“I took it upon myself to study the faces of Memphis fans after this [Isaiah Hartenstein] dunk and it was pure gold,” tweeted OKC Thunder Gal during the Grizzlies loss to Thunder last Saturday.
Super Tigers
Posted to X by Memphis Football
“[University of Memphis] is now 4th all-time with 75 points scored in Super Bowl history!” Memphis Football posted to X after Super Bowl LIX last weekend.
Three former Tigers — Kenneth Gainwell, Bryce Huff, and Jake Elliott — suited up for the Philadelphia Eagles in the game.
Showboatin’
Posted to X by Memphis Showboats
If you’re sad to see football’s end, the Memphis Showboats got you. Their UFL season kicks off at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium on March 30th against the Michigan Panthers. Go Boats!
Memphis Grizzlies players huddle up in a game against the Toronto Raptors on February 5, 2025. (Photo: Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Memphis Grizzlies overcame a lackluster first half, trailing 59-53, with an explosive second-half performance, scoring a season-high 85 points, to dominate the Toronto Raptors, 138-107. The win extends their impressive run of 10 victories in their last 11 games and a current four-game winning streak.
Jaren Jackson Jr. led the charge for the Grizzlies with 32 points on 62.5 percent shooting, complemented by five rebounds and four assists. This performance marked his third consecutive game with 30-plus points and his ninth straight game with 20-plus points, both career highs.
Ja Morant delivered a strong performance, scoring 26 points on 64.3 percent shooting, while grabbing five rebounds and dishing out four assists. He also exploded for 16 points in the third quarter, matching his season-high for points in a single quarter.
Morant and Jackson Jr. have now both scored 25-plus points in back-to-back games, highlighting their impressive offensive chemistry.
In his hometown NBA debut, Toronto native Zach Edey made history, logging a career-best third-consecutive double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds. Edey became the first Memphis Grizzlies rookie since Pau Gasol in 2002 to record three straight double-doubles, with Gasol having achieved four consecutive double-doubles that March and April.
Completing the team’s solid performance, Brandon Clarke scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds, with Scotty Pippen Jr. adding 12 points and five rebounds.
The Grizzlies received a boost, as their injury list shrunk, with the return of Marcus Smart and Vince Williams Jr., both of whom had been sidelined.
The Grizzlies are gearing up to face off against the Oklahoma City Thunder at FedExForum on Saturday, February 8th, at 7 p.m. CT. The highly anticipated matchup pits the top two teams in the Western Conference against each other.
Desmond Bane shoots the ball against the Houston Rockets. (Photo: Joe Murphy/NBAE for Getty Images)
Thursday night, two of the top Western Conference teams, the two-seed Houston Rockets and three-seed Memphis Grizzlies faced off in their final meeting of the season. Thanks to a fourth-quarter burst from newly named all-star Jaren Jackson Jr., the Grizzlies eked out a 120-119 victory over the Rockets.
Houston has been a problem for Memphis this season; that much is clear. Rivals in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference, they meet four times a season, and until last night’s matchup, the Rockets appeared poised to sweep the season series. This win has pulled Memphis within a half-game of Houston for the second seed.
These two teams met three times in the month of January, with the Rockets winning the first two games and now the Grizzlies snatching a victory from the jaws of defeat in the third.
This game came down to the final possession, with Memphis ultimately securing the win thanks to a pair of clutch free throws from Jaren Jackson Jr. in the final seconds of the game.
Giving credit where it’s due, the Rockets dominated most of the game, leading by as many as 11 points. All five starters for Houston finished the game in double figures.
Former Grizzly Dillon Brooks had his highest scoring game of the series with 22 points, and shooting guard Jalen Green led all scorers with 25 points.
After struggling offensively in the first half and trailing by ten at halftime, the Grizzlies outscored the Rockets 64-53 in the final two quarters.
Point guard Ja Morant was sidelined with shoulder soreness, and Luke Kennard took his place in the starting lineup. Kennard has seen more minutes in the backup point guard role lately, in part due to the ongoing struggles of Scotty Pippen Jr., who finished the game with just four points.
Four of the Grizzlies’ starting five notched double figures — led by Desmond Bane’s 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists. Bane played a season-high 40 minutes.
Luke Kennard added 22 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 2 steals on 9 of 17 overall shooting and 3 of 6 from beyond the arc. Kennard leads the NBA in three-point shooting, averaging 49.1% from three.
Jaren Jackson Jr. added 21 points, four rebounds, four assists, and one steal. Nine of his 21 points came during the final quarter, including making a pair of free throws that gave Memphis the lead.
Shortly before tip-off, Jackson Jr. was announced as one of the Western Conference All-Star reserves, his second all-star appearance.
Jaylen Wells finished the night with 11 points, three rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block.
From the second unit:
Santi Aldama led the bench with 15 points, five rebounds, one assist, and two blocks on six of 13 overall shooting and three of 8 from beyond the arc.
Brandon Clarke put up 13 points, five rebounds, three steals, and two blocks on six of seven overall shooting.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies are hitting the road for one game to take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, February 2nd. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. CST.
Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey (14) shoots the ball against the Toronto Raptors during the first quarter at FedExForum on Dec 26, 2024 (Wes Hale / The Memphis Flyer)
If Santa didn’t bring you what you wanted for Christmas, the Memphis Grizzlies have got you covered with an epic win in their last home game of 2024.
After a disappointing loss to the Los Angeles Clippers the day before Christmas Eve, the Grizzlies returned to their home court for a Boxing Day beatdown of the Toronto Raptors of astronomic proportions.
With a final score of 155-126, the Grizzlies set a franchise-record and the highest-scoring game of any NBA team this season.
The Grizzlies took the floor like a raging bull in the first period, countering every Raptors attempt at an offensive run while exploiting Toronto’s defensive weakness, forcing their defenders into shooting fouls that sent them to the free throw line five times.
Ja Morant earned all four of his first-quarter points from the charity stripe.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) dribbles against the Toronto Raptors during the first quarter at FedExForum on December 26, 2024. (Photo: Wes Hale)
Memphis was outshot 60.9 percent to 55.6 percent from the field and 45.5 percent to 30 percent from beyond the arc in that first quarter, but the Raptors’ foul trouble led to a 10 to three free throw disparity that the Grizzlies used to close out the first quarter with a 43-35 lead.
Their perfect 10 of 10 free throw shooting made the difference in the score, but Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Zach Edey were the stars of the show, combining for 24 points in the first quarter.
Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) drives to the basket against the Toronto Raptors during the first quarter at FedExForum on December 26, 2024 (Photo: Wes Hale)
Despite Toronto overcoming a 19-point deficit to tie the game at 66 with less than three minutes remaining in the second quarter, the Grizzlies never allowed the Raptors to take the lead. Memphis pushed back in the final minutes of the period and took an eight-point lead into the second half.
A 43-point third quarter propelled the Grizzlies to a franchise-record 121 points through three quarters. Unlike in the first quarter, Memphis had only one free throw attempt, scoring the remaining 42 points the old-fashioned way — by stomping the Raptors hard into the ground on every possession, destroying them on the boards (21-13), limiting their shot attempts (37-29), and outscoring them 18-6 from beyond the arc.
The fourth quarter went off the rails quickly for the Raptors after Toronto head coach (and former Memphis assistant coach) Darko Rajaković was ejected for a heated outburst at a referee.
There was 10:29 left on the game clock when Rajaković exploded over the lack of a foul call, charged onto the court, and had to be restrained by members of his staff. There will no doubt be a fine coming for Rajaković from the league, and he certainly got his money’s worth, as seen in the video below:
The remainder of the game was mostly the Grizzlies bench playing with their food.
Three of the five starters (Jaylen Wells, Desmond Bane, and Ja Morant) sat for the fourth quarter.
Luke Kennard scored 12 of his 15 points in the final frame, shooting three of four from the field, two of three from beyond the arc, and four of four from the free-throw line. John Konchar scored six of his nine points in the fourth, finishing the night with a perfect three-of-three shooting from three-point range.
Memphis had eight players finish the night in double-digits, including all five starters.
Zach Edey scored a career-high 21 points, 16 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks.
Jaren Jackson Jr. got 21 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and three blocks.
Desmond Bane put up 19 points, five rebounds, and two assists while shooting three of six from beyond the arc.
Jaylen Wells finished the night with 17 points, one rebound, one assist, and one steal while shooting a game-high five of 10 from three-point range. Wells has been shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc and has made more three-pointers (58) than any other rookie this season.
Ja Morant added 15 points, two rebounds, and nine assists.
From the second unit:
Luke Kennard scored 15 points, eight assists, and one steal.
Scotty Pippen Jr. added 15 points, two rebounds, three assists, and four steals.
Brandon Clarke finished with 11 points, nine rebounds, and one block.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies are back at it tonight, facing off against the New Orleans Pelicans in the first game of a five-game road trip. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. CST.
If the Bluff City had an Athlete of the Year for 2024, it was University of Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan. The senior piled up records like a greedy 5-year-old under the Christmas tree. Henigan became the first Tiger signal-caller to toss 100 touchdown passes (104) and climbed to 13th on the FBS career passing-yardage chart (14,266). Best of all, he led Memphis to an 11-2 record, a third straight postseason victory (over West Virginia in the Frisco Bowl), and finished his career with 34 wins, a mark no future Tiger quarterback is likely to match. Add the heroics of running back Mario Anderson Jr. — 1,362 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns — and Memphis is all but certain to finish in the AP Top 25 for only the fourth time in program history.
The Tigers’ gridiron success made for some late-year balance to an otherwise disappointing 12 months in Memphis sports. Ravaged by injuries (and a lengthy suspension for star guard Ja Morant), the Memphis Grizzlies missed the NBA playoffs for the first time in three years. The only silver lining: A miserable record (27-55) earned the Grizz the ninth selection in the draft, a pick they used to acquire towering center Zach Edey, the two-time national college player of the year at Purdue. As 2025 approaches, Memphis is near the top of the Western Conference standings. Let’s call 2024 a hibernation year in Grizzlies history.
College basketball was no less disappointing. Coach Penny Hardaway’s Tigers roared to a 15-2 start, climbing to a ranking of 10th in the country … only to bumble their way through their American Athletic Conference schedule, finishing with a mark of 22-10 and missing out on the NCAA tournament. David Jones won the AAC scoring title in his only season in blue and gray, but an 11-7 record in that league doesn’t impress come March.
On the diamond, slugging first baseman Luken Baker starred for the Redbirds, leading the International League in home runs a second straight season despite a late-summer promotion to the St. Louis Cardinals. Baseball America’s Pitcher of the Year, Quinn Mathews, finished his season with Memphis, tossing his 200th strikeout of the season — a minor-league rarity — in a Redbirds uniform. Look for Mathews to anchor the 2025 rotation (until the Cardinals decide he’s needed in St. Louis).
Memphis said goodbye to our USL Championship soccer club, 901 FC. Without a soccer-only stadium in the plans, the franchise is moving to Santa Barbara, California, after six up-and-down seasons at AutoZone Park. For the sports historians, 901 FC put up an overall record of 76 wins, 62 losses, and 45 draws.
Hideki Matsuyama won the 2024 FedEx St. Jude Championship (FESJC) at TPC Southwind, this being the third year Memphis has hosted the opening tournament of the FedEx Cup playoffs. Along with the Southern Heritage Classic and the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, the FESJC is an annual reminder that Memphis can put on a show like few other cities in the world of sports. Let the 2025 games begin.
Jaren Jackson Jr. battles for the opening possession. (Photo: NBAE/Getty Images.)
On the second night of back-to-back games, the Memphis Grizzlies decimated the Washington Wizards without Ja Morant and Desmond Bane.
With a final score of 140-112, the Grizzlies emerged from their weekend road trip 2-0.
After a hard-fought win against the Boston Celtics in which he scored a season-high 31 points, Ja Morant sat out against the Wizards with back soreness.
Expect Memphis to continue its cautionary approach to managing Morant’s injuries.
But even without two of their best players, the Grizzlies looked poised, prepared, and just plain better than their opponents, largely thanks to their incredible depth.
Scotty Pippen Jr. and Marcus Smart moved into the starting lineup, but even without them, the bench outscored the starters 76-64.
The Wizards were led on both ends of the court by a familiar face — Lithuanian big man Jonas Valančiūnas, who played for the Grizzlies from 2019-2021.
Despite Valanciunas’ 20-point, 14-rebound double-double, the Wizards had no answer for the Grizzlies. Washington held a two-point lead for a grand total of 47 seconds in the first quarter.
— Grizzlies On FanDuel Sports Network (@FDSN_Grizzlies) December 9, 2024
Memphis was led offensively by Jaren Jackson Jr., who fielded 21 points, four rebounds, and four blocks on 8 of 15 overall shooting and 3 of 8 from beyond the arc — all in a mere 16:46 minutes of playing time.
Scotty Pippen Jr. looked right at home back in the starting lineup, delivering 14 points, 12 assists, and 2 steals on 6 of 11 shooting from the field.
Marcus Smart was similarly at ease moving from the bench unit to the starters, putting up 13 points and three rebounds while shooting 5 of 8 from the field and 3 of 6 from three-point range.
Brandon Clarke was coming off his best game of the season against the Celtics but still had a respectable showing against the Wizards. He finished the night with 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Jay Huff and Santi Aldama celebrate during the game against the Washington Wizards. (Photo: NBAE/Getty Images.)
Santi Aldama was the leading scorer off the bench with 19 points, seven rebounds, five assists, one steal, and three blocks while shooting 7 of 11 overall and a team-best 3 of 5 from beyond the arc.
Reserve center Jay Huff finished the night with 17 points and three rebounds while rookie shooting guard Cam Spencer added 14 points, four rebounds, and five assists on 4 of 8 shooting from the field and 2 of 4 from three-point range in his third ever NBA game.
We even got a brief appearance from Yuki Kawamura in the fourth quarter:
SUNDAY SCARIES DON'T EXIST WHEN WE LIVE IN A WORLD WITH YUKI KAWAMURA SPLASHING IN STEPBACK THREES IN OUR NATION'S CAPITAL pic.twitter.com/kAKI1hMh6H
The next two games are recent additions to the schedule, among other teams that have also been eliminated from the NBA Cup: Friday, December 13th, at home against the Brooklyn Nets, with a 7 p.m. CST tip-off time, and Sunday, December 15th, on the road against the Los Angeles Lakers, tipping off at 8:30 p.m. CST.
Desmond Bane drives to the basket against the Chicago Bulls. (Credit: Joe Murphy/NBAE for Getty Images,)
In their fourth game of the season, the Memphis Grizzlies suffered a disappointing 126-123 loss to the Chicago Bulls.
The game started similarly to their other loss this season, with the Grizzlies taking a double-digit lead in the first half only to squander it in the second. The third quarter continues to be kryptonite for this team. There is little to say about defensive intensity in the second half because it all but disappeared.
The Bulls shot the lights out from three-point range, going a scorching 25-of-53 from beyond the arc. Chicago’s 23 three-pointers were the most ever recorded against the Grizzlies.
Chicago forward Zach LaVine and guard Coby White combined to go 7-of-14 from long range in the second half. Eleven players took the court for the Bulls, and nine of them finished the game with at least one three-point make.
Memphi led by as many as 20 points and held Chicago to 54 points in the first half, and then were outscored 72-55 in the final two periods. Turnovers were again a thorn in their side, as the Grizzlies gave up 16 points off seven turnovers after halftime.
Desmond Bane scored a team-high 30 points, with 23 of those coming in the first two quarters, tying his career high for points in a half. Bane shot 11 of 19 overall and six of 10 from beyond the arc, and also had seven rebounds.
LIGHT IT UP 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥@DBane0625 with a cool 23, grizz +14 at the half
Ja Morant was sidelined for the game with thigh soreness, and the starting point guard’s playmaking was, well, sorely missed. There is no word yet on whether he will be available against the Nets on Wednesday.
Jaren Jackson Jr. played less than 25 minutes, presumably still on a minutes restriction after being sidelined in the preseason and the first two games with hamstring issues. Jackson finished the night with 19 points, six rebounds, and three blocks.
Marcus Smart only played 25 minutes and struggled with his worst offensive game since joining the Grizzlies, ending the night with just one point from a made free throw, and shooting 0-of-11 overall and 0-of-8 from three-point range from the field. Smart did contribute seven assists, two steals, and two blocks.
Santi Aldama closed out the night with 11 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists, with 10 of those rebounds coming in the first quarter. Yes, you read that right, Santi Aldama grabbed 10 rebounds in the first quarter, making him just one of six in Grizzlies franchise history to do so.
The second unit continues to shine for this Memphis team, with four of five bench players scoring double digits.
Jake LaRavia led the bench in scoring, adding 17 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. LaRavia shot 7-of-11 overall and 2-of-5 from the free-throw line.
Scotty Pippen Jr. added 14 points, four rebounds, and 10 assists, his second points-assists double-double of the season.
Jay Huff finished the night with 10 points, two rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. Shortly before the game, it was announced that the Grizzlies were converting Huff’s two-way contract into a regular-season deal, with the first two years guaranteed.
Rookie Jaylen Wells had 11 points on 5-of-12 overall shooting, and six rebounds.
Who Got Next?
Memphis is opening the season with a brutal six games in nine days, with another set of back-to-back games coming up: They take on the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday and the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday. Both games tip off at 7 PM CDT.
Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke dunks the ball against the Orlando Magic on March 30, 2024. (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)
On Saturday night at KIA Center, the Orlando Magic thrashed the Memphis Grizzlies 118-88.
The first quarter came to a close with Memphis already down 20 points. Orlando put up 33 points, while the Grizzlies managed just 13, shooting a dismal 21.7 percent from the field.
The victory snapped the Magic’s three-game losing streak. Earlier in the week, they lost close games against the Sacramento Kings, the Golden State Warriors, and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Orlando ended a five-game losing streak against the Grizzlies. The previous meeting ended in a nail-biter at FedExForum, 107-106, with a Grizzlies win on January 26th.
Memphis dropped to 24-50 for the season, with eight games remaining, a mark they’ll want to forget. It appeared early on in Saturday night’s contest that Memphis’ players were focused on something other than basketball, and it showed.
Reserve Jordan Goodwin led the Grizzlies with 16 points and 11 rebounds for his first career double-double.
In his second game back from injury, Brandon Clarke had a solid showing, with 13 points and four rebounds off the bench.
“It was already out of hand — they won every single quarter,” said Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins after the game. “You have to give the Magic tons of credit. They played with a lot of physicality; their defense was phenomenal tonight. Couldn’t get in the paint — couldn’t knock down an open shot. They played beautiful basketball, shared the rock.”
Jenkins added, “So you know we just kept trying to fight. I thought we had a chance to win that second quarter — have some momentum, but the Magic had an answer for everything; so many different guys stepped up and played well.”
“I thought BC [Clarke] did a really good job; liked seeing Jordan [Goodwin] have kind of a bounce-back game. I thought he did some good things. Well, obviously Luke [Kennard]’s been out for a couple of weeks now, just seeing him have some pop with his conditioning and stuff. And we’re just trying to find every way possible to have some positives and move forward. And obviously we’ve got to respond on Monday against Detroit.”
“Keep fighting, keep making something out of each every day,” Jenkins said about his message to his players as the season is winding down. “That’s what we’ve done all season long. Every year that I’ve been here we got different guys that are gonna hear that message for the very first time. Over and over again. Obviously we haven’t been in this situation since I’ve been here, but you gotta make the most of every day. That’s what we stand for.”
Memphis travels to Detroit to take on the Pistons, Monday, April 1st, at Little Caesars Arena at 6 p.m. CT.
Jaren Jackson Jr takes the ball to the basket against Rudy Gobert. Credit: NBAE/Getty Images
With a final score of 118-103, the Memphis Grizzlies were defeated by the Minnesota Timberwolves Thursday night, in the first game of a four-game road trip, with a little help from an old friend.
Let’s get into it.
This is one game where the final score doesn’t tell the whole story, as much as a 15-point loss can. Memphis played three excellent quarters of basketball. Unfortunately, it was still a four-quarter game, and a 20-point deficit in the 4th was too much for the Grizzlies to overcome.
The first quarter was going well for Memphis until Naz Reid checked in for Minnesota and ruined it by scoring 13 points on 5 of 5 field goal shooting (3 of 3 from three-point range), as the Timberwolves ended the quarter on a 13-3 run and overshadowed a 15-point quarter from Jaren Jackson Jr.
The teams were tied at 30 points apiece going into the second quarter, and the Grizzlies took a 5-point lead into halftime. In the second half, Luke Kennard put up 15 of his 18 points in the third quarter, shooting 5 of 6 overall and 4 of 4 from beyond the arc. Anthony Edwards scored 14 of his 28 points in the third quarter, keeping the Timberwolves in the game.
The fourth quarter is where the wheels fell off for Memphis, starting with Jaren Jackson Jr picking up his 5th foul with 10 minutes remaining. Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins not challenging any of Jackson’s fouls was an ill-advised decision.
Mike Conley added insult to injury in the final frame, shooting a perfect 3 of 3 overall and 2 of 2 from three. Conley’s 17 points for the game matched the Grizzlies’ 17 points for the fourth quarter.
By The Numbers:
Jaren Jackson Jr finished the night with a game-high 36 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block.
Please enjoy this clip of Jackson Jr knocking down a three in the face of Rudy Gobert:
Kennard took advantage of his appearance in the starting lineup, closing out the night with 18 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal while shooting 5 of 7 from beyond the arc.
Vince Williams Jr added 10 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block, Xavier Tillman Sr closed out with 10 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block.
From the second unit:
Santi Aldama put up 13 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block. David Roddy added 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies are heading to the Windy City Saturday night to face off against the Chicago Bulls. Tip-off is at 7 PM CST.
G.G. Jackson II drives the ball against Isaiah Hartenstein. Credit: Joe Murphy/NBAE for Getty Images.
With a final score of 106-94, the Memphis Grizzlies were defeated by the New York Knicks, making it their second loss in as many nights. Injuries continue to plague the Grizzlies as they have all season, but adding Jaren Jackson Jr and Desmond Bane to the injured list made this a hard game to watch.
Let’s get into it.
Memphis began the season with a starting lineup that while missing its star point guard and center, still included two all-star caliber players. They entered Saturday night’s matchup with eight players who were more fitting as G-league all-stars and then lost one of those players after just 1:19 of playing time.
Here is a visualization of the Grizzlies’ current roster situation.
All of the players listed in orange are unavailable due to injury.
Keeping in mind that two of the eight players shown are on two-way contracts, that leaves the Grizzlies with six available active roster players.
It’s hard to be positive about how this season has gone for Memphis, who now have more of their active roster on the injured list than off it. But one bright spot in Saturday night’s game was seeing rookie and two-way player G. G. Jackson II put up a career-high 20 points in his seventh career NBA game. Jackson was drafted by the Grizzlies as the 45th overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft.
Head coach Taylor Jenkins had nothing but praise for Jackson postgame, remarking that “he took advantage of the opportunity” and that “it was a good step in the right direction getting his first true NBA minutes.”
After last season’s ill-advised focus on rookies David Roddy, Jake LaRavia, Kennedy Chandler, and Kenneth Lofton Jr, the Grizzlies have had no choice but to lean on Roddy and to some extent LaRavia this season.
Jake LaRavia, who has spent most of the season with the Memphis Hustle, was called up for the game against the Knicks but was checked out with a sprained left ankle after less than two minutes of action.
In the first half, the Grizzlies outscored the Knicks 57-53, but that small lead was obliterated in short order after the Knicks outscored the Grizzlies 30-15 in the third quarter.
The team accumulated a season-high 14 steals, led by Xavier Tillman Sr.’s six steals, a career-high.
Even after taking advantage of 23 New York turnovers and converting them to 23 Memphis points, shooting struggles and lack of depth prevented the Grizzlies from clawing out a victory.
The team’s 19-game streak of 10 or more made three-pointers came to an end as Memphis struggled from long-range, shooting a collective 23.7% (9 of 38) from beyond the arc.
In an unusual showing, the Grizzlies highest scoring player of the night came from their second unit. G.G. Jackson II led the team with 20 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block. He was followed by Vince Williams Jr., who closed out the night with 17 points, 8 rebounds, a career-high 8 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block.
David Roddy finished with 14 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals. Luke Kennard also put up 14 points, along with 3 rebounds, and 2 assists. Tillman added 12 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and a career-high 6 steals.
From the second unit, Ziaire Williams added 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies will complete their three-game homestand Monday, facing off against the Golden State Warriors in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration Game. Tip-off is at 5 PM CST.
