Tag: Memphis Grizzlies

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NBA (Basketball)

Grizzlies and Pistons both showing improvement a year after tough seasons

Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies

Neither the Detroit Pistons nor the Memphis Grizzlies had the season they hoped for last year. But both teams have shown improvement and given their fans hope ahead of their game on Wednesday in Detroit.

The Pistons had a rough year with a franchise-worst 14-68 record, including a single-season NBA record of 28 straight losses. Under new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, Detroit has already won eight games this season, a total they didn’t reach until February 8th last year.

The Grizzlies, who made the playoffs three years in a row, lost 55 games last year, mostly because superstar Ja Morant played only nine games due to a suspension and a season-ending shoulder injury. This season, Memphis has bounced back and currently holds the fifth-best record in the Western Conference.

The Pistons come into this game after a 102-100 win over the Toronto Raptors on Monday, thanks to a buzzer-beating mid-range shot from Jaden Ivey. Ivey led Detroit with 25 points and eight assists, and the Pistons outscored the Raptors 30-20 in the fourth quarter.

“When (Jaden) has the ball in his hands in space, there aren’t too many guys who can stay in front of him in the league. I don’t care who it is, or how good you are defensively,” Bickerstaff said. “I thought he did a great job, obviously, getting to that spot. Those are shots that he works on.”

Ivey is averaging 18.4 points per game, which is second on the team behind Cade Cunningham’s 23.5 points per game.

Ja Morant celebrates a three pointer

Memphis, which has won three straight games, is aiming for its longest win streak of the season. On Monday, the Grizzlies won 123-98 against the Portland Trail Blazers, never trailing in the game. Morant, who had missed eight games due to a hip injury, returned with a strong performance, scoring 22 points and adding 11 assists in just 23 minutes of play.

“(Ja) worked his tail off throughout the return to play process,” said Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins. “He missed being out there, but even his engagement when he’s out is great. You all don’t get to see the work that he’s putting in, but this past week was some of the best work I’d seen from him. … He loves the game. He put in the work and this is no shock to see the impact he made in his first game back.”

Morant is averaging 20.8 points per game in nine games this season. Jaren Jackson Jr. leads the team with 22.8 points per game, and he added 21 points, six rebounds, and three blocks in the win over Portland.

The Grizzlies also got a big contribution from Santi Aldama, who scored 13 points and grabbed a season-high 17 rebounds off the bench. Aldama is averaging career-highs of 12.7 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.

“With Santi, I just love the effort,” Jenkins said. “That’s something that we’re challenging him with every single day. He had seven offensive rebounds (against Portland), and that’s huge. That’s an instinctual part of his game that aids us when we can create second-chance opportunities.”

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NBA (Basketball)

Ja Morant makes his return, scores 22 points, and leads the Grizzlies to a win over the Blazers

Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trail Blazers

Ja Morant made his return to the lineup after missing eight games due to a right hip injury. He scored 22 points and had 11 assists, leading the Memphis Grizzlies to a 123-98 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night.

Jaren Jackson Jr. added 21 points, six rebounds, and three blocks. Santi Aldama posted a double-double with 13 points and a career-high 17 rebounds, while Brandon Clarke contributed 11 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks. The Grizzlies won their third straight game and their seventh in the last 10.

Deni Avdija led Portland with 17 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, while Shaedon Sharpe scored 15 points. However, Anfernee Simons, who scored 25 points in Portland’s win over Houston on Saturday, struggled with shooting. He was 2-for-14 and finished with just five points. The Trail Blazers shot only 33.3 percent from the field and made just eight of their 46 3-point attempts.

Morant injured his hip during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 6 but looked like he hadn’t missed any time. He scored or assisted on six of the Grizzlies’ first seven field goals, helping them build an early double-digit lead. He also made behind-the-back assists and threw down a windmill dunk off a fast break assist from Scotty Pippen Jr.

Ja Morant takes the ball forward in the 1st half

At halftime, Morant was the only player in the game with double-digit points. He had 20 points and six assists. Memphis shot 49 percent in the first half, including 53.3 percent from 3-point range. Meanwhile, Portland struggled with shooting, hitting just 36 percent from the field and making only three of 20 3-point attempts.

The Grizzlies, who never trailed in the game, extended their lead to 27 points early in the fourth quarter after Jackson’s left-handed dunk. Memphis won its second straight game in wire-to-wire fashion for the first time since November 2022.

This victory marked Memphis’ second big win over Portland this season. They had defeated the Trail Blazers 134-89 on Nov. 10 in Portland, with Morant not playing in that game.

Portland was shorthanded, missing Donovan Clingan, who had 19 rebounds in their win over Houston on Saturday, due to a left knee injury. They were also without other key players, including DeAndre Ayton, Scoot Henderson, and Kris Murray. Ayton missed his seventh straight game because of a right finger sprain.

Marcus Smart returned for the Grizzlies after missing four games due to illness. He came off the bench in the first quarter, marking his first time playing as a reserve since March 16, 2021.

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NBA (Basketball)

Ja Morant returns from an 8-game injury absence and quickly contributes to the Grizzlies’ win over the Blazers

Ja Morant takes the ball forward in the 1st half

Ja Morant made a strong return to the Memphis Grizzlies after missing eight games and nearly three weeks due to hip and pelvic muscle injuries. Playing for the first time since his injury on November 6, Morant scored 20 of his 22 points in the first half, added 11 assists, and helped lead the Grizzlies to a 123-98 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night.

“It felt good. Felt like I played good. Looked good,” Morant said with a smile.

The two-time All-Star guard had been listed as questionable, but the Grizzlies confirmed about 45 minutes before the game that he would play against the Trail Blazers.

Morant, who was the second pick in the 2019 draft, is averaging 20.6 points, 9.1 assists, and five rebounds in eight games this season.

His performance showed how well he had returned to form despite being out for a while.

“Just attacking my return process,” Morant said about being ready. “The ramp up. Making sure I’m in rhythm when I’m out there.”

Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins was pleased with Morant’s immediate impact.

Ja Morant talks to the official in the 1st half

“He works his tail off,” Jenkins said. “This past week was the best work I’ve seen from him in a return-to-play process.”

While Morant had a dunk in his return, two of his passes that led to assists excited the Memphis crowd. One was an alley-oop to Jaren Jackson Jr., who scored 21 points and blocked four shots. The other was a behind-the-back pass to Brandon Clarke, setting him up for an easy inside basket.

Morant said the assist to Jackson was the better one, while the pass to Clarke felt almost routine after years of playing together.

“I just know from playing with Ja to be ready always,” Clarke said. “It’s just about having your hands ready.”

When asked about Morant’s impact on the game, Clarke said, “Oh, it’s huge. It’s everything. He just knows how to find you and get our offense running. He makes it fun to play every night.”

Morant’s return strengthened the Grizzlies’ lineup, with six players finishing in double figures and eleven players getting significant minutes before the game ended in the fourth quarter. This was also one of the few times this season that Memphis’ three main players — Morant, Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane — were all on the court at the same time.

“When we’ve got the big three, it’s different,” reserve forward Santi Aldama said. “It’s also easier to play that way. We’re talking about Ja. Just having him back, just the energy, the gravity, it’s completely different. Hopefully we start building the chemistry with them.”

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NBA (Basketball)

Despite injuries, Grizzlies remain focused as they prepare for Trail Blazers’ visit

Memphis Grizzlies (NBA)

The Memphis Grizzlies will host the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night, coming off a strong performance powered by great teamwork.

The Grizzlies are among the top teams in the league in assists, averaging 29.8 assists per game. Their 38 assists in Saturday’s big win over the Chicago Bulls matched a season-high. Memphis is ranked third in assists, behind Denver (30.3) and Golden State (30.2), going into Sunday’s games.

Scotty Pippen Jr., who is starting as the Grizzlies’ point guard until Ja Morant returns from his hip injury, had a career-high 30 points and 10 assists in the 142-131 win over the Bulls. Pippen Jr. achieved the double-double in the same arena where his father, Scottie Pippen, became a star with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s. Pippen Jr. said it was “a dream come true” to play in the building where his father’s jersey hangs, and he made 13 of his 16 shots.

Memphis has also gotten strong play from rookie forward Jaylen Wells. Wells scored a career-high 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting.

Pippen’s steady play has helped the Grizzlies maintain a winning record despite being without Ja Morant, Marcus Smart, and rookie Zach Edey due to injuries. Morant has been out with a right hip injury he suffered in a game against the Lakers on November 6, and he is getting closer to returning. He was listed as doubtful before Saturday’s game against the Bulls and is questionable for Monday’s game.

Smart has missed his fourth straight game due to an illness, and Edey is still sidelined with an ankle injury he sustained last weekend against Denver.

Ja Morant sits on the bench after an injury

Even with the injuries to key players like Morant, Smart, and Edey — and briefly missing Desmond Bane due to a strained oblique — the Grizzlies have been successful both offensively and defensively. They are averaging 120.3 points per game, second in the NBA entering Sunday, and they lead the league with 7.2 blocks per game.

Memphis also reached over 140 points for just the sixth time in franchise history on Saturday. In that game, they shot 57.3 percent (55-of-96) from the field and 45.2 percent (19-of-42) from three-point range. The team made 19 3-pointers for the second straight game.

“We had a great run, scoring 45 points in the third quarter,” said Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins. “Our game plan was pretty well executed.”

Portland will come into the game with momentum after a 104-98 win over Houston on Saturday. That victory followed a tough 28-point loss to the Rockets on Friday in an NBA Cup game. Anfernee Simons led Portland with 25 points, and Shaedon Sharpe added 24 points in the win. The Trail Blazers also made 18 3-pointers in the game.

Along with Simons and Sharpe, Deni Avdija provided strong defense for Portland, finishing with four blocks. Avdija spent much of the game making it difficult for Houston’s Alperen Sengun to score in the paint.

“It’s amazing to see Anfernee make some shots and carry us down the stretch,” Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. “And Deni was incredible. We depended on him a lot. He’s been begging for that opportunity for quite some time.”

Avdija also praised Simons for his performance in the win. “I’m proud of him,” Avdija said. “He showed what he’s made of and, hopefully, he’ll continue to be aggressive.”

Portland rookie center Donovan Clingan will not play on Monday due to a left knee sprain. Clingan went scoreless in Saturday’s game, shooting 0-for-4 from the field, but he did grab a career-high 19 rebounds.