In keeping with their ongoing trouble of not winning two games in a row, the Memphis Grizzlies lost their second in a pair of back-to-back games, 136-120 to the Miami Heat, allowing Miami to sweep the season series 2-0.
The Grizzlies have now lost their fifth consecutive road game.
This game started with a struggle straight away, when head coach Tuomas Iisalo unsuccessfully called a challenge on a play less than halfway through the first quarter. That was a tone-setter for the rest of the game, during which the Grizzlies held no more than a one-point lead.
Memphis got within five points heading into the second half, where Miami promptly outscored them 39-26 in the third quarter.
The Grizzlies’ lineup in this game was essentially half of a G League team in a trench coat. All three players on a two-way contract for Memphis saw a significant amount of playing time, 20-plus minutes each.
Injuries and trades have decimated the Grizzlies this season, and the list of available players is heavy on guys who would be considered role players at best on a contending team.
With all the talk around the league as of late about teams tanking, it needs to be said that it’s not really tanking if your team just isn’t very good.
Despite their obvious mismatch, one thing you can say for this group is that they might not win, but they will give maximum effort.
Case in point, GG Jackson put up a season-high 28 points off the bench, also the team’s high scorer.
This was a rare instance where the Grizzlies’ opponent gave up more turnovers and points off turnovers – Memphis gave up 21 points off 13 turnovers, but Miami gave up 30 points off 18 turnovers.
The Heat mitigated their turnovers by beating the Grizzlies in most other statistical categories: 25-23 in fastbreak points, 18-14 in second-chance points, and by outscoring Memphis a whopping 70-54 in the paint.
Memphis is lacking in roster depth and in height – the Grizzlies don’t have any available players over 6’9”.
There was a little excitement near the end of the fourth quarter when Scotty Pippen Jr. and Myron Gardner got into a fight that ended with ejections for both players.
The fight appeared to be instigated by Pippen but came in response to being shoved to the floor by Gardner on the previous play, after hitting a three-pointer.
Pippen had this to say postgame on the altercation: “I thought it was kind of a cheap shot. He kind of hit me when I didn’t see him. I thought it was a soft move. I just thought he needed a hug on the other end.”
I am old enough to have seen Scottie Pippen Sr. and the Chicago Bulls in the ’90s, so I was exactly 0 percent surprised that Pippen Jr. wanted all the smoke; it seems to run in the family.
By The Numbers:
Five Grizzlies’ players finished the night in double figures.
Jaylen Wells led the starters with 27 points on 10 of 13 overall shooting and 3 of 5 from beyond the arc, along with two rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Ty Jerome scored 17 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
GG Jackson put up a season-high 28 points, nine rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block.
Scotty Pippen Jr. added 18 points on 7 of 15 overall shooting and 3 of 7 from three-point range, three rebounds, six assists, two steals, and one block.
Javon Small scored 10 points on 3 of 4 overall shooting and 2 of 2 from beyond the arc, one rebound, one assist, two steals, and one block.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies will return home to face the Sacramento Kings on Monday night. Tip-off is at 7 PM CST.