Tag: Santi Aldama

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Grizzlies Beat Suns in the Valley

Ja Morant goes up for a layup in a game against the Phoenix Suns on February 11, 2025 (Photo by: Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Memphis Grizzlies edged the Phoenix Suns, 119-112, in Phoenix, Tuesday night. After establishing a strong 36-26 lead in the first quarter, the Grizzlies maintained their advantage, fending off a determined Suns team that fought until the final buzzer. Memphis hasn’t lost consecutive games since January 3-4. 

Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins credited his team for responding well throughout the game, starting with a strong first quarter, fueled by defense. He noted that they withstood a second-quarter run by the Suns and, despite a tough third quarter, stayed focused and composed, ultimately staying the course as the game tightened to single digits.

“Guys were collected and composed in the timeouts — went out and executed,” Jenkins stated.

He said the team’s victory was due to their ability to make crucial defensive plays and quickly shift into a high-speed offense, especially in the final quarter. He went on to praise the reserves for their role and noted that the Suns’ intense defensive pressure required a sustained effort throughout the game.

Ja Morant led the Grizzlies with 26 points, adding seven rebounds and six assists. The performance marked his 19th game this season with 20 or more points.

“Great, now we are starting to realize that when we are out there, when we see guys on the opposing team out there heavy breathing, leaning over, that is when we normally realize it and try to ramp it up,” said Morant when on the luxury of having a fully healthy team.

Morant continued, “We know how we train, how we are conditioned, and it is for 48 minutes. We know it is hard for teams to withstand us pushing the pace, us picking them up full court and being real physical. We just try to wear teams down and at the end of the day go get a win.”

Desmond Bane scored 20 points, shooting 6-of-13, and also contributed 8 rebounds and 4 assists as Memphis improved to 36-17 on the season. The performance extended Bane’s streak of 20-point games to four and marked his 11th in the last 13 games.

Jaren Jackson Jr. recorded a solid all-around performance with 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals. Meanwhile, reserve Brandon Clarke made the most of his 19 minutes, scoring 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting and grabbing 7 rebounds.

Santi Aldama paced the Grizzlies’ bench with 14 points and 5 five rebounds in 23 minutes, shooting 5-of-10 from the field and 4-of-6 from three-point range. Aldama got off to a scorching start, going 4-of-4 from the field in the first quarter, including a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc in the opening 12 minutes.

After the game, Aldama talked about the difference with the team now compared to two months ago. He said, “More experience together — guys stepping up when guys are locked in going into the All-Star break. There’s nothing different. Just playing better and putting the ball in the hoop.”

Up Next

The Grizzlies have a Western Conference showdown against the Los Angeles Clippers Thursday night, marking their final outing before the All-Star break. The late-night matchup is set to tip off at 9:30 p.m. CT.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Memphis Keeps Rolling; Beat Bucks for Seventh Straight Time

Jaren Jackson Jr. goes up for a shot against the Milwaukee Bucks on February 2, 2025 (Photo: Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Memphis Grizzlies moved to 33-16 with a 132-119 win over the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on Sunday, securing their seventh win in eight games and a 2-0 season series sweep.

Memphis dominated the boards, outrebounding Milwaukee 61-36, with a 22-8 edge in offensive rebounds. The Grizzlies also held a significant advantage in the paint, outscoring the Bucks 66-36.

Memphis seized control of the game in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Bucks 39-20. During this decisive period, the Grizzlies made 15 of their 27 shot attempts.

All-Star forward Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Memphis Grizzlies with 37 points, including 16 in the final period. This performance showcased his ability as one of the league’s top fourth-quarter scorers, where he ranks ninth with an average of seven points per game.

Jackson Jr. had a solid shooting performance, making 12 of his 26 field goal attempts and seven of his 13 three-pointers.

In the absence of star guard Ja Morant due to injury, the Grizzlies received significant contributions from others as Santi Aldama scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds off the bench. Desmond Bane also had a strong outing, posting 22 points and nine rebounds while shooting 9-15 from the field.

Zach Edey nabbed his sixth career double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds in 18 minutes of play. Off the bench Scotty Pippen Jr. had nine points, 10 assists — eight of which came in the final frame

Although GG Jackson II didn’t have a good shooting night, he did have a highlight block against Giannis Antetokounmpo. 

Jackson II chipped in five points and eight rebounds. 

The  Grizzlies are back at FedExForum tonight, February 3rd, to take on the San Antonio Spurs at 7 p.m. CT. Memphis has a 2-0 edge in the season series. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Annihilate Warriors

Santi Aldama goes to the basket against the Golden State Warriors on December 19, 2024. (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Memphis Grizzlies made a statement with their 51-point win over the Golden State Warriors, Thursday night, marking the largest margin of victory in the NBA this season. The impressive win showcased the Grizzlies’ dominance, with a final score of 144-93.

Steve Kerr described the Warriors’ 51-point loss to the Grizzlies as a “humbling night.” He credited the Grizzlies’ strong performance, particularly their defense, and acknowledged that the Warriors have significant work to do to improve.

“Humbling means what it means, right — you lose by 51 [points] that’s humbling,” Kerr answered on how the night was humbling. “What I know about this team, is that this is the second time we’ve been blown out. We got blown out in Cleveland [by the Cavaliers] early in the season. 

Memphis imposed their will from the start, jumping out to an 8-0 start and establishing a commanding 22-point advantage by the end of the first quarter. They continued to pull away, leading by 31 at halftime and 50 after three quarters. The Grizzlies’ largest lead of the night was 57 points in the fourth quarter, capping off their fifth wire-to-wire victory of the season.

Memphis reserves outperformed the Warriors’ second unit 82-65, securing a season-high in bench points and proving superior in the showdown between the league’s top two scoring benches. 

Santi Aldama delivered a standout performance, leading Memphis with a 21 points and 14 rebounds off the bench. This marked his eighth double-double of the season. Aldama also matched his season high for 3-pointers, going 5-10 from beyond the arc. His impressive play is making a strong case for him as the sixth-man of the year, showcasing his valuable contributions off the bench.

“I mean, when you are talking about the depth, I think it is our attention to detail,” Aldama on the bench production. 

“We’ve talked about it, like [we all] are just trying to find ways to keep contributing with the starters. They do such a great job, and in a game like this, it’s important because that’s the difference between winning the game by a lot or maybe giving them some life. With a team like this, they’re obviously super talented, so you can’t let them have a sense that they can come back into game.”

Aldama expressed his excitement about being up 50 points on home court, using a metaphor to describe the team’s killer instinct. He emphasized their desire to dominate opponents consistently, acknowledging that while it may not always be possible, they aim to make a statement and show their strength.

It’s only one win but it pushed Memphis to 19-9 on the season and to it’s eighth-straight home victory.

The Grizzlies connected on a franchise-record 27 3-pointers, and defensively took the Warriors’ lunch money. 

Memphis’ defense held Stephen Curry to just two points (2-2 FT) in 24 minutes of play. He went 0-7 from the field. He had a tough night, attempting the most field goals ever in his 16-year career without making a single shot, while playing 24 minutes. Curry also had a -41 in +/-, just brutal. 

Draymond Green’s stats were even worse. He had zero points, zero rebounds, zero assists with four turnovers and four personal fouls. Green ended with a -42 in +/-. 

Up Next

The Grizzlies are heading to Atlanta to face off against the 14-14 Hawks on Saturday, December 21. The game is set to tip off at 6:30 pm CT at the State Farm Arena.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Get Payback Against Brooklyn

Photo by: Sharon Brown

The Memphis Grizzlies finally got their lick back against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night at FedExForum. The Grizzlies snapped their losing streak against the Nets, taking the final of the season’s three-game matchup, 135-119. Brooklyn had won the first two meetings. 

“The biggest thing was just [we were] locked in on the game plan,” said Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins on the biggest difference from playing the Nets earlier in the season. 

“We had way too many mistakes with our game plan. We learned a lot in the first game, and then we played them less than a week later up in Brooklyn, and we knew the game plan, we talked about it, watched the film, broke it down, all that, and we didn’t execute it.”

Jenkins concluded, “Maybe we just needed a couple extra weeks. I would give the Nets a lot of credit. They helped us a lot with our one-on-one defense and our shell defense, and they still made it tough tonight. When we made a mistake, they made you pay, but when we kind of dictated where our offense went, I thought we benefited.”

Memphis’ high-powered offense has fueled an 11-game streak of scoring 115+ points, matching the second-longest such mark in franchise history. The surge has led to a 10-1 record in those games, including a current four-game winning streak and a season-best six straight home victories.

The Grizzlies’ impressive scoring depth was on display against Brooklyn as four players reached the 20-point mark. 

Ja Morant’s stellar play continued, as he notched his seventh double-double of the season, including 28 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds. The Grizzlies improved to 18-8 on the season, thanks in part to Morant’s 16-point outburst in the second quarter — a season-high for him and the highest scoring quarter by any Memphis player this season.

Morant really didn’t want to lose to the Nets for the third time. After the game he recalled the difference from the earlier two meetings against Brooklyn: “Our fight — (we) have been coming out ready to play. I feel like [Desmond Bane] set the tone for us from the jump, and I feel like that’s what we were missing. Second half, we played a little slow in both of those [earlier] games when they went on their runs; it was allowing them to continue to score the ball and slow us down offensively. Tonight, I feel like we were more locked in, paid attention to detail. 

Morant continued, “Obviously, we know we owed them two for real, but I felt like it was on purpose that they were our matchup after the in-season tournament, and it’s what we needed. Obviously, you lose to a team twice, you get another chance at it. It’s kind of refreshing for us to come and get a win. It’s something to be proud of. You lose to a team; you always want to get your lick back.”

The Grizzlies’ balanced attack saw Bane scoring 21 points and dishing out eight assists, and Jaren Jackson Jr. adding 20 points, seven rebounds, and a season-high five steals.

Santi Aldama delivered a strong performance off the bench, tallying 20 points and grabbing six rebounds, which pushed him past the 1,000-rebound threshold for his career.

Everything is clicking for the Grizzlies right now but Bane has the right mindset going forward:  “We have to stay even keeled, it’s a long season,” Bane cautioned. “Adversity is going to hit us at some point, but we have to stay true to what we’ve built, regardless of the results.”

Tid-bits

Prior to tipoff, Jaylen Wells received the Western Conference Rookie of the Month award for his outstanding play in October and November. Notably, Wells is the first Grizzlies rookie to receive this recognition since Ja Morant in the 2019-20 season. 

Up Next

The Grizzlies are heading to Los Angeles to face off against the Lakers on Sunday, December 15. The game is scheduled to tip off at 8:30 p.m. CST at the Crypto.com Arena.

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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 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

Gassed Grizzlies Fight Hard in Narrow Loss to Celtics

Desmond Bane and Santi Aldama on the court with Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis. Credit: Aimee Stiegemeyer

With a final score of 102-100, the Memphis Grizzlies put up a hell of a fight against the Boston Celtics, the current top team in the league. They have been playing shorthanded all season long, were on the second night of back-to-back games, and by all accounts had no business making the game as close as it was.

The Celtics are a team the Grizzlies have long struggled against. Memphis has had just two wins over Boston since January 2016 and are 19-36 in the 55 regular season meetings between the teams. Anyone with any sense watching the Grizzlies this season had this matchup against the Celtics as a scheduled loss, but Memphis fans should feel good about the effort made.

“Take it every day of the week” was how head coach Taylor Jenkins described the Grizzlies’ effort postgame. They got a career night from Santi Aldama, who played multiple positions throughout the game due to foul trouble on Bismack Biyombo and Jaren Jackson Jr.

Aldama finished the night with a career-high 28 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, and two steals, including 6 made three-pointers.

Jenkins was effusive in his praise of Aldama postgame: “He’s got so much versatility, just really proud of the offensive effort tonight. We needed that. It didn’t matter what his position was. He started at the three, slid to the four. I think with our second unit, he had to play some [at the] five, and he can be a playmaker for us. … The aggressiveness, especially from the 3-point line, is something he’s been working a lot on since the start of the season … Just really impressed with how he really was in attack-mode tonight.”

Desmond Bane closed out the night with a game-high 30 points and 8 assists, while shooting 7 of 14 from beyond the arc. Jaren Jackson Jr was the only other Memphis player to score in double digits, with 17 points and 8 rebounds.

Holding the number-one offense in the NBA to just over 100 points is wild, and the fact that they did it being wildly shorthanded and exhausted from the previous night’s matchup against the Spurs was superhero-level defense.

This is a better team than their current record depicts, they just need to stay the course until the return of Ja Morant. Just 12 more games until we get 12 back.

Who Got Next?

The Grizzlies will be hitting the road to face off against the Houston Rockets and former Grizzly Dillon Brooks on Wednesday, November 22. Tip-off is at 7 PM CST.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Another Grizzlies Comeback Victory in San Antonio

Jaren Jackson, Jr. against the San Antonio Spurs on November 18, 2023 (Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images)

On Saturday night, the depleted Memphis Grizzlies erased a 19-point deficit to defeat the San Antonio Spurs, 120-108. 

It was reminiscent of last season, when the Grizzlies completed a 29-point comeback as they defeated the Spurs, 126-120, in overtime.

Memphis dominated the final quarter by outscoring the Spurs 33-14 and held San Antonio to 28.6 percent shooting.

The Grizzlies have now defeated San Antonio 11 consecutive times. This is Memphis’ longest active run of victories against a single opponent, and their longest ever against the Spurs.

Despite only playing seven minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, Jaren Jackson Jr. led the way with 27 points, five rebounds, and 11-of-12 shooting from the charity stripe. For the season, the 24-year-old is averaging 20 points, six rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.7 blocks. 

Desmond Bane ended with 26 points, five rebounds, and four assists while going 8-of-15 from the field. Bane is averaging 25.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals.

Bismack Biyombo put up 14 points, nine rebounds, and four assists.

Santi Aldama chipped in 17 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists.

Ziaire Williams ended with 17 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. 

Derrick Rose returned to the lineup after a nine-game absence with swift moves that led to the comeback. As a reserve, Rose contributed nine points. 

Injuries

Memphis has a long list of injuries, and only four players from the main roster have been available for all 12 games: Jackson, Bane, David Roddy, and Kenneth Lofton Jr. 

Marcus Smart would have been in that number, but he suffered a foot injury in the 134-107 thrashing by the Lakers on Tuesday night. 

Smart had trouble putting weight on his left ankle after landing awkwardly on Austin Reaves’ foot in the first quarter of the game in Los Angeles. He had to be helped off the court and did not return to the game. Smart appeared on the Grizzlies bench in a walking boot. 

The Grizzlies announced on Saturday that Smart had a left foot sprain and is expected to return within 3-5 weeks. 

Up Next 

No rest for the Grizzlies, as they will host the hot Boston Celtics Sunday inside FedExForum at 7 p.m. 

Return of 12

After tonight’s game the Celtics, it will be 12 more games before Ja Morant is eligible to return from a 25-game league suspension.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Adams, Brooks Lift Memphis to 11th Straight Win

Steven Adams up high Wednesday, January 18, 2023 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. (Credit: Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

The two best defensive teams in the NBA went back and forth Wednesday night, like a boxing match with uppercuts and body blows. In the end, the Grizzlies’ dogged defense in the final seconds was enough to secure the home victory over Cleveland. 

There were 17 lead changes and nine ties. Both teams gave up double digit leads. The Cavaliers were up by 10 early while Memphis was up by as many as 19 in the third quarter. 

The Cavaliers held a one-point lead with 27.4 seconds left, when Jaren Jackson Jr. blocked Darius Garland’s driving layup attempt out of bounds. On Cleveland’s ensuing in-bounds attempt, the Grizzlies forced a five-second violation.  

With 17 seconds left in the game, Ja Morant attacked the basket with a floater but it bounced off the rim; however, Steven Adams secured the rebound with a tip in for the go-ahead bucket. 

Jackson Jr. praised Steven Adams on the intangibles, “He’s the best screener in NBA history and probably the best offensive rebounder ever. When you do those things, it just saves us time and time again.”

While the 16,892 in attendance chanted “DEFENSE!!,” Cleveland brought the ball upcourt and Dillon Brooks blocked a shot by Garland on the game’s final play to give the Grizzlies a 115-114 victory — their 11th-straight. 

The 11-game winning streak for Memphis matches the longest in franchise history, and is the longest-active streak in the NBA. The Grizzlies are now 31-13 for the season and 20-3 at FedExForum. 

After the game, Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said, “We found a way. I told the guys afterwards that that’s a great team win; that’s a great team that we just played and competed against for 48 minutes.” 

Jenkins went on to say, “Timely buckets, and then that last sequence where we got that five-second counter. Guys executed the game plan coming out of the timeout. I chose not to call a timeout. I trusted the guys to go and make plays. We had talked about the spacing we wanted. Ja [Morant] drives, collapses, three guys come to him, and then Steven [Adams] cleans it up. Big winning play at the end of the eight minutes. First game winner, he said, so he’s definitely hyped.”

“And then the defense on the tail end, we had been switching some,” Jenkins added. “They broke off a pick-and-roll. [Dillon Brooks’] one-on-one defense was phenomenal. [Desmond Bane] shifts, gets back, [Dillon Brooks] then gets the block to seal the win. So, clearly, I just said a lot of things because there was a lot going on in that game. It was two competitive teams that played pretty high-level basketball. There were definitely ebbs and flows, highs and lows, but at the end, we made the plays.”

“I told these guys, ‘This is huge to get a game like this tonight,’ especially playing from behind in the last minute or so. I just said this is a game to grow from. The poise, the conversations that our guys were having, as frantic as it was, they were looking at me, they were looking at each other, and we dialed up the defense that we needed down the stretch, despite them making it really hard on us for the meat of the game.”

Jenkins concluded, “So, it’s great for us. We’ll watch the film tomorrow, talk about the winning plays that we made. … We’ve got to build on it because this is not the last time we’re going to see a game like this.”

Desmond Bane finished with a game-high 25 points, four rebounds, four assists, and five 3-pointers. Morant added 24 points and eight assists. 

Off the bench, Santi Aldama chipped in 16 points and two rebounds while making a career-high four 3-pointers. Jackson Jr. filled the stat sheet with 15 points, seven rebounds, four blocks and two steals while Adams had 13 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists. 

Aldama credited the team’s chemistry for the winning streak. He said, “I just think that togetherness is what stands out the most. I mean, last year, we were a very good team. I think this year, we have a little bit of a different team, but we just find a way to win games.”

“Today (Wednesday), I think, was a very good test for us,”Aldama added. “I think we haven’t had a game like this in a while. Especially the last two or three possessions were huge for us. We got the five second call. [Jaren Jackson Jr.]’s block before that, [Dillon Brooks]’ game-winning block came, and then the [Steven Adams] tap-in. So, I think that just shows how everybody makes an impact and how together we are, just rooting for each other.”

Memphis’ first 11-game win streak came last season from Dec. 26, 2021 to Jan. 13, 2022. Bane spoke about the difference this time around. He said, “We just take it game by game. Last year, obviously, was our first time doing it, so there was a lot of excitement, but it’s a new season. We’re trying to set new heights and do new things. The past is the past. We’re just focused on one game at a time.”

Up Next 

The Grizzlies will embark on a five-game road trip. Friday night is the first meeting with the Lakers this season, where Memphis will be poised to break the franchise record with 12th straight wins. Meanwhile, LeBron James and company will definitely look to spoil the party. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Tyus Jones Lifts Grizzlies Past Miami Heat

Tyus Jones (Credit: Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

The ‘hero’ on Monday night was Tyus and not Tyler (Herro) for the Memphis Grizzlies. Not all heroes wear capes but they might have ‘Stones.’

Tyus Jones, aka Stones, stepped up in the absence of Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson, Jr., and sharpshooter Desmond Bane to secure a 101-93 victory over the Miami Heat. 

Jones finished with a career-high 28 points, and added 10 assists, and two steals while shooting 10-of-16 to help the Grizzlies to improve to 15-9 on the season. 

Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins talked about the importance of having Jones when Morant is sidelined. “When Ja [Morant] is out, for Tyus to step in … he’s had a couple of moments so far this season with Ja out,” said Jenkins. “This was definitely his best game with Ja out, and obviously with [Jaren Jackson Jr.] and [John Konchar] out.”

Jenkins added, “He is back because he means so much to us beyond just a game like tonight. It’s every single night. The spirit he plays with, coming off the bench, playing with the starters, with the bench unit … the leadership, his growth as a player, as a person. … He means so much to us. He’s a Grizzly. That’s why we wanted him back. He’s got a huge impact on our culture, a huge impact on winning. So, that’s why Stones.”

“I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again and I will continue to say it,” Jones said after the game. “I view myself as a starter in this league. I feel like I am a starter in this league, I just come off the bench. I have no shame in that.”

Jones continued, “I love being in Memphis. I take pride in it. I take pride in my role as part of this ball club. When I’m called upon to start, I’m very confident and comfortable in that role, as well. I think Coach [Taylor Jenkins] and the rest of my teammates are comfortable and confident in that, too. Part of the reason why I’m here is that I can fill in when [Ja Morant] needs a night and try to continue to steady the ship.”

Santi Aldama tallied 18 points and 10 rebounds off of 66.7 percent from the field to secure his second double-double of the season. 

Aldama said he was feeling it when he woke up. 

Memphis’ own Kennedy Chandler had his breakout game of the season. Chandler stuffed the stat sheet with nine points, five assists, and three rebounds, plus two steals and a block. 

Memphis limited the Heat to one of its lowest shooting percentages of the year, holding them to 39 percent from the field. 

Finally, Memphis went 100 percent from the free throw line, thanks in part to Jones, who went 5-for-5. Let me repeat that again, Memphis went 100 percent from the free throw line!! The Grizzlies only shot nine free throws but any improvement is to celebrated, since free throw shooting has been a nagging issue.

Grizzlies color analyst Brevin Knight jokingly said he warned Grizzlies play-by-play announcer Pete Pranica not to mention anything about the free throws. Knight said later on social media, “You can never be surprised by this Memphis Grizzlies squad. Missing four rotation guys and playing the second night of a back-to=back against a rested veteran team and it didn’t matter. Everyone was huge and Tyus Jones was special.”

Next Man Up

The Grizzlies have made the next man up mentality an integral element of the team culture.

“Nothing changes,” Jenkins said about the bench stepping up in starters absence. “Day in and day out, how we approach our work, our individual development, our team development, the next-man-up mentality. We just say, ‘Go out and play Grizzlies basketball.’ We approach our practices the same way, our shootarounds, our offensive philosophies, defensive philosophies. We don’t change how we coach. We don’t change how we celebrate for each other. We navigate each day.”

Jenkins went on to say, “That was a special win last year at the end of the season (over the Phoenix Suns). But tonight is a great example of guys just staying ready. That’s what I told the guys in the locker room, especially guys I haven’t played a whole lot. That’s Grizzlies basketball. That’s Grizzlies prep. That’s the Grizzlies standard. That’s how we operate.”

Tidbits 

Ziaire Williams is close to his season debut. He was upgraded from out to doubtful. Jenkins talked about his progress before the game. “We’re getting closer. I don’t have a definitive date. He did some five-on-five with the Hustle, and had a great play group there.” 

“It’s very beneficial that our Hustle team is available with their schedule,” added Jenkins. “The opportunity to play five-on-five against other pro players has been great. He’s progressing really well and responding to everything well every day after the workloads we’re providing him.”  

Jenkins concluded, “I think this is the second or third time he’s gotten in on five-on-five. We’ll just kind of recalibrate, see how tomorrow goes and dress Wednesday, and we have a game on Friday as well. So, potential in the next week or so.”

Up Next

The Grizzlies will host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. Tip-off: 7pm CT.