Tag: Jaren Jackson Jr.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Topple Bucks to Sweep Season Series

Jaren Jackson Jr. dribbles the ball against Giannis Antetokounmpo as the Grizzlies faced off against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)

On the road in Milwaukee, the Grizzlies topped the Bucks, 111-101, Wednesday night. The Grizzlies have won five in a row over the Bucks, and they also swept the season series.

Milwaukee made 18 three-pointers, while the Grizzlies made just seven. That is generally not a recipe for a win. However, Memphis dominated in the paint, outscoring the Bucks 76-36 and shot 50.5% from the field.

It was the JJJ show in Milwaukee. Jaren Jackson Jr. was by far the best player on the floor Wednesday night. In the final minute of the game, Jackson Jr. gave Memphis a 10-point advantage with a baseline fadeaway 3-pointer over two defenders. 

Jackson Jr. scored a game-high 35 points on 14-for-26 shooting, along with four assists and three steals.

“I was taking what the defense gives me,” the 24-year-old said after the game. “I’ve been working on my game a lot and I was glad to get the opportunity to get out there and show it a little bit.”

Rookie GG Jackson II finished with 15 points and a career-high 12 rebounds for his first career double-double.

Jackson II has been on fire ever since he was moved to the starting lineup, with respectable stats overall and 10 straight starts in which he scored 10 or more.

Brandon Clarke keeps impressing. in just his fourth game of the season as he makes his way back from an Achilles injury suffered in March 2023. He finished with 14 points off of 7-for-10 shooting, and added seven rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. 

“It means a lot; everybody here wants to win. We don’t really want to lose,” said Clarke about Memphis winning two in a row, after the struggles the team has faced. “I think it’s about pride, really. It’s about just finding ways to win for next year too; finding ways to get better even when you know it’s tough in the season.”

With 13 points, 12 boards, and seven assists, bench player Jordan Goodwin nearly recorded a triple-double. He has grabbed 10 or more rebounds in each of his last three games.

The Grizzlies will host the Detroit Pistons on Friday, April 5, at 7 p.m. CT, in their return to FedExForum.

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Beyond the Arc Sports Uncategorized

Nuggets Dismantle Grizzlies, 128-103

Lamar Steven shoots a jumper against the Denver Nuggets on March 25, 2024. (Photo by: Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Memphis Grizzlies finished off a four-game road trip with a 128-103 loss to the Denver Nuggets (51-21) at Ball Arena on Monday night. 

Denver improved to 15-2 since the All-Star break and currently are in first place in the Western Conference and is one game ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Grizzlies have lost five of their last six games to fall to 24-48 on the season. 

Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins is 5-11 against Denver in his coaching career.

“Obviously, we’ve fallen quite a bit throughout this season, but the spirit of this group has been great,” Jenkins said. “I just lean into that. What are the opportunities for us as a coaching staff to get better and the players individually and collectively? The dialogue has been great on what we can build on for the rest of the season and going into next year.”

After sitting out six games due to a left adductor strain, Lamar Stevens returned to lead the team with 19 points as a reserve. In his 13 games with the Grizzlies since coming over from Boston, Stevens is averaging 11.8 points and 4.8 rebounds off the bench. 

Scotty Pippen Jr. added 17 points and four assists in his 6th start of the season. Pippen Jr. is shooting 51 percent from the field, 55 percent from beyond the and averaging 1.3 steals in 11 games with Memphis. 

Both Desmond Bane and GG Jackson II ended up with 15 points apiece. 

Jaren Jackson Jr. had 11 points, five assists, four rebounds, four blocks, and two steals. 

The Grizzlies return to FedExForum to host the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday March 27, at 7 p.m. CT.

Jenkins said his team has to play better Wednesday and “it’s as simple as that.” 

Injury news

Brandon Clarke continues to rehab an Achilles injury that has sidelined him since last March 3, 2023. Clarke was upgraded to doubtful on the injury report against Denver and prior to the contest Jenkins said he would likely return in the next game or two.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Warriors Demolish Grizzlies

Jaren Jackson Jr. drives to the basket against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (Photo by: Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Golden State Warriors defeated  the Memphis Grizzlies, 137-116, on Wednesday night. The Warriors won the season series against the Grizzlies 2-1. Golden State improved to 18-18 at home, snapping a three-game home losing streak.

With the score tied at 58 in the second quarter, the Warriors went on a 22-0 run for an 80-58 lead. Memphis lost its fourth-consecutive game, fell to 23-47 on the season, and has been officially eliminated from playoff contention. 

Golden State is still fighting for postseason position, at 10th in the Western Conference, to be eligible for the Play-In Tournament.  

The Jacksons and Aldama led the way for Memphis. GG Jackson II scored a career high 35 points, and added five rebounds and three assists. Jackson also converted on a career-high seven 3-pointers and became the youngest player in the NBA history (19 years, 94 days) to do so.

With six consecutive games in which he has scored 19 points or more, Jackson II is now enjoying his best scoring performances of the season. The South Carolina rookie has solidified his position as a starter for the remaining weeks of the regular season. 

Warrior’s Chris Paul had good things to say about the 19-year-old after the game. 

Ja Morant also chimed in regarding Jackson II.

Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 28 points, four rebounds, and three assists.

This marks the fifth game in nine games since the All-Star break that the 24-year-old center has scored 25 points or more. Jackson Jr. has now appeared in 60 games for the season, averaging 22.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals. 

Santi Aldama added 27 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals. 

Tidbits 

Freaky Deeky, Dejon Jarreau who signed his second 10-day contract with Memphis before the game had a remarkable put-back. 

By the numbers 

The Warriors bench outscored the Memphis reserves, 63-20. 

Golden State had 20 fast-break points while the Grizzlies only had 3.

The Warriors outscored Memphis 62-46 with points in the paint. 

Golden State had a season-high 43 assists while the Grizzlies had 29.

The Warriors shot 58 percent from the field and 48 percent from 3-point range and held Memphis to 43 percent from the field and 36 percent from beyond the arc.

Up Next

The Grizzlies travel to San Antonio to take on the 15-54 Spurs on March 22 at 7 p.m. CT.

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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

Grizzlies Rally Past Sixers

(Photo: Wes Hale)

Despite being down 12 points entering the fourth quarter, the Memphis Grizzlies rallied to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 115-109 on Wednesday night. They went on an 11-0 run near the end of the quarter and outscored the 76ers, 34-16. 

Memphis has won their last two games after snapping a five-game losing run after the All-Star break. 

“I challenge the guys at halftime — I mean that was pretty poor performance in the first half, lack of urgency, lack of communication,” said Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins. “The Sixers got whatever they wanted in the first half, rotation, second chance points — through three quarters they had 30 second chance points and ended up with 35.

Jenkins continued, “So [a] better job in the fourth quarter but challenged them at halftime a little bit better even though we lost the third quarter by four. I said, hey, flush the first three quarters, we’re gonna come out, we’re gonna play our best quarter in the fourth. 

“We just found a way to execute down the stretch and came down to just being in the right spots, the ball movement, multiple guys with multiple assists, but Vince [Williams Jr.] and Santi [Aldama] especially. Those guys did a great job facilitating some big time shots, knocked down some big free throws, and then just limiting them at the end of the game, second-chance points was huge for us to get this victory.

“These guys have just been really hanging in,” Jenkins said. “There’s still a lot more basketball left to play in the season. We keep reminding them, here’s what’s in front of us, here’s our reality. What are we going to do about?

“We go out there, we just keep pushing them to make the winning plays by our standard, and guys have been rising to the occasion,” Jenkins added. You see a lot of different guys rise to the occasion and get this opportunity. It’s pretty special to see and hopefully carries forth this season and beyond.”

After missing three games with right quad tendon pain, Jackson returned to the lineup and wasted little time making an impression. The All-Star forward finished with 30 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks. Jackson Jr. recorded a double-double for the seventh time this season, and tied his season high for rejections. 

Jake LaRavia had another solid game 19 points, 13 rebounds, and three blocks. For the second game in a row, the sophomore forward recorded back to back double-doubles as a reserve.

To close it out Vince Williams Jr. chipped in 17 points, team-high nine assists, seven rebounds, and two steals. Santi Aldama added 17 points, seven assists, four rebounds, and three blocks. 

Memphis totaled 15 blocks on the night. 

The Grizzlies return home on Friday, March 8th, to face the Atlanta Hawks at 7 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM ESPN.

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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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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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Grizzlies Win Third in a Row

Jaren Jackson Jr. #13 of the Memphis Grizzlies during the second half against Orlando Magic at FedEx Forum on January 26, 2024, in Memphis Tennessee. (Wes Hale Photo)

On the court at FedExForum, the Memphis Grizzlies haven’t had much luck this season, with a disappointing 4–15 home record going into Friday night. Nevertheless, they defeated the Orlando Magic in a nail-biter, 107-106, to win their second consecutive home game. It marked Memphis’ fifth straight win against the Magic.

Memphis has now won three games in a row and recorded at least 30 assists in each victory. 

“Moving forward, continue to make that a priority — it’s as simple as that,” said Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins on how the team’s assists correlate to a winning formula. “We know that’s got to be a big part of our identity. We’ve had to work all season to catch this wave of a couple of games in a row. Keep prioritizing the spacing.” 

Jenkins went on to say, “I talked about the willingness to see it on film, see it in the practices, see it within the game — that’s what our guys have to continue to focus on.”

“In terms of a correlation, we know what our identity is,” Jenkins explained. “It’s our defensive activity that generates that excitement and momentum. We know when we play like that, you’re getting the production as well. When you’re setting your teammates up, that’s the excitement that we’re used to playing with. Encouraged by the play the last couple of games, and these guys know I’m not going to stop hitting them over the head with it.”

Despite starting 11 different lineups in January, the Grizzlies managed an 8-5 record for the month.

Leading the way for the Grizzlies Friday night was Jaren Jackson Jr., who scored 30 points, snatched 8 boards, and dished out 2 assists. It was Jackson Jr.’s eighth 30-point performance this season.

Jackson Jr. bullied the Magic bigs under the hoop and scored around the rim with consistency. He tied a season-high with 24 points in the paint for the Grizzlies, who finished with 50 paint points.

Jackson Jr. is the lone regular part of the Grizzlies core who is not sidelined for Memphis. His improved play has been another bright spot of this tumultuous season. 

“Yeah, for sure — very well said,” was Jackson Jr.’s response to a question about whether playing without Ja Morant and Desmond Bane is helping him grow. “Try (to) go out there every day and work on my game. Work on what I work on, doubles, shifts, and more attention. It is all going to be good because you don’t always get opportunities like that. So, you got to make the most of it and really grow when your name is called in situations like that.”

For Jackson Jr., it’s a good feeling to win in front of the home crowd. “It’s always good to win here,” he said. “I know we’ve had a better record on the road. So, every time we come back here, and we can get it done, all these games are going to mean something at this point.”

“We’re trying to crawl back,” Jackson Jr. continued. “We’re trying to make this push right here, which we are going to get that done. But it’s going to take a lot of fights. So, every game is going to be played like a playoff game.”

Off the bench, Ziaire Williams added 17 points (7-10 FG, 3-6 3P), four rebounds, and five assists. Williams has been struggling mightily as of late and has received plenty of criticism about his performances. 

After the game, Williams responded to the criticism, “I’ve just been taking it one day at a time, taking the good with the bad and the bad with the good — staying true to myself and putting the work in. I’m glad it paid off today. I just have to keep it up and believe in my ability.”

Luke Kennard added 15 points (5-11 FG), connected on five 3-pointers, and dished out six assists. In his last four games, Kennard has made 19 3-pointers.

Up Next

The Grizzlies travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers, Sunday, January 28 at 2:30 p.m. CT.