Tag: Jaren Jackson Jr.

Categories
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. 

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies “Looked Damn Good” in Ja Morant’s Return

Dillon Brooks goes up for a layup against the New Orleans Pelicans. (Photo cred: Grizzlies PR on Twitter)

Grizzlies superstar guard Ja Morant returned to action Saturday, and he didn’t disappoint as his team walloped the New Orleans Pelicans 141-114. 

A sore right knee has kept him out of action since March 18th, but he returned to the court on Saturday to get some work in before the postseason starts. 

Grizzlies presumptive playoff starters Morant, Desmond Bane, Dillon Brooks, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Steven Adams started together only nine times this season.

In his first game back after an eight-game absence, Morant tallied 21 points, nine assists and four rebounds in 26 minutes. Plus a magnificent block against Larry Nance Jr. 

Morant said “That block was tough, I felt like Jaren [Jackson Jr.]. They might have to put me on the defensive team after that.” Jackson Jr. leads the league in blocks shot with 177 after recording four blocks on Saturday night.

Morant was ecstatic to be back on the court with his brothers. “Being back out there with my team — I’ve been waiting on since March 19th, I got hurt on the 18th,” the 22-year old said. “I finally was able to lock in on my rehab recovery each and every day, doing all type of stuff. Shout out to Eric, my trainer, for getting me back on the floor but, just excited to be out there.”

 “I’ve had a lot of fun just preparing for this stretch we’re about to go on and its playoff,” Morant added. “I felt like I needed a game or two to get my legs back under me, to get the game type feel. Obviously, nothing compares to a game whether it’s practice or whatever. I just wanted to be ready to go and obviously I’ve been in and out of the lineup, my teammates were playing a lot of basketball without me, so just going out there to adapt and to make sure everybody, gets a feel playing with each other now that we’re kind of healthy.” 

The All-Star guard acknowledged things the team needed clean-up before the postseason begins. “Obviously some stuff we still have to correct,” Morant said. “Early on in the game, we were all like Ja [Morant] is back — even me. I actually had a time in the game where I told my teammates, look man, ‘I’ve watching a lot of film on y’all, and when I’ve been out, I’ve seen how y’all have been playing.’ And my job just coming in is not trying to change that. Passing is my favorite thing to do. So, if teams want to double, pack the paint to force me to pass and I’ve got shooters all over the floor that are making you pay for it. That was my message to them.”

Morant continued, “Early on in that first half, I was struggling, I’m used to going and seeing one man at the rim — I’m going finish that and then in the second half I changed that to making the pass to the man and I feel like that’s what led to that 55-point quarter. My teammates seeing me share the ball and they started doing the same thing and we were getting wide open shots. And that fueled a big quarter for us. And once we get going, we’re a tough team to stop on offense, and I feel like it fuels our defense and once our defense locked in, it’s rebounding the ball and back to scoring on the other end. It’s a good thing to see. I know you know, we’re all proud of you know how we played tonight but we still got some things to correct and four turnovers for me is unacceptable. I get jealous of Tyus [Jones] a lot.”

Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins had no worries about Morant’s return. He said after the win, “As we said before the game, we wanted Ja to be full throttle. I thought he was doing that. Just didn’t get the ball to bounce his way, or just a couple moves here or there, but then just started spreading the ball around.” 

Jenkins added, “Great job moving at nine assists. And then, obviously, in the second half, I thought he did a great job. Continued to play full throttle, finishes, shooting it with great confidence from the 3-point line, getting to the free throw line a number of times throughout the game. I thought he played great, and then obviously he capped it off with that huge block at the end. I thought his defensive intensity was really good too.”

Brooks was delighted with Morant’s return. “It went great, said Brooks after the game. “You got to see everything you need to see. Double teams in the screen-and-roll, getting downhill and making his plays, and finally I get to see a wide-open, spot-up shot, which I’ve been missing. I feel like it was great.” 

Brooks was the game’s leading scorer with 23 points, five assists and three rebounds in 23 minutes of action. 

Brandon Clarke led the bench with 20 points off a perfect 10-of-10 shooting along with five rebounds and three assists. As the only other player in franchise history to score 20 points on a perfect shooting night, Clarke joins Tony Allen, Vince Carter, JaMychal Green, Stromile Swift, and Lorenzen Wright on that list.

After Allen, the Gonzaga alum is the only other player to accomplish this feat while making at least 10 field goals.

Records are meant to be broken

With 55 points in the third quarter, the Grizzlies blew the game wide open and set a franchise record for points in a single period. 

Memphis also set a single-quarter record for field goals made and assists with 20-of-26 (.769) and 16 assists in the third quarter. They also tied a franchise record with 41 assists for the game.

The Grizzlies matched their 2012-2013 record of 56 wins in a season with this victory. 

Also it was the team’s 14th win with a margin of 25 points or more this season. 

Memphis will have the opportunity to break a franchise record when it plays the Boston Celtics in its last regular season game of the season inside FedExForum. Tip off at 6 p.m. CT. 

Morant cited the team’s performance in the third quarter as proof that the team “looked damn good.” And indeed they did. 

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Desmond Bane Leads Grizzlies Over Pacers … Again

Desmond Bane (Photo credit: Memphis Grizzlies Twitter)

Another day, another Grizzlies win by 30 points against the Pacers, as Memphis’ team beat Indiana, 133-103. If it feels like we’ve been here before, it’s because we have.  

Let’s get into it.  

After meeting the Pacers on their home turf on March 15th, this time, the Grizzlies hosted the Pacers in the Grindhouse. Different arena, same outcome.  

Once again, the Grizzlies were without their star point guard Ja Morant. Once again, everyone on the squad stepped up, once again led by the offensive prowess of Desmond Bane.  

Memphis is two games into a four-game homestand and quickly approaching the end of the regular season. Thursday night’s victory clinched a playoff berth for the Grizzlies, who as of this moment are sitting comfortably in the second seed in the Western Conference.  

This victory is slightly overshadowed by the announcement that Morant will be sidelined for at least another two weeks. With just eight regular-season games remaining over the next two weeks, it seems unlikely Morant will return before the postseason.  

The Grizzlies have shown that this team is more than capable of holding their own without Morant during the regular season, and it is a testament to just how well constructed this roster is. But the playoffs are another thing entirely. 

By the Numbers:  

Desmond Bane led all scorers with 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists while shooting 12 of 15 overall and 5 of 7 from three-point range. Bane has also set a new franchise record for most three-pointers made in a season, passing Mike Miller’s 2006-2007 record of 203 three-pointers made.  

Jaren Jackson Jr. closed out with 20 points on the night, including shooting 4 of 7 from beyond the arc.  

De’Anthony Melton led the bench with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists while shooting 5 of 9 from distance. Mr. Do Something did a little of everything.  

John Konchar put together a solid game, finishing the night with 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists.  

Xavier Tillman also contributed double figures from the bench, finishing with 16 points and 5 rebounds.  

Who Got Next?  

The Grizzlies continue their homestand Saturday night when they face off against the reigning NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks. Tip-off is 7 p.m. CDT.  

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Grit ’N Grind Plus Swagger Lift Grizzlies Past Nets

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

On Wednesday night, the Grizzlies’ star guard was sidelined for the second straight game with knee soreness as Memphis took on the Nets. Still, the Grizzlies showed they are a complete team with the next man up mentality. 

Ja Morant is by far the best player on the team, but his teammates are solid players as well. Their skill was on full display in front of a packed FedExForum — and a national TV audience on ESPN. The Grizzlies beat the Nets 132-120.

Nets head coach Steve Nash had some interesting and telling words after the game about the Grizzlies ability to win without Ja Morant. He said, “Talent — they have a talented, balanced roster. Our roster is built on three stars. When they’re out it makes it very difficult and puts a big strain on guys to play roles that they haven’t played before.”

Kevin Durant also spoke about Memphis’ ability to win without Morant. “I mean look down the line, they got solid players all the way down the line, just good players, you know. De’Anthony Melton came in and changed the game. I think that’s what won them the game. I think our starting five, pretty much match them. You know, then you know you got guys off the bench that came in and play well, so they got a deep team. They got a lot of athletic guys and they run fast, and he played [with] a lot of confidence.”

Durant continued, “I think one through 10 in their rotation are just solid players. You know Ja [Morant] is the superstar on this team, but they got guys that can start with pretty much a lot of teams in the league. Their front office did a great job putting this team together.”

De’Anthony Melton led the charge off the bench with a season-high 23 points, including a career-high six 3-pointers. 

The Memphis bench outscored the Nets reserves 52-11.

“We are nothing to play with — one man goes down, two men go down — we are so deep you know we have a lot of depth in our team,” said Melton after the statement win before a national TV audience. “We have a lot of guys that work on their game and want to win from the top to the bottom no matter what. So, we understand what we need to do to go out there and get the victory. We’re going to do that no matter what. Each guy understands that and is willing to put their body on the line for it.”

In Morant’s absence, Melton had his own highlight dunk that surely will be featured on SportsCenter. 

Dillon Brooks also has a special message about the Grizzlies. “We still got the grit — we still got the grind,” Brooks proclaimed. “I feel like we just got a lot of swagger to us. It doesn’t matter who it is on the floor. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing against. We just have that different type of swagger. It shouldn’t matter if we’re playing Brooklyn or if we’re playing Atlanta. We have to figure out how to keep this same energy, the same grit, the same attention to detail so we can finish out the season and go into the playoffs with some momentum.” Brooks ended the night with 21 points, three rebounds and two assists. 

Desmond Bane had 23 points on 6-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc, including 3 three-pointers in the game’s final frame to help give Memphis a 132-120 victory over the Nets as “Whoop That Trick” blasted loudly on ESPN. 

Bane also made Grizzlies history on the night. 

Mike Miller also was in attendance to see Bane break his franchise 3-point record. 

Bane spoke to ESPN’s Malika Andrews in the walk-off interview. 

Bane walked to the interview podium with the game ball tucked in his hand. “It’s a huge accomplishment — I’m super thankful,” Bane said about breaking the franchise record. “I have to thank my teammates, first and foremost. And Coach Jenkins, for giving us all the confidence to be aggressive and continue to let it fly, make or miss. We got a great team, something special going on. We always share the ball and the ball happens to find me in the right place. And the rest is history.”

The TCU alum said he will have Mike Miller sign the game ball, and he will sign it himself, date it, and then put it up. Bane also revealed that he and Miller had a good relationship.

“We’re not sneaking up on nobody anymore. The Grizzlies got that respect. I mean, it started kind of this morning and yesterday with All Access [ESPN] and stuff like that.”

Desmond Bane at the post game presser with his record breaking game ball.

ESPN crews had been in Memphis the last couple of days to bring national attention to the Grizzlies. Personalities including Andrews, Stephen A. Smith, Jalen Rose, Kendrick Perkins, and more were in the Bluff City.

“The national networks are starting to take notice and pick up on our team and a great season we’re having,” Bane added. “To beat a team like Brooklyn, who’s building, trying to contend for it all. We’re shorthanded without Ja; it says a lot about our team and what we’re capable of.”

Stingy defense by Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brandon Clarke kept Brooklyn at just 16 points in the fourth quarter and ensured a decisive victory. Jackson Jr. ended with 13 points, five rebounds, and four blocks while Clarke finished with a double-double, 14 points, and 10 rebounds off the bench. 

“That’s one of our best big combinations and we didn’t know what they were going to do lineup-wise,” Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said of the two defensive studs. “Start off the fourth quarter, which we normally start our force with [Brandon Clarke] and [Jaren Jackson Jr.], those guys. You just see the activity they play with. We started switching actions more, pick-and-rolls, putting bigs onto [Kyrie] Irving.” 

Jenkins added, “Great one-on-one defense, and then when they were getting inside to the paint, we were just swarming them and blocking shots or rebounds. And then, when those guys just play with great guard play the way that they run the floor, [Clarke] the threat in the paint and at the rim, and then [Jackson Jr.] from the 3-point line, it’s just great balance.”

“They really set the tone with their defense because they’re very versatile,” Jenkins continued. “As I said, they were able to switch onto two of the most elite playmakers in the league and really hold it down.”

With the win, the Grizzlies improved to 50-23 on the season. 

Melton was thankful for getting 50 for the first time ever. “I won 19 games my rookie year out of 82, which is crazy,” said Melton. “I mean from the jump, from the time I got here, I mean, I noticed the team — you know going uphill, upstream right now, and I feel like everybody has gotten better and everybody keeps getting better. I think that’s the motto in Memphis. Everybody has adapted to that and understands that.”

Who Got Next

The Grizzlies look to improve to 51 wins as they will host the Indiana Pacers tonight at 7 p.m.

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Dillon Brooks’ Return Lifts Grizzlies Past Thunder, 125-118

Dillon Brooks (Credit: Lawrence Kuzniewski)

It was Dillon Brooks’ first appearance on the court after being sidelined with an ankle injury against the Los Angeles Clippers on January 8th.

After a brief delay, the Thunder and Grizzlies’ final matchup of the season got underway. It was immediately apparent that both teams wore white uniforms when the players removed their warmups after the lineups were announced. To get things back on track, Memphis went back to their locker room to change and returned to the court wearing blue uniforms. The ultimate wardrobe malfunction.

In his first game back, Brooks finished with 15 points, four assists, two rebounds, and a steal.

Taylor Jenkins had high praise for Brooks after the game. “Just really impressed with DB [Dillon Brooks],” Jenkins said. “His first game back, I thought he settled in great, just played really good basketball on both sides of the floor [and] exerted a lot of his force and energy out there. He never backs down, he plays super aggressive. I think as the game went on to start finding really nice rhythm out there and really good playmaking.” 

Jenkins added, “The first half, he had four assists and got his spots on the floor shot with confidence. Just that level of physicality is something we’re excited to have back with us.”

Brooks was pleased to finally be back on the floor with his teammates. After the game Brooks said, “Coach [Jenkins] tried to tell me, share the basketball, get your teammates involved — be aggressive and humble at same time. And that’s what I try to do. I try to drive and make the defense collapse and get my teammates the ball in the right spots and pick and choose where I can you drive and be aggressive. It was a great game and I love [that] my teammates kept trying to give me the ball and make plays, so it was a great win.”

Jaren Jackson Jr. shared his thoughts on Brooks’ return. He said, “He left the game as one of the, if not the best wing defenders in the game — so you know what he can do. He takes on that challenge every night. So just adding a piece like that always helps take pride in our defense. DB, man, back in this thing, being who he is. That’s all I told him to do, man, ‘Do you, bruh.’ Ain’t no advice. ‘Do you; you know what to do.’”

Jackson ended the game with 18 points, five rebounds, two assists, and a block in 29 minutes to help lift the Grizzlies to 47-22 on the season. 

To round it out, Memphis had seven players in double figures including Brooks and Jackson Jr. Desmond Bane led the way for the Grizzlies with 21 points, eight rebounds, and two assists. Ja Morant ended with a double-double, 17 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds. Tyus Jones and Brandon Clarke had 12 points apiece, while Ziaire Williams had 11 as Memphis’ bench squad outscored the Thunder second unit, 45-28.

Who Got Next

The Grizzlies take on the Pacers on Tuesday night for the first time this season in Indiana and look to extend their winning streak to four games.

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

The Grizzlies Whooped That Clip

Jaren Jackson, Jr. putback dunk against the Clippers (screen grab courtesy of Memphis Grizzlies Instagram)

The Grizzlies defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 135-109 on Tuesday night in Memphis.

With a record of 38-18, the Grizzlies are 20 games above .500 for the first time since the 2014-15 season.

It was the first time Memphis had swept the Clippers in a season series since the 2003-04 campaign (4-0). The Grizzlies are perfect (16-0) this season when scoring at least 120 points, which includes their four victories against the Clippers.

The unicorn and the ninja were the two best players on the court last night. The twosome of Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant combined to outscore all of the Clippers starters 56-40.

Jackson, Jr. came out aggressive from the start and finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds. One could speculate he was upset by his All-Star snub. An aggressive unicorn will be scary for the Grizzlies’ future opponents. 

Taylor Jenkins was proud of Jackson, Jr.’s aggressive play. He said, “I thought he played with great force, great activity. It’s something that we challenge in him, to continue to be aggressive on the boards, offensively and defensively. I thought he just was relentless – getting 50/50 balls. There were a couple sequences there, and-one, transition, we play with great pace, we miss a wide open three, he goes in and collects a big rebound, he’s swooping in from the corner to tip a ball out. I think we ended up with 21 offensive rebounds and he was a huge piece of that. So, when he plays with that aggressiveness and accepts that challenge, it pays off substantially for us and for him.”

Morant also praised his teammate:

Morant finished with 30 points, seven rebounds and five assists. In the third quarter, he scored 14 of his 30 points. The 22-year-old now has at least 30 points in 19 games this season and averages more points per quarter than any other NBA player in the third period (9.2 points). 

For the second straight game, the Grizzlies held a 30-point lead and Morant did not play in the fourth quarter.

After the game Clippers guard Reggie Jackson described how difficult it is playing this current Grizzlies team. He said, “Taking care of the ball and keeping them out of transition. They dominate the paint every game we’ve played them and getting downhill attacking, not just Ja [Morant]. He’s been extremely aggressive all year and he knows what he’s doing. We gave them easy ones with crucial turnovers so that’s tough. This is a team that lives off pace and getting down the court and they really live off your mistakes.”

“We are reactionary when we play this team and we just have to hit first,” Jackson added. “We know their motto and it’s something they’re going to embrace: grit and grind. We understand what Memphis is about. They are a tough, blue collar team so the way they play and come out and compete it’s really indicative of who they are. We understand that we have to come out with a better mentality and be more physical and don’t worry about the refs.”

Jackson concluded, “They move at a high pace, they get up and down, and they really use their legs. It’s not even just their pace but how well they’re spaced within their pace. You can tell they work on it and they’re great at using all their weapons and their ability to make the right reads. They have a lot of talent but their continuity is what makes them a tough team right now.”

Tidbits

Zach Randolph was in the building to watch the Grizzlies demolish the Clippers. He had some words of wisdom for Morant and Jackson, Jr. after the game. 

Who Got Next

The Grizzlies start a three-game road trip in Detroit against the Pistons on Thursday evening. Tip-off is at 6pm CT. 

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Fall to Sixers in OT

Desmond Bane lines up a shot against the Sixers. (Photo via @memgrizz)

The Grizzlies fought hard Monday night in Philadelphia against the Sixers but ultimately were not able to close out in overtime. Memphis’ team lost to the 76ers 119 to 122.

Let’s get into it.  

As far as losses go, this one isn’t entirely disappointing. Not entirely, but still a little. There are many upsides to point out from this game, even in defeat. But there are also some lingering issues that continue to plague this Grizzlies team. Issues that need to be addressed sooner rather than later if they are going to make a deep postseason run. 

The Sixers were without their star big man Joel Embiid, but Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey picked up the slack and helped secure victory for Philadelphia. Harris and Maxey combined for 64 points, more than half of the points scored by the Sixers. 

But win or lose, the best player on the court was inarguably Ja Morant, with Desmond Bane in a supporting role. Morant and Bane are one of the most dynamic, exciting-to-watch backcourts in the league this year.

Ja-countability? Like the leader he is shaping up to be, Morant expressed in the postgame press conference that he feels responsible for the loss, citing key missed free throws and poor three-point shooting.

By the Numbers: 

Before I get into individual stats, the elephant in the room needs to be addressed — missed free throws are hurting this team in a bad way. Overall free throw shooting for the Grizzlies was a dismal 68 percent. The team missed a collective 9 free throws in a game they lost by 3 and there is absolutely no excuse for it.  

A public service announcement from the Ministry of Making Your Fucking Free Throws

As bad as the free throw shooting was, the three-point shooting was even worse. Shoutout to Desmond Bane for hitting 5 of the 6 made three-pointers. Unfortunately, that is not a typo — the Grizzlies shot an abysmal 6 of 30 from beyond the arc.  

But it wasn’t all bad for the Grizzlies — they scored 30 points off 21 turnovers, 29 fast break points, and 72 points in the paint.  

Ja Morant led all scorers with 37 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. This makes the seventh consecutive game where Morant has scored 30 or more points, a career record for him and a franchise record for the Grizzlies.  

Desmond Bane closed out with a career-high 34 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals, including 5 of 9 from beyond the arc.  

Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

Rookie Ziaire Williams ended up with 8 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists, including 2 of 2 from the free-throw line. 

This dish from Morant to Williams was next-level nasty:

Behind the back passing? Yes, please!

Who Got Next? 

The Grizzlies continue their three-game road trip with an appearance Wednesday night at the World’s Most Famous Arena, to face off against the New York Knicks. Tip-off is at 6:30 p.m. CST.  

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports Uncategorized

Grizzlies Win Nine Straight Games

Ja Morant auditions to be the new Superman. (Credit Grizzlies Twitter)

The Memphis Grizzlies set a franchise record with nine straight wins after defeating the Los Angeles Lakers, 127-119 on Sunday night.

Acting head coach Brad Jones is 3-0 this season. Jones took the reins as Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins is out due to health and safety protocols. 

After the win, Jones talked about the winning streak. He said, “I don’t think we’ve talked to the guys about that at all, but then they told us right before we went into the locker room. We told them we made history tonight, so they were pretty excited about that. The streak has been fabulous just because of all the variables that’s been into it.” 

“With the Covid, we’ve had injuries, guys in and out of the lineup, it’s a whole group effort from the top all the way down to the bottom. We’ve just stayed consistent, and we play basketball no matter who’s out there. It’s been fun, it’s been real fun. Congratulations, and then one other big monument tonight is Taylor Jenkins’ 100th win. He’s in his room at the Ritz over there in quarantine, but we also had him on Zoom to celebrate with him over there. It’s exciting for him in what he’s been able to accomplish in a short two and a half years here.”

Steven Adams is also out due to health and safety protocols and a lot has been put on Jaren Jackson Jr.’s shoulders. JJJ was up for the challenge against both the Clippers and the Lakers. 

He credits Adams for his improved play.

“I think our commitment to our defensive end,” Jackson Jr. said.  “Our commitment to each other, how we’ve grown together for a longtime actually. It’s been a long time coming. We did a lot of work to get to this point where we just have cohesion. We’re all on the same page; we know what’s expected of us out there. Every single one of each other’s goals is our own so we just strive for that. We strive for everybody’s success.”

Jackson Jr. continued, “We wanted to make sure we focus on the key guys that are out there who are going to score the ball. [AnthonyDavis] hasn’t been back for a while so obviously that helps; he’s a great player but we know where the ball is going to at times. We know who is going to look to be more aggressive. They’re playing [LeBron James] at the five some so it just changes how we play, but we play with the same effort. It helps.”

The Michigan State alum arguably had his best game of the season on both ends of the floor with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and six block shots. Since Pau Gasol in 2007, Jackson Jr. became the only player in team history to have five or more blocks in a row. 

Take a look at the 22-year-old’s block party.

“Well, I want to credit Memphis first, they played great,” said Lakers head coach Frank Vogel after the game. “They’ve been playing great. One of the hottest teams in the league. Not having [Steven] Adams out there, obviously he’s a big part of what they do but they get a little faster and a little more spread out. A little more difficult to guard in some ways. We had trouble getting back from transition and I thought this was one of those games where we let a lot of misses of the basket affect our defensive focus. We weren’t scoring. We lost focus of what we were supposed to be doing on the defensive side. That can’t happen. Obviously, that was the big reason they built a big lead.”

He added, “and credit Memphis’ defense; they’re a good defensive team, they forced a lot of turnovers. We were just a little out of sync.”

The Block

There are Ja Morant highlights and then there are Ja Morant “WTF and do you believe what we just witnessed moments.”

LeBron James was amazed by the block. “It starts with timing — just stalking your prey and that’s exactly what Ja was doing that whole play and I saw it happening,” James said. “I didn’t know he was going to do it in that fashion, but he has rockets in his calf muscles. It was a spectacular play. It was a great play. Salute.”

That is surely one way to describe it, rockets in his calf muscles for sure. 

His teammate was in awe as well. “That was probably the best block I’ve ever seen live,” Jackson Jr. said. “Probably the best I’ve ever seen, period. But definitely the best block I’ve ever seen live; that was crazy. I knew he was going to do it too because he always loads up before; I just saw him before load up, I knew he was going to get it I just didn’t know how high he was going to have to jump. It was crazy. I think he jumped higher than he did on the lob. His head was at the top of the square.”

Morant recounted his awesome play after the game. “First start with the turnover,” Morant recalled. “It was a bad mistake on my part. Obviously, the game had been going on for a while, so I should’ve recognized they were doubling and blitzing me to get out of the ball quicker. I just got careless with the ball. Avery Bradley got a deflection and went on the break. I just got back and made an incredible play, but I was just trying to gather the ball. Most times on a break like that, if you block it, they might have a player trailing to get the ball and lay it up. I was trying to block the shot, stop him from scoring and secure the ball at the same time and it worked out for me. Now I’m probably all over the Internet for it.”

Yep, that block is still being talked about and it probably will help Morant to become a starter in the NBA All-Star game. 

Who Got Next?

The Grizzlies look for their 10th straight victory on Tuesday, January 11th as they host Klay Thompson and the Golden State Warriors inside the FedExForum at 7 p.m. CT.

Categories
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.

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports Uncategorized

Dallas Ends the Grizzlies’ Win Streak

Tyus Jones, Jaren Jackson, Jr. and Steven Adams during the game. (Photo courtesy of Memphis Grizzlies Twitter)

The Memphis Grizzlies’ five-game winning streak came to an end on Wednesday night as they were defeated 104-96 by the Dallas Mavericks. Before this game, the Grizzlies had not fallen behind in any of their previous 20 quarters of play. Memphis (14-11) maintains a 1.5-game advantage over the Mavericks in the Southwest Division (12-12).

The Grizzlies’ winning streak was largely due to their defense, which limited their last four opponents to 91 or fewer points. In the absence of Ja Morant, who is currently sidelined with a left knee issue and is currently under the NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols, the group has kept the ship afloat. 

After the loss, Jaren Jackson Jr. talked about the team’s focus while Morant is out. “Everybody had to play more — everyone had a little more to give,” he said. “Everybody stepped up and found their rhythm. I am happy for everyone that they got to embrace that. I wasn’t surprised. I know the work they put in.” 

The team is also without Kyle Anderson (back soreness), Brandon Clarke (right knee soreness), Sam Merrill (left ankle sprain), and Ziaire Williams (left ankle sprain). 

Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 26 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks. He talked about finding his spots during games lately. The Michigan State alum said, “I was trying to use my speed and physicality when I can. I know what they’re trying to take away from me but they have to respect my shot. I’ve been working on that and tried to implement that [in the game].”

Dillon Brooks has given the Grizzlies a lift since Morant was sidelined. To round out the stat sheet, Dillon Brooks had 15 points, four boards, and two assists. This season, he has scored in double figures in every game he has appeared in.

Brooks was ejected prior to the conclusion of the contest on Wednesday night after getting his second technical in a matter of minutes. Brooks was so upset he had to be restrained. 

After the game, he kept his wrath for the refs when he only answered one question on the officials during the press conference. A furious Brooks said, “As you saw in the game, we’ve been playing physical basketball for about a week now. And all of a sudden, new officials come in here and they call an inconsistent game. They want to call ticky-tack in the first half and then in the second half they want to call nothing.”

He continued, “And then you got guys getting undercut, getting hit on the floor, no call. There’s a lack of protection of the players and that’s the main thing, I felt like this crew came out there and just made it about them and that’s bull.”

In conclusion, Brooks said, “Obviously I can’t put it all on them. We got to get the 50-50 balls, you got to be able to rebound the basketball, you got to be able to hit shots in timely ways. But this crew did not protect the players. They just wanted to get the game over with and that’s bullshit. That’s bullshit from the very beginning. That’s bull.”

Brooks is surely to be fined by the NBA for those comments regarding the game officials. Memphis was called for 23 fouls against the Mavericks and received a total of four technicals in the final period. It was not the finest hour for the game officials. 

Jackson Jr. was frustrated by officials as well but he didn’t go on a tirade like Brooks. He was more subdued but did acknowledge how difficult it can be. He added, “It’s definitely tough when it’s like that. You just have to figure it out. Not everything is going to be perfect or simple. It’s going to get messy and weird, you just have to figure your way out of it. On their end, they made some plays down the stretch and some shots. In the midst of the chaos, they made some very timely shots and it helped decide the game.”

The lack of defense and the team’s loss of composure were more important than the officiating in this defeat. They must put all of that behind them, however, as they take on the Los Angeles Lakers on Beale Street tonight.