Without key players, the Grizzlies defeated the Phoenix Suns, 122-114, with lone regular starter Dillon Brooks and a deep bench squad on Friday night before a sellout crowd of 17,794 at FedExForum, aka the Grindhouse.
No Ja Morant โ
No Jaren Jackson Jr. โ
No Desmond Bane โ
No Steven Adams โ
No Tyus Jones โ
Now, imagine a win against the NBAโs best team without four starters, a key reserve, no point guard, and a head coach who was tossed in the first half.
Conventional wisdom would believe a full-squad for the Suns would blow out the short-handed Grizzlies. But this Memphis squad had other plans and grinded it out to take down the Suns.
This has to go down as the best win of the season. Honestly, who expected the team to win the game?
The mentality and culture of the Grizzlies is the reason the team is 20-2 with its leading scorer and star player, Morant.
โEvery day we work; every day we instill confidence in each other,โ said Dillon Brooks who finished the game with 30 points.
โWe feel like, regardless of who it is on the floor, we can get the job done,โ Brooks added. โBecause we play hard. We play together and we compete, regardless of whoโs on the floor. So thatโs our mentality. Thatโs our motto and we live by it from one to 12.โ
Brooks says itโs like a college atmosphere and that they are family.
The Grizzliesโ head coach Taylor Jenkins had this to say following the thrilling victory: โTonightโs a night where you can put your stamp and say, โThis is who we are and weโre going to be here for a really long time.โโ
Yes, Memphis is โhereโ as said by Desmond Bane before a national audience on ESPN a few weeks ago. The Grizzlies are no longer a surprise or an afterthought.
โEverybody just stays locked in during practice. I mean people watch the game and everybody just stays locked in,โ said Grizzlies forward John Konchar. โWe move the ball really well side-to-side and get open shots and just play hard no matter what.โ
โItโs just a next man up mentality really โ just go in, get your work done,โ Konchar added. โAnd just play hard no matter what. The system works for everybody, honestly. So just move the ball and itโs great.โ
Jenkins said games like that are culture wins and it exemplifies the next man up mindset.
The mindset was truly on display against the Suns. Brooks and Xavier Tillman each tallied seven assists, despite the absence of a true point guard, to lead Memphis to 30 assists. The Grizzlies are 17-0 this season when they record 30 or more assists.
Former Grizzlies legend Tony Allen had a mantra, โStay ready so you donโt have to get ready.โ And thatโs what Tillman and rookie Santi Aldama did on Friday night against the Suns. The rookie forward finished with 12 points and five rebounds plus a highlight dunk that made the Grizzlies bench and the crowd inside FedExForum go bananas.
Jenkins said he tried to stay in coaching mode after his early exit from the game but after the Aldama dunk he said he dropped a hell yeah and two hand slap on the table as he watched from the monitors.
โThis year I came in and everybody was cheering me on every day โฆ talking to me every day,โ Aldama recalled. โI just felt part of the family since day one. Itโs just having these good vibes, obviously great players, but great people. From the staff, players, everybody. Itโs just contagious. I think you donโt get that everywhere and itโs like a really good experience, especially my first year having something like this is very, very special.โ
He went on to say, โItโs really looking for the best shot we can take. I think weโre all capable. We all play really well and we play for each other without egos. We donโt have egos here. Itโs just about the team. We just get the best shot, move the ball, and we have fun with it. Thatโs the most important thing.โ
The 6-foot-11 Spaniard credits his time with the Memphis Hustle for improvement in his game and that is a confidence builder. The game against the Suns helped his confidence as well.
โThis game will for sure help,โ he said. โThis season is my rookie year and a learning season. Iโm in and out of the rotation so itโs all about gaining confidence and learning every day. This team is very, very deep so we have to keep doing this.
A foundation of consistency and synergy has been laid for the Grizzlies, who are poised for success now and in the future.
