The Grizzlies picked up their fourth-consecutive loss on Monday night against the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center. The final score was 126-115, meaning the teams split their season series 1-1, with the home team winning both games.
The Nets have the distinction of being one of the few teams with a worse record than the Grizzlies, but that did not stop them from coming away from this meeting with a win.
There is an interesting juxtaposition between these two teams: They are on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of player availability and lineups. Memphis played an eight-man roster; Brooklyn played a 15-man one.
Credit to the Nets for exploiting the weaknesses the Grizzlies have had on display all season: inconsistent playmaking and ballhandling, positional mismatches, and turnovers. So. Many. Turnovers.
Ironically, Brooklyn committed five more turnovers than Memphis in this meeting (20-15), but were able to convert more points (27-18).
The Grizzlies built a 10-point lead in the first quarter and squandered it before the period was over.
A familiar face on the Nets, former Grizzly Ziaire Williams, hit a three-pointer in the final seconds of the quarter to give Brooklyn a two-point advantage. Memphis never regained the lead throughout the rest of the game.
There is value in these remaining regular-season games for the Grizzlies, where players who would typically be riding the bench are given free rein and gather valuable NBA playing experience. It might be necessary from a development perspective, but man, it is hard to watch on a near-nightly basis.
By The Numbers:
The Grizzlies played eight players, six of whom finished the night in double figures.
Javon Small led the starters with 19 points on 7 of 14 overall shooting and 2 of 4 from beyond the arc, along with seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
GG Jackson added 18 points on 8 of 21 overall shooting, plus four rebounds and four assists.
Jaylen Wells scored 17 points on 6 of 12 overall shooting and 3 of 6 from three-point range, to go along with five rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper put up 15 points, four rebounds, one assist, and one block.
From the second unit, Rayan Rupert led all scorers with 20 points on 5 of 13 overall shooting and 4 of 8 from beyond the arc, and added eight rebounds, one assist, one steal, and two blocks.
Walter Clayton Jr. added 13 points, four assists, and one steal.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies are back at it again tonight in the City of Brotherly Love, where they will face off against the Philadelphia 76ers. Tip-off is 6 PM CDT.