The Memphis Grizzlies are playing much better now compared to the team that lost twice to the Brooklyn Nets in the first two weeks of the season.
The Grizzlies have won nine of their last 10 games and hope to keep their strong play going when they face the Nets at home on Friday. Both teams have had four days of rest after they didn’t qualify for the final rounds of the NBA Cup.
The Nets have lost four of their last five games, and it will be tough for them to stop Memphis, which has scored at least 115 points in 10 consecutive games.
After Memphis’ recent victories over the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards, the team received praise from opposing coaches. Ja Morant, the star of the Grizzlies, scored 32 points in their 127-121 win over Boston last Saturday.
“If you don’t defend them in transition, it’s going to be extremely difficult to beat them,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “They’re a good team, well-coached and have great players. You have to control what you can control, don’t turn the ball over and get back on defense so you can withstand when their talent takes over.”
Morant (back soreness) and Desmond Bane (left toe soreness) missed the Grizzlies’ 140-112 road win over the Wizards on Sunday, but both are expected to play against Brooklyn.
Santi Aldama has been playing well, averaging 13.2 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 52.5 percent from the field for the Grizzlies, who have led for almost 370 out of a possible 480 minutes in their last 10 games.
“We are making progress and developing right now, and I’m definitely excited where this group has trended the past couple weeks,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. “Are we going to maintain our pace? We’ve been committed to relying on our depth.
“Defensively, we’ve had progress in our pick-and-roll coverages and our one-on-one defense has improved. But it’s all about consistency. That’s the thing we’ve talked with the team about over this stretch.”
In their earlier losses to Brooklyn, Memphis only averaged 105 points per game. However, the Nets’ defense has not been as strong recently.
Brooklyn lost 118-113 to Milwaukee on Sunday after they blew a 12-point lead in the third quarter. The Bucks came back and scored 23 points in the final six minutes to win the game.
“No defense to finish that third quarter. No defense to finish the fourth,” Brooklyn coach Jordi Fernandez said. “That’s how you win and lose games in the NBA. You look at the offensive line, it’s pretty good. It’s just our defense was worse than bad.”
Dennis Schroder had 34 points and 11 assists in the loss, and Cam Johnson scored 26 points. Center Nic Claxton, who had a season-high 21 points along with 10 rebounds, four assists, three steals, and two blocks, praised Fernandez for being honest after the game.
“That’s what really good coaches do. They hold you accountable. They hold you to a high standard. They’re straightforward,” Claxton said. “They tell you what they expect from you. That’s what we need, especially with a younger team. We definitely feed off of that.”
Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith returned to the game against Milwaukee after missing four games due to an ankle injury. He scored nine points and grabbed four rebounds in 31 minutes.
