff team, with a high level back-and-forth for our guys to dig down for 48 minutes it created energy for us and that’s the positive spirit we need to have, win or lose and to come out on top of that, cements the recipe we’re talking about.”

Larry Kuzniewski

Dillon Brooks, Taylor Jenkins

Jenkins continued, “Our bench was huge for us today and we got that production from our starters and our bench not just on the offensive side but our defense was amazing and it was a great team effort and these guys deserved it.”

Dillon Brooks led the Grizzlies with 26 points, going 4-of-5 from the three-point line.
When Brooks scores 20 or more points, this team usually wins. “We just found a way and figured it out, said Brooks of winning on the road. “It started with our defense and then we translated into our offense.”

‘Funky Lineups’ Help Grizzlies End 6-Game Losing Streak

Bruno Caboclo and De’Anthony Melton played significant minutes to help their team secure the victory. Caboclo added 12 points and 13 rebounds in 29 minutes for his first double-double of the season. With 12 pts and 10 rebounds in the 2nd half, Caboclo became the first reserve to post a double-double in a single half since Zach Randolph in 2016. Melton ended the game with nine points, a team-high eight assists, seven rebounds, and two steals in 23 minutes.

‘Funky Lineups’ Help Grizzlies End 6-Game Losing Streak (4)

‘Funky Lineups’ Help Grizzlies End 6-Game Losing Streak (3)

Notes

‘Funky Lineups’ Help Grizzlies End 6-Game Losing Streak (2)

In his first game back in Minnesota, Tyus Jones ended with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting, four rebounds, and seven assists.

“We did whatever we had to get a win at this point — and stop the losing streak we had been on, said Jones.” We corrected what needed to be corrected and it says a lot about this team and how we are able to stick with it. We came on the road here and beat a good team.”

Grayson Allen had a good game off the bench with 13 points on 4-of-9 from the field and 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. Allen also grabbed five rebounds.

For just the third time this season the Grizzlies outscored an opponent in the third period, 38-32. Jones said it was their focus to have a big third quarter. He said, “We talked about it at half-time and we wanted to come out and not let them go on a run and not let the third quarter be the difference in a negative way and let it be a positive for us.”

Solomon Hill tallied 11 points and five rebounds. Hill finished with a game high +22.

Karl-Anthony Towns was held to 7-of-21 from the field. He ended the game with 21 points and 12 rebounds. It was his 15th double-double of the season.

Quotables
Taylor Jenkins, Grizzlies head coach

On what it was that resulted in a strong second half…

“I think we let it slip away in the second quarter. We didn’t get a bucket, they would score, we turned it over and our guys were pissed off. They realized we had this lead on the road and we needed to go win a ball game and they kept their spirits up. They recognized that wasn’t good enough to finish, let’s come out the second half with our foot on the gas pedal and they started it with defense. It was a back and forth game but our guys had that mentality and broke through with the right stops, execution, and effort.”

Dillon Brooks, Grizzlies guard
On using unfamiliar lineups, but having success…

“We practice and we practice hard. Everyone’s focused, everyone knows the plays. Everyone is professional and is ready to contribute when their time comes. With Ja [Morant] out, Brandon [Clarke] out, Kyle [Anderson] out, and JV [Jonas Valanciunas], guys stepped up.”

On how the team defended Karl-Anthony Towns…

“We pressured the heck out of him, we didn’t want him getting to his spots. We just contested every single three he had. You know, he shot 1-for-10, that was great. A tribute to Jaren [Jackson]’s contests, Bruno [Caboclo]’s contests and just playing physical with him.”

Up Next
The Grizzlies return home to host the Indiana Pacers at FedExForum on Monday. Tip-off at 7 p.m. CST. 

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Grizzlies Lose First Home Game to Utah Jazz 96 – 88

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

The Grizzlies hosted the Utah Jazz at FedExForum Monday night, where Memphis had been undefeated for the first five home games of the season. It was the third matchup between the Jazz and Grizzlies, with Memphis winning the first two.

Memphis entered the night having played their most exciting home game thus far with Saturday’s Wrestling Night win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Mike Conley’s shooting bounced back in a major way (32 points on 12-24 shooting, 4-8 from deep).
Larry Kuzniewski

The win against Philly was a trademark Grizzlies nail-biter, with Memphis coming back late, and winning by 6 in overtime. Unfortunately, they lost Dillon Brooks to a freak injury that will leave him sidelined 6-8 weeks with a Grade 2 MCL sprain.

The Grizzlies started Monday night’s game in a stupor, playing sloppy on defense and shooting poorly (1-9) from the field, and stumbling out of the gate. Meanwhile, the Jazz got a Thanksgiving spread’s worth of open looks from three in the opening period, but only converted on four of 12.

Larry Kuzniewski

The Grizzlies defense stabilized, however, holding the Jazz to 36 percent FG shooting for the half, and Memphis was able to claw ahead midway through the second quarter to head into halftime with a 43-40 lead.

Mike Conley and Marc Gasol led the way in scoring for the Grizzlies in the first half, pouring in 16 points. Despite missing Dillon Brooks’ punch on both sides of the ball, the Grizzlies bench contributed 14 points in the half between Wayne Selden, Shelvin Mack, and MarShon Brooks. Surprisingly, Jaren Jackson led all Grizzlies in assists with 3 dimes in the half, and Memphis crushed the Jazz in the paint, 28-14.

Things were pretty much the same after halftime, with both teams struggling to score in a brawling defensive matchup. Both the Jazz and Grizzlies remained very much in the mud.

Grizzlies Lose First Home Game to Utah Jazz 96 – 88 (2)

One notable defensive stop (that featured two new Grizzlies) happened when Donovan Mitchell drove to the hoop and Garrett Temple kept his position between Mitchell and the basket, and guided Mitchell right into a Jackson weak-side block.

Speaking of Jaren Jackson, his defensive impact was felt throughout the game, and he avoided foul trouble (earning his first personal with 5:59 left to go in the third quarter). Moreover, he notched his first NBA career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Strangely, he only played 25 minutes, though he finished with 3 fouls, and wasn’t on the court at the end of the game.
Larry Kuzniewski

The Grizzlies tied the Jazz at 62 with about 3 minutes left in the third, but Utah pulled ahead and didn’t relinquish the lead. Memphis kept the game within striking distance until late in the fourth, and looked like they might make another late comeback, but couldn’t hit enough shots (especially from deep).

Grizzlies Lose First Home Game to Utah Jazz 96 – 88 (4)

Defense was the star of the matchup tonight, with Gasol continuing to helm the Grizzlies on that end of the floor in Defensive Player of the Year fashion. Unfortunately, Rudy Gobert (15 points, 16 rebounds, 3 blocks) looked very much like the reigning DPOY, and held Jackson at bay. True to form, the Jazz played tremendous, and highly physical, team defense.

One area of weakness for Memphis on defense was their coverage on the perimeter. The defense gave up a lot of open looks beyond the arc, and I’m surprised the Jazz didn’t convert on more of their three-point attempts. Monday night also marked the first time this season the Grizzlies had more turnovers than their opponent, and the Jazz capitalized on those opportunities. Memphis lost on the offensive boards as well, pulling down 8 to Utah’s 13.

In his postgame press conference, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said the game got away from the Grizzlies due to choppiness. He said the game was choppy in the way it was being called, and the team struggled to find a rhythm amid funky, injury-adapted rotations and offensive disorganization.

Bickerstaff also spoke about how the Grizzlies need re-establish the strong bench chemistry they had before Dillon Brooks’ injury.

Joe Ingles played exceptionally well for the Jazz, finishing with 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists. Garrett Temple’s defense on Donovan Mitchell was pretty impressive. Mitchell had 12 points on 3-14 shooting and went 0-2 from deep.

Mike Conley had another good shooting game, leading all Grizzlies with 24 points on 43.8 percent shooting from the floor, and converted on 3 of his 8 attempts from three.
Larry Kuzniewski

Gasol looked way more aggressive in this game, and has been talking about how he needs to step up his game in that regard. He banged around in the paint, took quick shots, and made assertive moves to the rim. He finished with 16 points on 7-13 shooting (missing all four of his three-point attempts), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. The Grizzlies need everything they can get on the offensive end, so hopefully Gasol maintains this level of aggression.

Kyle Anderson had a horrid shooting night, failing to convert on his sole three point attempt, leaving shots short at the rim, and shooting 27.3 percent from the floor on 11 shots. Anderson had a positive impact in other areas, however, gobbling up 13 rebounds, 5 assists, and a steal. But the Grizzlies will need Anderson to pick up his shooting if they want to stay above .500.
Larry Kuzniewski

Garrett Temple’s defense was on point, but he had a cold shooting night, contributing just 6 points on 25 percent shooting, and missing all four of his attempts from deep. Shelvin Mack also failed to hit a triple.

MarShon Brooks had 10 points off the bench, shooting 4-9 and 1-2 from deep, but was often trying to manufacture a shot totally on his own when the Grizzlies offense went stagnant. The Grizzlies can’t toss the rock to Brooks and expect him to pluck buckets out of thin air against an elite defensive team like the Jazz. Memphis definitely needs him to take shots, but he needed help getting better looks in this game.
Larry Kuzniewski

The Grizzlies return to action on Wednesday, when they travel to Milwaukee to take on the Greek Freak Bucks.

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Grizzlies Lose First Home Game to Utah Jazz 96 – 88

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Grizzlies Lose First Home Game to Utah Jazz 96 – 88 (3)