Tag: Jonas Valaciunas

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Beyond the Arc Sports Sports Feature

Grizzlies Rout Sixers 116-110

The Grizzlies kicked off the first game of a four-game road trip Sunday night with a win in the city of brotherly love against the top-ranked team in the Eastern Conference. 

The Sixers were missing their star big man Joel Embiid, and while the remaining players put up a valiant effort, they were vastly outmatched against the Grizzlies. For their part, the Grizzlies played some of the best team basketball they have played all season.

Catching Philadelphia on the second game of a back-to-back was a bonus for Memphis. 

Dillon Brooks Things – via Grizzlies Twitter

By The Numbers 

7 players scored in double figures:  

Dillon Brooks – 17 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists 

Ja Morant was the only starter to score in single digits finishing with 8 points, but his 10 assists were a sign of the kind of unselfish play that contributed to his teammate’s offensive success.  

Jonas Valanciunas – 16 points and 12 rebounds 

Kyle Anderson – 10 points and 6 rebounds 

Grayson Allen returned to the starting lineup after missing two games due to injury. It’s good to see him back on the court, but I question the allotment of minutes between Allen and Melton. Allen closed out the night with 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists, but did so over roughly 27 minutes on 5 of 14 shooting.   

Meanwhile, De’Anthony Melton put up 14 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists on 5 of 8 shooting and in only 15 minutes of playing time. 

Maybe De’Anthony Melton could have some of those Grayson Allen minutes, as a treat? 

Brandon Clarke – 15 points on 6 of 10 field goal shooting 

Desmond Bane – 14 points and 5 rebounds, including 3 of 6 from distance 

Tyus Jones – 5 points and 5 assists 

SHOTS SHOTS SHOTS 

As a team, the Grizzlies shot 42% from beyond the arc (16 of 38) against the Sixers. Combined with their 48% three-point shooting against Minnesota (19 of 39), Memphis is shooting just over 45% from behind the three-point line for the month of April. If they can hold fast to this higher level of outside shooting, the odds of making a successful push for the playoffs will go up considerably.  

The Grizzlies currently hold the 8th seed in the Western Conference and with the win over Philadelphia the team moves above .500 on the season.  

Who Got Next? 

The Grizzlies are taking their talents to South Beach to face off against the Miami Heat. Tuesday night April 6th, with tip-off at 7 PM.  

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Topple Hawks, 118-110

CREDIT: Sharon Brown

The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Atlanta Hawks 118–110 Saturday night in Memphis to keep a 3.5 game lead for the eighth seed in the Western Conference. It was the second time Memphis defeated the Hawks this week. On Monday in Atlanta, the Grizzlies throttled the Hawks by 39 points and held them to 88 points. 

Memphis has won 15 of its last 18 home games and improved to 18–14 this season at FedExForum. With the win, the Grizzlies moved back to .500 (32–32). 

Jonas Valanciunas posted his 32nd double-double of the season as he led the way for Memphis with 27 points, 17 rebounds, and three blocks while going 10-of-13 from the field. 

Ja Morant added 24 points (8–12 FG), five rebounds, and six assists while shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from the 3-point line, tying a career-best for threes made.

Grizzlies Topple Hawks, 118-110

Josh Jackson continues to impress off the bench. He finished with 17 points, three assists, and four rebounds in 22 minutes. Taylor Jenkins is pleased with Jackson’s progress since he was called up from the Hustle, the Grizzlies G-League affiliate. Jenkins said after the game: “I think he has integrated himself very nicely. Credit to him — credit to his teammates. We have been encouraging our guys to continue and try to find a way to attack as a team and be more physical.” 

Jenkins added, “I feel like he was really embraced that. Playmaking at times, whether it’s pick-and-roll or fast-rate drive-and-kicks, I think he is doing a great job at that and just playing Grizzlies basketball offensively. Defensively, he is engaging in a lot of different matchups, guarding wings and guarding point guards. I think his on-ball defense has been solid and he has been using his length in a great fashion. He has a great ability to be in good rotations, help us on the boards, and knock rebounds out. I think he is contributing in a winning way.”

In addition to Valanciunas and Morant, all five starters scored in double figures for the first time since Jan. 29th against the New York Knicks. Dillon Brooks and De’Anthony Melton added 13 points apiece while Kyle Anderson chipped in 12 points, going 5-of-7 from the field, including 2-of-3 from deep. 

First-year guard and two way player John Konchar continues to impress with his play. Konchar grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds in 14 minutes of play off the bench. 

The Other Guys
John Collins led the Hawks with 27 points and eight rebounds, plus two steals. Trae Young added 16 points while going 4-of-16 from the field. Young missed the previous Hawks game due to flu-like symptoms. 

Kevin Huerter added 11 points, six assists, and five rebounds while knocking down 3-of-6 from three. As a reserve, Jeff Teague chipped in 10 points, three assists, and two rebounds in 20 minutes as the Hawks dropped to 19–46 on the year. 


Memphis said goodbye to Vince Carter
Carter played three seasons with the Grizzlies before eventually signing with the Hawks. He was given a standing ovation during his last visit to Memphis. Carter finished with five points and two rebounds. 

Grizzlies Topple Hawks, 118-110 (3)

Grizzlies Topple Hawks, 118-110 (2)

Up Next

The Grizzlies will host the Orlando Magic in Memphis on Tuesday, March 10 at 7 pm at FedExForum.