Tag: Grizzlies

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901 Day, Here At Last

(Photo: Terrance Raper | Unsplash)

It’s the first of September, and you know what that means — it’s 901 Day! And because of that, we’ve rounded up some special events to celebrate your Memphis pride on this very special day.

Events to Check Out

901 Fest 

Some of Memphis’ most talented artists are taking the stage for this four-day music festival at Railgarten, featuring Star & Micey, Marcella & Her Lovers, Dead Soldiers, Lucky 7 Brass Band, Lord T & Eloise, Neighborhood Texture Jam, Devil Train, Cedric Burnside, and The Wilkin Sisters. Single-day tickets cost $15-$20. Arrow Creative will also be hosting its Marketplace in Motion at Railgarten, bringing the art shopping to you, September 1-3.

Railgarten, September 1-4

901 Day Celebration

Choose901 will host its first 901 Day Party since the pandemic began, and the party will be poppin’. Memphis Made has brewed up a batch of special beers for the occasion, and Old Dominick Distillery will have cocktail stations. Guests can enjoy tasty bites from TACOnganas, StickEM, Central BBQ, and Mempops. Plus, Stax Music Academy, the Lucky 7 Brass Band, and DJs, Travi$, Breezye, and Shelby will provide live entertainment, and WeTightKnit, Amurica Photobooth, Mane Wilding, RotoBrothersArt, and Neighborhood Print Company will set up shop as vendors.

The Ravine, September 1, 5-11 p.m.

901 Day Grizz Bash

Grizz Nation is invited to FedExForum for an afternoon and evening celebrating the 901, with something for all ages. Throughout the event, attendees can enjoy fare from Dynamic Duo, El Mero, AD’s, and StickEM, plus local brews and more. There’ll be music by 8Ball & MJG, Big Boogie, Duke Deuce, Royal Studios House Band, and DJ Mic Tee; a Jookin’ Battle Championship; a Wrestlin’ Throwdown featuring Mads Krugger, The GunShow, and Dustin Starr; a kids zone complete with inflatables and face painters; and the Sneak Fest, which will have free sneaker cleaning and will give fans the opportunity to buy, sell, or trade for an exclusive pair of sneakers. This event is free.

FedExForum, September 1, 5-8 p.m.

Rockwalk

The Edge District is has announced the launch of Rockwalk, a free event series that highlights local businesses and talents. Catch live performances by Amy LaVere, DJ RMZI, DJ Bizzle BlueBland, DJ Ayo Tunez, and DJ Alpha Whiskey, and check out the new businesses and restaurant specials in the area. 

The Edge District, September 1, 5-9 p.m.

901 Day Market

Overton Square will have live performances by 901 bands, including Raneem and Better in Color. Guests can also shop local 901 artisans, including 17Berkshire, Dave’s Bagels, The Tea Bar 901, and more. 

Chimes Square, Overton Square, September 1, 6-9 p.m.

Tigers on Tour

Enjoy inflatables, lawn games, food trucks, food and drink specials, and free beer for the first 50 guests. All flights, six-packs, and Arbo’s combos will be $9.01, and there will be yoga at 5:30 p.m. and two free brewery tours at 6 and 7 p.m. Plus, Tigers head football coach Ryan Silverfield will address the crowd at 6 p.m. and will be joined by head women’s basketball coach Katrina Merriweather and head baseball coach Kerrick Jackson. Members of the Memphis men’s basketball program are also scheduled to attend along with additional Memphis head coaches and staff members.

Grind City Brewing Company, September 1, 5-7 p.m.

Taste of Memphis

This free event will feature neighborhood booths, live music and performances, food, children’s activities and entertainment for all, and a friendly competition that will allow 901 neighborhoods to display their greatness. This year’s theme is “Neighborhoods Are Back.”

Tiger Lane, September 1, 5-10 p.m.

K-901 Day

Celebrate K-901 Day with your dog and a few rounds of trivia at Hampline Brewing. There will be free dog treats and bonus prizes for the top teams with dogs.

Hampline Brewing, September 1, 7-8:45 p.m.

Mighty Lights

You won’t want to miss the lights on the M-bridge this 901 as Mighty Lights plans to run Memphis content after sundown, including scrolling Memphis text, Grizz eyes, Tigers stripes, and more.

Riverside Drive, September 1, after sundown

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Fight Back to Maul Timberwolves 104-95

Desmond Bane takes the ball to the basket in Minnesota. Credit: NBAE via Getty Images

It appears that “no running in the M” extends to Minnesota, and Memphis moves to 2-1 in the series after defeating the Timberwolves in Game 3, 104-95.

Let’s get into it.  

It was a hard-fought victory for this Grizzlies team coming back from 26 points down. But they climbed the chimney and proved that they want — and can handle — all the smoke.  

Minnesota opened the game firing on all cylinders and outscored Memphis 39-21 in the first quarter. The Grizzlies were able to cut into that lead in the second quarter while holding the Timberwolves to just 12 points in the period. At the halftime mark, the Grizzlies were down by 7 but finished the half with momentum. Minnesota ran the score back up to a 26 point lead during the third quarter, and then all hell broke loose.

The Grizzlies outscored the Timberwolves 50-16 in the last 15 minutes of the game. Not only did they overcome a franchise record deficit of 26 points in a playoff game, but they also managed to hold the number-one scoring team in the league to under 100 points.  

The Timberwolves led wire to wire until the Grizzlies managed to pull away midway through the fourth quarter.  

Brandon Clarke was instrumental in punching back against Minnesota in game three, making solid plays on both ends of the floor, not giving up on plays, and making all his free throws.  

SHOUTOUT CANADA!

The Grizzlies performance did not go unnoticed around the league. Charles Barkley on Inside the NBA, said this when speaking about Game 3, “The Timberwolves are dumb. Why didn’t Chris Finch call for time when Memphis got on a 21-0 run?” 

Chuck blames this loss on the Timberwolves’ youth and inexperience. But the Grizzlies are a similarly youthful team and yet here we are. So, is it oochie wally or one mic? 

Let’s see what NBA Twitter had to say about Game 3:

Current players sounded off as well:

By the Numbers:

Desmond Bane led all scorers with 26 points, 6 rebounds, two blocks, and two assists while shooting 7 of 15 from beyond the three-point line. Yet another reason why Desmond Michael Bane should have won the 2022 Most Improved Player award.

Despite his struggles, Ja Morant still managed to put up a triple-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, and help lead his team to victory. It was the first triple-double in franchise playoff history, which is fitting in a game where the Grizzlies overcame their largest playoff deficit in franchise history.

Brandon Clarke brought 20 points and 8 rebounds, including shooting 8 of 8 from the free-throw line. Clarke has struggled at the line all season long, averaging 65 percent from the charity stripe.

Tyus Jones put up 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. Jones led the charge on the floor late in the fourth quarter, knocking down two clutch three-pointers that gave Memphis the lead.

Side note: The Grizzlies front office better run Tyus Jones his money this summer. He has more than proven his value — without Jones Memphis would not have won this game.  

Steven Adams was a DNP-CD for game three, which was kind of surprising. There is a happy medium that Taylor Jenkins will need to find for Adams going forward in this series. Something between zero minutes and starting center minutes. But as long as they keep winning, Adams doesn’t care and I don’t either.

Jaren Jackson Jr. finished the night with 6 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 steals in 21 minutes of playing time.

Please enjoy this clip of Ja Morant talking postgame to Brandon Clarke as he takes the podium.

Who Got Next?  

Game Four in the series will be played in Minnesota on Saturday, April 23rd, with tip-off at 9 p.m. CDT.  

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Playoff Preview: Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies

The Grizzlies just keep celebrating in this historic season. (Photo cred: Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

As the Western Conference’s second-place finisher, the Memphis Grizzlies finished the season 56-26, led by a dynamic young core that plays at an exciting tempo.

On Tuesday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 109-104 in the Play-In Tournament to secure the seventh seed in the Western Conference as they ended the season 46-36. 

The first game of the best-of-seven series between the two teams will begin at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday at FedExForum and be broadcast on Bally Sports Southeast and ESPN.

The regular season head-to-head matchups between the two teams resulted in a 2-2 season series split, with each team winning at home. In contrast, Dillon Brooks did not appear in any of the four games.

During the regular season, the Grizzlies went 30-11 at home and 26-15 away from the FedExForum. While the Wolves went 20-21 on the road, they went 26-15 at home.

The NBA’s two top-scoring teams square off in this series — the Timberwolves averaged an NBA-best 115.9 points per game, while the Grizzlies set a franchise mark with 115.6. For the first time in Grizzlies history, the team finished in the NBA’s top five in scoring in the 2021-22 season.

It has been a record-breaking season for Memphis. On the strength of stingy defense, the Grizzlies became the first team to lead the NBA in rebounds, steals, and blocks since steals and blocks became official stats in 1973-74. The team also led the league in fast break points, offensive rebounds, points in the paint, and second chance points. 

Grizzlies writers Sharon Brown and Aimee Stiegemeyer preview this series by answering questions that could determine whether Memphis advances to the second round.

In the season series, many have pointed out that the Wolves have held Ja Morant to an average of 20 points per game. Will the Wolves be able to hold Morant at bay?

Sharon Brown: The regular season is over, so forget about it. Morant is going to be all in on this one. He watches film and knows exactly what he needs to do. This is a player who will take advantage of any opportunity presented to him by the defense, and he can count on his teammates to step up when times get tough, just like they’ve done all season. Morant will put this team on his back if he needs to. I assume that Jenkins will have multiple ball-handlers in at times to take pressure off Morant.

Aimee Stiegemeyer: Not a chance. I have complete faith in Morant’s ability to switch into a higher gear, and I expect Playoff Ja to be next level. He takes winning very personally and plays with a chip on his shoulder, which will serve him well during the postseason.

Which matchup are you looking forward to seeing — Anthony Edwards against Morant or Karl-Anthony Towns against Jaren Jackson Jr.?

SB: It will be easy to say Morant vs. Edwards but I’m interested to see how well KAT and JJJ will match up. Will JJJ be able to disrupt KAT on defense? Jackson Jr. led the league in blocks per game (2.3), total blocks (177), and stocks, steals and blocks (250). Will JJJ be able to avoid being in foul trouble? Will he be able to get anything he wants on the offensive end? Jackson has to avoid getting into foul trouble since he’s the anchor on defense. If the Grizzlies are to advance past the first round, they will need to rely on his consistency on offense, his impeccable defense, and his availability to be on the floor. 

AS: Ja Morant vs. Anthony Edwards, and Dillon Brooks vs. everybody. 

When it comes to Memphis, who will be the team’s “x-factor”?

SB: One — The two-way play of Dillon Brooks is exemplary. He’s getting better at creating his own shots and finding open teammates when he passes the ball. In the Utah Jazz series last year, we saw that Brooks is a natural for the playoffs. Brooks scored 25.8 points per game.

Two — The impact of the Grizzlies bench. All year long the bench has stepped up when players have been in and out of the lineup. It can be either Tyus Jones, De’Anthony Melton, Ziaire Williams, Kyle Anderson, or even John Konchar.

AS: It will be a combination of Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks rather than a single player. This is the kind of matchup that Dillon the Villain thrives in.

Dillon Brooks (Photo cred: Grizzlies Twitter)

Who do you think will have the biggest impact off the bench for the Grizzlies?

SB: Jones — he has been so aggressive this season scoring the ball. He’s the best back-up point guard in the league and recorded the best single season assist-to-turnover ratio (7.04) in NBA history. Jones has the ability to slow things down when need be and make the right plays. He’s the anchor for that second unit. 

AS: If I have to pick one individual player it would be Brandon Clarke. His stats against the Timberwolves are slightly higher than his regular season stats, and his style of play matches up well against them. But the bench unit as a whole will continue to be a key point to success. This is the deepest Grizzlies team in history and the second unit has proven they can show up and fill in spots when the starters are resting. 

(statmuse link : https://statm.us/e/BaZnMUiXy) 

What do you think will be the outcome of the series?

SB: Grizzlies in 5 or 6.

AS: Grizzlies in 5. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Are the Grizzlies Better Without Ja Morant?

Ja Morant against the San Antonio Spurs (Photo credit: Memphis Grizzlies Twitter)

The answer to that question is no, but it’s complicated.

There has been a lot of chatter recently about the Grizzlies’ winning record without Ja Morant, which has led to the question of whether the team is better without its star player. Even in jest, the idea is ridiculous. It’s the popular “gotcha” statement of the moment, and while there are some statistical reasons being pointed to, they rely heavily on a purely surface-level examination of this team. 

Yes, it is a wild statistic that the Grizzlies have such a winning record during the stretches without Ja this season, and that has garnered a lot of attention. But correlation does not equal causation.  

What we are seeing is a perfect storm of good coaching, roster development, and a healthy dose of spurious correlation. 

Let’s talk about it.  

The Memphis Grizzlies are currently 20-4 in games without Morant this season. That moves to 10-4 in this most recent stretch without Morant. But that does not mean that the Grizzlies are a better team without him. In fact, they also have a winning record when he does play. Morant has played in 56 games this season, and the Grizzlies are 35-21 in those games.

There is not a team in the league that would not be made better if they added Morant to their roster. Full stop.  

Still, attributing their success this season solely to Morant misses all the ways in which the team has also improved that have nothing to do with their star point guard. 

It overlooks all the other legitimate talent on the team , and how they have created a chemistry on the court that is conducive to being successful, that is conducive to winning. The improvements across the board that have happened in the past three seasons are being downplayed, and coach Taylor Jenkins deserves a lot more credit than he is being given. 

The Grizzlies’ style of play has changed drastically during Jenkins’ tenure. Their pace has increased, as has their shooting percentages and the number of shots taken per game.

Memphis has increased its average shot attempts per game by a considerable margin over the past few seasons. In the 2021-2022 season, the Grizzlies lead the league in field goal attempts per game (94.3). In 2020-2021 they were ranked second in the league in field goal attempts per game (91.8). In 2019-2020 they were ranked sixth in field goal attempts per game (90.9). Compare that to 2018-2019, J.B. Bickerstaff’s last season where they were ranked dead last in field goal attempts per game (84.4). 

Field goal attempts are far from the only area in which the team has improved over the past few seasons. I have compared several categories in which the Grizzlies have improved, year over year.

Comparing the past five seasons shows a clear pattern of improvement. Stats courtesy of basketball-reference.com.

Taylor Jenkins assumed head coaching duties starting with the 2019-2020 season. Seeing it all laid out shows the progression of improvement that has taken place during that time.

There is a lot of unselfish basketball being played, in part because everyone believes in everyone else. Instead of next man up, it is every man up and guys are playing in ways that help make their teammates better.

For this Grizzlies team — winning is their business, and business is good.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Topple Lakers 104-99

Ja Morant defends LeBron James

Wednesday night your Memphis Grizzlies faced off against the Los Angeles Lakers. After struggling in the first half, the Grizzlies were able to cut into the lead the Lakers had built, and then a blend of good offense and defense in the fourth quarter helped guide the Grizzlies to a win.

A familiar face was on the sidelines for the opposing team. Lakers assistant coach (and former Grizzlies head coach) David Fizdale assumed head coaching duties this game as head coach Frank Vogel was in league health and safety protocols.

The Lakers have a roster full of recognizable names, players who have proven themselves on other teams. LeBron James, obviously, plus Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, and Avery Bradley. But for the amount of collective basketball ability the Lakers possess, they have had some very forgettable performances this season.

The Grizzlies on the other hand? We are all watching this young team grow into its own in real-time.  

By the Numbers:

Ja Morant continues to lead the way for the Grizzlies and has largely returned to his earlier season form. Morant leads all scorers with 41 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks.

Desmond Bane continues to shine, and he finished the night with 20 points, four rebounds, and two assists.

Only one other Grizzlies player scored in double figures — Jaren Jackson Jr. closed out with 15 points, four rebounds, three steals, and a block.

Kyle Anderson finished with 8 points, four rebounds, and two assists, and Xavier Tillman Sr. led the bench unit with 6 points, two steals, and a block.

Who Got Next?

The Grizzlies will play their last game of the year against the San Antonio Spurs Friday night at FedExForum. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Make History Against the Thunder

Jaren Jackson Jr. celebrates with a game-high 27 points.

The Memphis Grizzlies have just claimed the largest win margin in NBA history in their 152-79 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Yes, you did read that right — they won by 73 points. It was a game full of pure, unadulterated basketball ridiculousness. Epic poems and songs will be written about this game. Folks will tell their grandchildren about this game.

Before we go any further, let’s have a moment of silence to match the silence broadcast by Bally Sports to the entire Memphis market for most of the first quarter. Do better, Bally Sports.

Now then, let’s get into it.

In their third consecutive wire-to-wire winning game the Grizzlies have issued what might be the nastiest beatdown in franchise history against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Taking into consideration that the Thunder are currently on a seven-game losing streak and missing several of their best players, this is still a huge win.

Jaren Jackson Jr. and De’Anthony Melton lead the charge, but ultimately the Grizzlies got everyone involved in this victory. Literally, every player who stepped onto the court had at least two points. Memphis had more points in the paint (82) than Oklahoma City scored in total.

One of the most entertaining moments of the game occurred partway through the second quarter when De’Anthony Melton drove through the lane and dunked on Isaiah Roby and Mike Muscala. What makes this all the more hilarious is that Muscala is 6’11”, Roby is 6’8”, and Melton is a towering 6’2”.

The entire fourth quarter was essentially the Grizzlies bench wiping the floor with the Thunder, rinse and repeat.

Memphis Grizzlies guard John Konchar scored 12 of his 17 points in the 4th quarter.

By The Numbers:

Jaren Jackson Jr. led all scorers with 27 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. If he’s performing on this level once Ja Morant returns, this Grizzlies team is about to be A Problem.

JJJ13 🦄🦄🦄 – IYKYK

De’Anthony Melton finished the night with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, followed by Santi Aldama with a career-high 18 points and 10 rebounds and his first NBA double-double.

John Konchar closed out with 17 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals.

Dillon Brooks, Xavier Tillman, Brandon Clarke, and Jarett Culver all had 11 points each.

Tyus Jones put up 10 points, 9 assists, and 2 steals.

Who Got Next?

The Grizzlies will hit the road again, facing off Saturday, December 4th against the Dallas Mavericks. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. CST.

Can Memphis keep up the hot playing and extend their winning streak to four games? Find out Saturday.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Go Wire-to-Wire Against the Kings

The Grizzlies closed out a three-game homestand on Sunday with a wire-to-wire 128-101 win against the Sacramento Kings, their first such win this season. The victory also snaps a two-game Memphis losing streak.

A Morant-less Memphis team made a big statement against the Kings, leading by as many as 37 points. This is the kind of team-effort-oriented basketball that the Grizzlies need to play while their star point guard is on the injured list. Sharing the load becomes incredibly important now, and the better they manage to do it, the better they will fare during this stretch.

Every player that took the floor made a positive contribution of some sort. Several guys on the roster whose names you don’t often hear played hefty minutes in the second half, and all but one scored at least one basket. Jarrett Culver has the distinction of being the only Grizzlies player finishing the game scoreless.

More Is More:

The Grizzlies not only beat the Kings overall, but they also beat them in rebounds (68-49), they beat them in the paint (72-36), they beat them on fast-break points (20-10), they beat them from beyond the arc (13-9), and they beat them in assists (30-17).

By the Numbers:

Dillon Brooks finished with a game-high 21 points, 6 rebounds, and two steals, and Brandon Clarke closed out with 15 points, 6 rebounds. Shoutout Canada!

After dominating in the first quarter, Desmond Bane finished with 18 points, 5 rebounds, and two assists.

Jaren Jackson Jr. played big minutes and ended with 17 points, 9 rebounds, and two blocks.

De’Anthony Melton came off the bench and made his presence felt with 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists.

Who Got Next?

The Grizzlies will go north of the border where they will face off against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, November 30. Tip-off is at 6:30 p.m. CST.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Jaren Jackson Jr. Leads the Grizzlies to Victory

Jaren Jackson Jr., courtesy of Memphis Grizzlies twitter

The Memphis Grizzlies faced off against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night, for the second time this week. Thanks to the weirdness of NBA scheduling, Denver played in Memphis on Monday night and again Wednesday night. 

For a team that lost all three meetings with Denver last season, the Grizzlies taking both games this week is a big deal. That Memphis managed to win by only two points after having as much as a 20-point lead was less than ideal, but it does speak to this team’s resilience.

Jaren Jackson Jr. celebrates a bucket against the Denver Nuggets.

The Nuggets may have reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, but the Grizzlies have Ja Morant and JAREN JACKSON JR., who definitely deserves the all-caps after he led the Grizzlies in scoring and closed out against Jokic in the final play of the game. 

Denver had the advantage in the paint, on the glass, in second-chance points, and in fastbreak points, and yet Memphis still managed to come away with the win. 

The Grizzlies definitely took advantage of the Nuggets turning the ball over though, scoring 21 points off Denver’s 12 turnovers.

By the Numbers:

The leading scorer for Memphis was none other than Jaren Jackson Jr., who finished the night with 22 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 blocks — including 5 of 9 from beyond the three-point line. And notably only 3 fouls. He’s also a fashion icon, in case you didn’t know.

Ja Morant closed out the night with 18 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals. 

Kyle Anderson found a little of his mojo again after struggling in the past few games. Anderson ended up with 16 points, 3 rebounds, and shooting 2 of 3 from distance.

Desmond Bane also finished the night with 16 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists. Meanwhile, De’Anthony Melton had 10 points, 3 assists, and 2 blocks.

Rookie Ziaire Williams had the best game of his NBA career so far, contributing 11 points off the bench.

Steven Adams closed out with 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. Fun fact: Adams is shooting 100 percent from the free-throw line so far this season.

Who Got Next?

The Grizzlies will hit the road again, briefly, facing off against the Washington Wizards Friday night. Tip-off is at 6 p.m. CDT.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Get Scorched by Heat in 129–103 Blowout

Desmond Bane takes the ball to the basket against the Miami Heat. Image courtesy of Grizzlies Twitter

Well folks, here it is — the Grizzlies’ first wire-to-wire blowout of the season. The Miami Heat looked every bit like a team just one season removed from the NBA Finals, and, unfortunately, the Grizzlies looked every bit like a young team that hasn’t managed to work out all the kinks in their roster.

Let’s get into it.

The Heat opened up the first quarter shooting like fire from beyond the three-point line, at one point they were 5 for 5 from distance and closed out the quarter 7 of 10. The Grizzlies by contrast shot 2 of 6 from deep and 8 of 19 overall in the first, and it all went downhill from there.

The Grizzlies won the scoring battle in the second quarter, barely. Memphis managed to eke out more points, but it took them a lot of shots to do it.

They went into halftime down 13, a deficit they have managed to overcome in the past, even this season. But the Heat came back from the break and put their collective feet on the Grizzlies’ neck and did not let up.

 When the final buzzer sounded, Miami had packed up Memphis with mostly their bench unit; in fact, three of Miami’s starters (Jimmy Butler, P.J. Tucker, and Duncan Robinson) did not play a single minute in the fourth. Jimmy Butler’s game-high 27 points all came in the first three periods.

Being outclassed by a better team is nothing to be ashamed of, but getting dragged by their second string while most of the first unit watches might be. Woof.

By the Numbers:

Ja Morant had his second lowest-scoring game of the season so far, notching a team-high 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists.

De’Anthony Melton also closed out the night with 20 points, while shooting 4 of 7 from deep.

Desmond Bane followed closely with 17 points and 5 of 10 from distance.

Kyle Anderson led the bench unit with 13 points, including 3 of 4 from beyond the three-point line.

Jaren Jackson Jr. and Steven Adams, the starting power forward and center for Memphis this season, combined for an abysmal 14 points and 8 rebounds. That the two of them couldn’t come up with a double-double between them is less than ideal, to put it mildly.

It’s only game six of the regular season, and the Grizzlies have a lot to prove in the coming months. But there is a whole lot of season left for them to prove it.

If it’s true that this team really is better than advertised, then their success last season should be easily replicated going forward. Reality is a little more complicated and, truth be told, it is far too early into the season to make any informed predictions about how the team will fare.

Ja Morant’s star continues to rise and his ceiling as a player seems to be nowhere in sight. It’s easy to forget that the electrifying young point guard is only in his third year in the league. Watching him play, with his genius-level basketball IQ and unshakeable swagger, Morant is everything that Memphis needed Mike Conley to be. It would not be a stretch to say that he’s the most talented player to ever take the court in Beale Street blue.

Jaren Jackson Jr.’s return from injury has not been the seamless transition fans hoped it would be, and the areas he struggled in before still plague him now. Without Jonas Valanciunas to carry the rebounding and offensive load, Jackson Jr. has his work cut out for him. Whether or not that is a role that the young big man can assume remains to be seen.

Who Got Next?

The Grizzlies are staying home for a few games. Monday night they will face off against the Denver Nuggets and reigning MVP Nikola Jokic. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. CDT.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Snap Two-Game Losing Streak, Battle Back To Beat the Warriors 104–101

Ja Morant doing Ja Morant things. Image: Grizzlies Twitter

The Grizzlies closed out their four-game west coast road trip Thursday night with a big win against the Golden State Warriors in their first overtime appearance of the season.

Coming on the heels of a brutal loss to the Portland Trail Blazers and a narrow defeat by the Los Angeles Lakers, this win against Golden State puts the Grizzlies at 2-2 for the road trip.

Let’s get into it.

Spoiler Alert: Steph Curry is still a menace from behind the three-point line, with 21 of his 36 points in regulation coming from distance.

This game wasn’t big in the sense that it was a blowout, more so that it was a big battle to overcome a 19-point deficit and Steph Curry’s hot shooting to secure the win. Forcing turnovers and converting them into points on the other end of the floor also contributed to the double-digit comeback.

Despite struggling for most of the first half and not holding a lead until deep into the fourth quarter, this Memphis team managed to scratch and claw their way to the season’s first overtime period. They hung on for dear life, not succumbing to enormous pressure from the Warriors. Pressure that would have overwhelmed them last season.

Ja Morant continues to do what he does, putting up 18 points in the third quarter alone.

Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, and De’Anthony Melton combined to score 18 of the Grizzlies 25 fourth-quarter points. This was a marked improvement for Melton, who has struggled for the past two games, even going scoreless in the loss against Portland.

By the Numbers:

Ja Morant led the team in scoring with 30 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals.

Desmond Bane finished the night with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists. Bane led the Grizzlies in three-point shooting with 15 of those 19 points coming from beyond the arc.

Jaren Jackson Jr. closed out with 15 points and 8 rebounds. Fellow big man Steven Adams put up 12 points and 7 rebounds.

De’Anthony Melton finished with 7 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, and 3 blocks. Melton’s contributions on both ends of the floor were vitally important for the Grizzlies.

Kyle Anderson had 8 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. Very important blocks, as seen below.

<Mike Breen voice> BLOCKED BY ANDERSON

Who Got Next?

The Grizzlies return to Memphis where they will face off against the Miami Heat. It’s going down Saturday night in FedExForum. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. CDT.