Tag: GG Jackson II

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Blasted by Thunder, 124-93

Wes Hale Photography

The Oklahoma City Thunder gave the Memphis Grizzlies an old-fashioned beatdown on Sunday evening, 124-93. 

It wasn’t surprising for the number-one team in the Western Conference to embarrass a team that has been without key players. The Thunder also recalls the 152-79 humiliation they suffered at the hands of the Grizzlies in December 2021, the largest winning margin in NBA history. 

The Grizzlies had a total of 10 players on the injured list, as the team has been short-handed much of the season. Desmond Bane remains out with a sprained left ankle. Marcus Smart is still out with an injured finger on his right hand. Plus Ja Morant is out for the season due to shoulder surgery, among other injuries for Memphis.

The Thunder were up by as many as 38 points in the second half. OKC converted 21 three-point shots compared to the Grizzlies with just 11 threes. 

As a starter, Rookie GG Jackson II led the Grizzlies with a career-high 30 points, six rebounds, and three assists. Jackson II is emerging as a longterm asset for Memphis as the youngest player in the NBA at 19 years old. In 31 games this season, he is averaging 11.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in 21.2 minutes. 

Jaren Jackson Jr. added 16 for Memphis. Jackson Jr. has played in 57 games this season, the most by any current player on the roster. The 24-year-old is averaging 22.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists on the season. 

Jake LaRavia continues to show improvement during his extended play. LaRavia finished with 13 points on 4-of-9 shooting, four assists, and two steals with his first career start for Memphis. Over his last eight outings, LaRavia is averaging 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 24.7 minutes of play. 

Newcomer DeJon Jarreau who signed a 10-day contract with Memphis on Saturday chipped in seven points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and three steals in 28 minutes of action. 

On Tuesday night, the Grizzlies will host the Washington Wizards at 7 p.m. CT. Tyus Jones, who was traded from the Grizzlies last summer, will be making his first visit to Memphis. The Grizzlies look to even the series after a 113-106 loss back in October 2023. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Blazers Snap Nine-Game Skid With 30-point Win Over Memphis

Memphis Grizzlies forward Lamar Stevens (24) shoots the ball during the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers at FedEx Forum on March 1, 2024, in Memphis TN. (Wes Hale Photo)

On Friday at FedExForum, the Portland Trail Blazers snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 122-92 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, thanks in large part to a stellar third quarter. The Blazers outscored Memphis 40-27 in the third. 

When asked how the team would bounce back from the 30-point loss at home, Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins seemed visibly upset and uttered, “We have to — this is embarrassing.”

How embarrassing was it, though? Both teams have been impacted by injuries and were missing key players.

For Jenkins, missing key players was not an excuse for the team’s performance against Portland: “They played extremely well, and we didn’t have it. We played poorly.”

Rookie GG Jackson II who finished with 11 points off the bench on Friday night didn’t like the feeling of letting the fans down. 

“You see your fans leaving with like eight minutes left in the game —that really sticks to us as players,” said Jackson II. “They want to come see us play. That’s kind of like them slapping us in our face saying, ‘We don’t want to see you play.’ We got to change that.” 

The Grizzlies have dropped their third straight game and 12th in their last 14. For an organization that finished second in the West the previous two years, it is a huge letdown. 

Jake LaRavia has been mired with injuries most of his tenure with the Grizzlies. As a reserve on Friday, he led the Grizzlies with a career-high 21 points, going 7-for-13 from the field. 

The second-year forward’s play was one bright spot for Jenkins on the night. “It was really encouraging,” Jenkins said of LaRavia’s performance. “I thought he came out aggressive — shooting the 3-ball, getting downhill, getting to the free throw line, [and] a couple assists. I thought he did some good things defensively. Definitely some things that [he] can clean up on the defensive end; playing a little bit more physical on the ball, better one-on-one. I think, as a team, we just got embarrassed one-on-one, but he was a bright spot for sure. Love his movement off the ball, movement with the ball, but being aggressive, that was the biggest takeaway.”

The 22-year-old forward is averaging 9.8 points, 4 boards, 2 assists, and 1 steal in four games since returning from an ankle injury. 

Lamar Stevens had a season-high 19 points off the bench. With no starter scoring more than 10 points for the Grizzlies, Stevens and LaRavia tried their best to carry the load. 

Since joining the Grizzlies prior to the trade deadline, Stevens has been a reliable frontcourt player. In his last seven games for the team, he has shot 56.3% from the field while averaging 12.1 points, 5.1 boards, 1 assist, and 1 block in just 20.7 minutes per game.

Up Next 

Like deja vu, both teams will play again tonight, at FedExForum with a 7 pm tip-off. 

The Grizzlies will look to put up a better performance in front of the home crowd. “Every loss motivates a basketball player, but this one in particular definitely motivates us,” Jackson II said after Friday’s blowout loss. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Clippers’ Late Surge Downs Grizzlies

Feb 23, 2024; Memphis Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) shoots the ball as Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) defends during the first half at FedExForum. (Wes Hale Photo)

Late game mistakes cost the Memphis Grizzlies Friday night in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, 101-95. The Clippers went on a 12-4 run late in the final period to seal the deal. 

For most of the game, it was a tightly contested matchup with the Clippers leading by as many as 8 points, while Memphis’ biggest lead was 7. 

“I think we should have won,” said Lamar Stevens, who finished with 8 points and 8 rebounds off the bench. “I don’t really like the moral victory stuff; I think we should’ve won. I think that we kind of gave it away down the stretch; some of the turnovers and offensive rebounds really hurt us, but those are all things that we can control.”

“We just got a bunch of dogs in here that are hungry— everybody has something to prove,” Stevens said, about how the team is playing well on defense despite missing key players. “Everybody’s getting a different kind of opportunity. You get that opportunity in this league, you want to make the most of it and take advantage of it and just control what you can control. I think people come in here looking at the roster and don’t really know who this person or that person is, but they’re dogs and they’re hungry. I think that’s what’s able to keep us in games and keep us in position to win.”

Stevens received praise from Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins after the game: “I love what I’ve seen with Lamar [Stevens]’s defensive activity, switch ability. He’s given us a little pop in our scoring ability. He’s kind of figuring out his role on the opposite side. He’s playing a unique position at the five there, but his versatility on defense really just jumps off the page. Doesn’t matter who he’s guarding, whether it’s a guard or it’s a big.”

“It’s encouraging what we’ve seen the last couple of games,” Jenkins added. “That kind of gave us some confidence to put him into that five spot.”

Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 29 points, 5 assists, 4 steals, and 4 rebounds. Jackson Jr. has scored 25 or more in 20 games this season. He continues to improve his playmaking ability for himself and his teammates. 

GG Jackson II continued to impress off the bench, finishing with 11 points and 2 rebounds. Vince Williams Jr. added 9 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds. 

Highlight of the Night

After getting a steal, John Konchar raced down the floor and threw a spectacular lob to Ziaire Williams. Williams finished with 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals. 

Roster Moves

The Grizzlies announced the signing of Jordan Goodwin to a two-way contract and have waived guard Jacob Gilyard. Gilyard had nearly reached his 50 game limit with the Grizzlies as a two-way contract player. 

Up Next

The Grizzlies will host the Brooklyn Nets on Monday, February 26, at FedExForum at 7 pm CT. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Snap Losing Streak

GG Jackson #45 of the Memphis Grizzlies dunks the ball during the second half against Houston at FedEx Forum on Feb. 14, 2024, in Memphis TN. (Wes Hale Photo)

The Memphis Grizzlies snapped a nine-game losing skid Wednesday night by beating the Houston Rockets, 121-113 at FedExForum. 

The bench came up huge with 57 of the Grizzlies’ 121 points. Wednesday was Valentine’s Day with love and basketball when Grizzlies’ ex Dillon Brooks stepped on the floor for the Rockets, but the Memphis newcomers spoiled his revenge story.

Lamar Stevens had a “Welcome to Memphis” moment in just his second game with the Grizzlies. He finished with 14 points (4-of-8), eight rebounds, and two blocks, as a reserve.

“It is just good communication and talking throughout the game,” Stevens said. “We are trying to get on the same page. We were talking on the defensive end how we were going to adjust and play together. It’s like putting a puzzle together and trying to figure it out. It’s a bunch of good guys that want to win.”

After he sat out against the Pelicans due to violating a team rule, GG Jackson II came back with a vengeance, leading the Grizzlies with 20 points off of 8-for-15 shooting, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks, off the bench. 

“You know, I don’t want to use my age as an excuse, but you make some mistakes here and there, and it’s on you to learn from them,” Jackson II said. “The coaching staff expressed to me how they know I’m better than that, and they know I’m going to continue to get better. They told me to get ready for Wednesday’s game, so I kind of got an extra day to prep, just making sure my shot feels good. I got in the gym, taking care of my body.” 

Newcomer Jordan Goodwin’s first game with the Grizzlies yielded good dividends with 10 points, three rebounds, three assists, plus a stock. Goodwin signed a 10-day contract with the Grizzlies just Tuesday afternoon. 

“I just go out there and just play hard, don’t do too much — try to go out there and play my game,” said Goodwin after the game. “…Just go out there, just being myself, doing all the right things off the court, being a good teammate. Listening and paying attention, just taking everything in. I didn’t know it was this culture here. This is a cool group of guys. Everybody’s pulling for each other.”

Luke Kennard finished with a season-high 19 points, shooting 71.4 percent from the field. 

Vince Williams Jr. finished with a near triple-double 12 points, eight rebounds seven assists, and three steals while going 10-of-12 from the free throw line. It marks Williams Jr.’s fourth consecutive game with seven or more assists. 

Jaren Jackson Jr. had only five points in the first half and was hampered by foul trouble again. He came up big in the final period to finish with 11 of his 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting, and added three assists. 

“I think he’s got a great ability to kind of figure out how teams are guarding him,” said Coach Taylor Jenkins on Jackson Jr.’s performance. “I think they were swarming him. He ended up with four turnovers, was missing some of his teammates, and he was aware of it, but just after the fact.

“And then he was able just to kind of reset, see the crowds. I think there were a couple of drives late where he saw the defense not in their shifts and he was able to drive and kick. I thought he did a good job of moving the ball, and then, obviously, he was a product of just being a spacer. We talked about maybe him being off the ball, creating those advantages on the second side, using Lamar [Stevens] more as a screener, and I thought he just kind of adjusted as the game went on, which was impressive.”

Tid-bit

Welcome back Ziaire Williams and nice dime by Goodwin. He was out for about two weeks with hand soreness. 

Next up

The Grizzlies will host the Milwaukee Bucks tonight, exclusively on TNT at 7:30 p.m. CT.

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Beyond the Arc Sports Uncategorized

Grizzlies Lose Eighth Straight Game

Photography by: Wes Hale

As they entered the second night of a back-to-back, the Charlotte Hornets were riding a 10-game losing streak while the Memphis Grizzlies had lost seven in a row. One of those losing streaks came to an end on Saturday night as the Charlotte defeated Memphis, 115-106. 

The Grizzlies, losers of eight straight games, have the longest active losing streak in the association. Memphis is now 18-35 on the season. 

Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 29 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. Jackson Jr. shot 52 percent (12-for-23) from the field and 56 percent (5-of-9) from three. It marks the 7th straight game he has scored 20 or more points which is a career-high. 

GG Jackson II had his two-way contract converted to a multi-year deal with the Grizzlies on February 8th. Against the Hornets, Jackson II had 16 points while shooting 50 percent from the field, plus two assists and two steals off the bench.

Vince Williams Jr. had 14 points, a team-high eight assists and two steals. In his last five games played Williams Jr. has averaged 15.6 points, 5.6 rebounds 5.4 assists, and 1.4 steals.

To round it out, Santi Aldama and Luke Kennard finished with 11 points each. Derrick Rose finished with 10 points, five assists, and four rebounds.  

Up Next 

The Grizzlies will have a three-game homestand before the All-Star break, starting on Monday night against the New Orleans Pelicans. 


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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Three-Game Win Streak Ends

Vince Williams Jr. goes to the basket during a game against the Indiana Pacers on January 28, 2024. (Photo by: Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Grizzlies lost a close game in Indiana due to mental mistakes, a breakdown in the third quarter, and squandered opportunities. The Pacers defeated Memphis 116-110 to snap their three-game winning streak. 

Indiana capitalized with 24 points off the Grizzlies’ 13 turnovers and grabbed 11 offensive rebounds that resulted in 15 second-chance points.

Jaren Jaren, Jr. led Memphis with 25 points, five rebounds, four assists, and two steals. He also tied a career-high with 11 made free throws.

In January, Jackson Jr. averaged 24.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists as the Grizzlies went 8-6 in the month.

Vince Williams Jr. continues to impress, game by game. He finished with 20 points while shooting 8-of-12 from the field, and had eight rebounds.

“They had a lot more offensive rebounds than us, and that led them to easy baskets at the rim,” Williams Jr. said on how the Pacers closed out the game. “Honestly, the bigs got nice rebounds and put it right back up on us, and that kind of hurt us at the end of the day.”

Despite missing key players, the 23-year-old believes the team is up for the challenge of competing against anyone. “We all come in together; we work hard together; so honestly, team chemistry is still there all the way. We just came up short tonight, and really it was just offensive rebounds that hurt us.”

Williams Jr. took responsibility for his blunders down the stretch, which Indiana took advantage of to pull out the win. 

“My two missed layups, and I missed my free throws,” said the VCU alum on the differences in the last three minutes. “But they just out-hustled us, which led to some easy buckets in the fourth too, and they got some wide-open threes, and we had to play catch-up.”

“Not really, because we were still in the game at the end,” said Williams Jr. when asked if the Pacers wore them down due to key players being out with injuries. “We come out and play hard each and every day, and we just try to put ourselves in the best position to win.”

When GG Jackson II is given extended minutes, he takes full advantage. In 28 minutes off the bench, the rookie finished with 18 points and four rebounds on 6-of-9 shooting. 

“I feel like it just shows the depth that this team has,” said Jackson II of the tenacity of the team. And fully healthy, I feel like we can be a serious contender going deep in the playoffs and even contenders for a title.”

“The first half, we tried to keep it tight and were really keen on personnel,” explained Jackson II on what went right for the Grizzlies in the first half. “The ball was popping a lot,  multiple guys were scoring, and Jaren (Jackson, Jr.) was getting his sweet spots again with the left-hand hook. 

The 19-year-old continued, “I feel like overall we were playing really good basketball, and then later in the second half (there were) costly turnovers and lackadaisical effort sometimes. You gotta have 110% effort the whole 48 minutes if you want to win a basketball game.”

“A lot of missed opportunities at the rim obviously. I felt like at times the ball kind of got stagnant … and then [on the] defensive end guys were just scrambling around a lot and a couple of their guys hit threes. We really did not want to live with it. But the situation from scrambling left them open. So it’s just little things like that, that if we pick up on those and fix those, I feel like we’ll be good.”

No rest for the weary. The Grizzlies look to start a new winning streak tonight at FedExForum against the Sacramento Kings at 7 p.m. CT. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Short-handed Grizzlies Beat the Heat

Vince Williams Jr. with the ball against the Miami Heat on Wednesday, January 24, 2024. (Photo credit: Isaac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

When there’s a starting lineup that features Jacob Gilyard, John Konchar, Vince Williams Jr., David Roddy, and Jaren Jackson Jr., it might be a tad bit perplexing. But that’s where Memphis is with so many players down due to injuries — a list that now includes Luke Kennard and Santi Aldama.

The Grizzlies had a total of nine players out for last night’s game in Miami against the Heat, but despite the daunting odds, Memphis won, 105-96, in a back-to-back road victory, improving to 13-12 on the road for the season. The team went 2-2 on the 4-game road trip.

The Grizzlies’ defense held Miami to 40.2% shooting and forced 17 turnovers leading to 24 points. It marks the fourth time this season Memphis has held opponents to less than 100 points. 

After falling behind 82-68 to start the fourth quarter, Miami rallied for a 12-4 run, bringing the Grizzlies’ lead down to 90-85 with six minutes remaining.

After the Heat cut the lead to two points with little more than a minute remaining in the game, Memphis went on a 7-0 run to seal the deal. 

“Just be authentic to who you are, understand the reality, and every single day, I think our group’s maintained a great spirit,” Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said after the win. “I think our staff, coaching staff, medical team — everyone’s dealing with a lot right now, trying to navigate the injuries and guys being in and out.”

Williams Jr. led the Grizzlies with a career-high 25 points off of 8 for 10 shooting, while converting on 5-of-6 from beyond the arc. He added five rebounds and four assists. 

The 23-year-old continues to be a bright spot for the Grizzlies in his breakout second season. He has definitely solidified his presence as an important part of the team going forward due to his defensive prowess and offensive contributions. 

After the game he earned the walk-off interview: 

In the last six games, Williams Jr. has averaged 18 points while shooting 54.8 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from the three-point line, along with 7.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists.

Rookie GG Jackson II chipped in 17 points and four rebounds off the bench and newcomer Scotty Pippen Jr. added a career-high 15 points, six rebounds, and six assists. 

Jaren Jackson Jr. had an off shooting night with 15 points, six rebounds, and four assists while John Konchar secured a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. 

Up Next

The Grizzlies return home to host the Orlando Magic on Friday, January 26, at FedExForum at 7 p.m. CT. 

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Grizzlies Out ‘Hustle’ Warriors

GG Jackson II after the win against the Golden State Warriors on January 15, 2023. (Photo credit: @memgrizz)

Unlikely heroes emerged in FedExForum on a snowy and bitterly cold evening in Memphis. Vince Williams Jr. led the short-handed Grizzlies with a career-high 24 points on 6-of-11 shooting, seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals as Memphis beat the Golden State Warriors, 116-107.

Williams Jr. has been a force to be reckoned with as of late. “Just me being more confident and coach believing in me a little bit more,” said the VCU alum on his improved play. “Some of the guys are out. So, obviously I had to step up and really just take advantage of my opportunity at the end of the day. Even GG [Jackson] is doing very well right now. Just staying ahead of the game and not really looking back.”

The 23-year-old defensive specialist is taking advantage of his opportunity to be on the court consistently. He said, “It means a lot. Being able to go out there and make mistakes and knowing that we’re going to learn from them while in the game – not having to look over our shoulders at the moment.”

In Monday night’s nationally televised MLK game, GG Jackson II also delivered a breakout performance with a career-best 23 points going 5-of-8 from the three-point line, six rebounds, two steals, and two blocks.

“I guess I prayed a little bit more today,” said Jackson II on the difference in the last two games. “I watched some nice game film, studied where I was supposed to be on the floor, and I just got to capitalize on opportunities when the ball comes my way.”

“Just like Vince said, with multiple guys being out, I’ve had to step up as well,” Jackson II said about showcasing his offensive abilities. “And when you step up and play the amount of minutes that me and him both played, the ball is naturally going to find you on the court. But you know, you just got to remember those reps. Your body has to create a carbon copy every time you shoot the ball and every time you dribble. Just trying to lean on the things that you learned. We’ve just got to keep stacking up days like this. … We all dial in, listen to coach, listen to what he has to say — more opportunities open up.”

The two-piece combo did it on both ends of the floor. At 19, Jackson II became the only third player behind Lebron James and Kevin Durant in NBA history to have had back to back 20-point performances at his age or younger. And his response was: “Stay humble. Don’t get too caught up in that. … It’s obviously a great sentiment to be a part of. But these guys already made it and for me, I feel like their game was way more advanced at this age. I’m just lucky enough to have this opportunity to get out there and play.”

Along with Williams Jr. and Jackson II, Memphis had seven players in double figures. Jaren Jackson Jr. added 18 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals.

David Roddy 12 points and seven rebounds and two-way player Jacob Gilyard chipped in 11 points, eight of which came in the final period, three assists, and 2 steals.

Santi Aldama 11 points, six rebounds, and three blocks and Luke Kennard ended with 11 points, with eight in the fourth quarter, and 5 assists.

Tid-bits

Players with experience with the Memphis Hustle of the NBA G League scored 87 of the Grizzlies’ 116 points.

Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said after the game, “Big time win— and I’ve definitely got to shout-out a big win for the [Memphis] Hustle as well. I mean, this is a product of full-on development. So proud of our group.”

He added, “Vince Williams … unbelievable job defensively, playing with aggression on both sides of the floor, trying to make it tough on [Stephen] Curry as much as possible. Big growth for him.”

Jenkins continued, “GG Jackson, back-to-back games (with) multiple rebounds, but just the shot-making. Right spot on the floor for his teammates to find him, shooting with tons of confidence, offensive rebounding. [Jacob Gilyard] coming in. I thought he was great in the second half, not just knocking down shots, but you saw a number of steals and just his playmaking and setting up guys in transition coming off screens and connecting the dots for us.”

“This was a huge win for us overall. So, tons of credit to these guys,” said Jenkins. “I think GG [Jackson] may have shouted out the Hustle staff, I’ve got to shout them out as well. They’ve been pouring into these guys every opportunity they’ve gotten, to stay ready, and these guys have got to continue to take advantage of the opportunities with the Grizzlies when they’ve got them.”

Yes, a big night for the Memphis Hustle!!

The Grizzlies finished with 20 three-point baskets while the Warriors had just 10. Meanwhile, the Warriors outscored the Grizzlies 62-20 in the paint. Usually Golden State shots more threes and Memphis’ bread and butter is in the paint.

Strictly from the Fans

Tredarion Hampton: “This victory feels incredibly rewarding. Despite the adversity we faced with multiple injuries, Vince Williams Jr. and GG Jackson stepped up phenomenally, showcasing the depth and resilience of our team. It’s a testament to our collective effort and determination.”

Janice Frazier-Scott: “It’s good to see our G League players gain confidence playing and winning against the Warriors. We’ve got some future stars coming up!”

Up Next

The Grizzlies will embark on a four-game road trip beginning Thursday night in Minneapolis to take on the Timberwolves. Tip-off is at 9 pm CT on TNT.