The Memphis Grizzlies lost to the Chicago Bulls 132-107 in the Windy City on Monday, marking their longest losing streak of the season at eight consecutive games.
Let’s get into it.
First, a little team housekeeping:
This cursed season continues for the Grizzlies: Santi Aldama and Scotty Pippen Jr. are now officially out for the rest of the year.
To fill roster gaps, Memphis brought in forward Tyler Burton (signed March 12th) and guard Dejon Jarreau (signed March 13th) on 10-day contracts. Both players have spent time this season with the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies’ G-League affiliate.
Now on to this game.
You might say the Grizzlies had a case of the Mondays.
There’s not much to say here, other than the Grizzlies did that thing they’ve been doing all year long, committing way too many turnovers and giving up too many points off said turnovers.
And predictably, the results were the same, adding another notch in the loss column, and extending this current losing streak to eight games.
The Grizzlies did see a familiar face in this matchup; former Grizzlies guard Yuki Kawamura now plays for the Bulls.
And it was old-home week for the Bulls, welcoming their former big man, Taj Gibson. Gibson was picked up by Memphis recently due to ongoing roster and injury issues.
Gibson, who spent eight seasons with the Bulls, received a standing ovation when he entered in the first quarter.
In the first half, the Grizzlies led by as many as four points and the Bulls by as many as seven as they battled back-and-forth, trading the lead frequently, resulting in 22 ties before halftime.
Chicago opened the third quarter on a 21-4 run to firmly seize control of the game, with forward Matas Buzelis scoring 13 of his game-high 29 points during the quarter, including three makes from beyond the arc.
A Rayan Rupert three-pointer with 6:10 remaining in the quarter ended the Grizzlies’ scoring drought in the third. Chicago established a 21-point lead during the quarter, though the Grizzlies narrowed the gap to six points in the final moments.
Memphis cut the deficit to 8 early in the fourth quarter, but the Bulls responded promptly, outscoring the Grizzlies 35-21 in the period and extending their lead to 26 points.
And that, my friends, was the ballgame.
By The Numbers:
Cedric Coward led the Grizzlies offensively with 17 points on 7 of 13 overall shooting, along with five assists and one block.
Jaylen Wells added 16 points on 5 of 9 overall shooting and 2 of 5 from beyond the arc, along with three rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper finished the night with 13 points, three rebounds, and one block.
Walter Clayton Jr. scored 12 points on 5 of 11 overall shooting and 2 of 5 from beyond the arc, to go with with two rebounds, seven assists, and one block.
Off the bench, Taylor Hendricks led with 16 points on 6 of 11 overall shooting and 2 of 5 from beyond the arc, along with three rebounds and two steals.
Cam Spencer closed out with 12 points, one rebound, seven assists, and one steal.
Who Got Next? The Grizzlies return home Wednesday to face the Denver Nuggets. This is a makeup game for the one cancelled during the ice storm last month. Tip-off is 7:30 PM CDT.