The Memphis Grizzlies are officially back on a winning streak. Monday night they went to American Airlines Center in Dallas and faced off against division rivals, the Mavericks, kicking off their budding streak with a third consecutive victory.
Both teams were missing key players, and the Grizzlies have historically struggled against the Mavs on their home court. Fortunately, that was not the case Monday night.
Let’s get into it.
First things first, an update on Ja Morant.
Per Coach Taylor Jenkins on whether Ja Morant returns Friday: “There are a lot of internal dialogues going on and obviously there’s still things going on at the league level that we’re in communication with. Ja’s fully engaged in this process and ready for whatever comes next after these two games.”
Point guard Tyus Jones said this to The Athletic about Ja: “He’s in good spirits,” said Jones, who has spoken with Morant frequently. “He knows what he did, where he’s at; he knows where he needs to get to, and he understands that the time is now for him to get better. It’s unfortunate that he’s away from the team, but it’s also a time for him to take care of himself first and put himself before basketball. That’s important to do, and so I’m hoping he’s able to take care of himself. The idea of basketball will be here. The team will be here. He knows he needs to get his mind right.”
We continue to wish Morant well in his recovery, and we will update further when more information is available.
As for the Grizzlies’ matchup against the Mavericks, the first half was really anyone’s ballgame. There were 16 lead changes and six ties, with neither team leading by more than four points. In addition, the Grizzlies did not score a single second-chance point or grab a single offensive rebound in the first half.
Memphis went into the second half down by one, and they came out of the locker room and into the third quarter playing with a renewed energy and a winning mindset. If there is one thing this Grizzlies team is familiar with, it is overcoming challenges in the face of adversity.
All season long, there has been a “next man up” mentality embraced by the team, and it has been firmly on display for the past three games. Jones has done a phenomenal job stepping into the starting role with Morant away, and the Grizzlies are getting contributions from all over the roster. One of the most pleasantly surprising has been the outstanding playing by rookie David Roddy, who scored 19 in Monday night’s game, and 25 in last Friday’s.
Roddy, postgame, on having two consecutive career high games against the Mavs: “Yeah, I think it was just really being ready for my opportunity. I got a little bit more extended minutes, as well as just being in rhythm with my shooting. I saw a few go down and then your confidence boosts a lot after that. So just trusting my work and just keeping it day-by-day and trying to be as consistent as possible.”
By The Numbers:
Desmond Bane led the Grizzies’ scoring with a team-high 23 points, plus 8 rebounds, and 7 assists, on 7 of 13 overall shooting and 3 of 8 from distance.
Tyus Jones put up another solid game with 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists, on 6 of 12 overall shooting.
Dillon Brooks closed out with 19 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals.
From the bench:
Big Body David Roddy also put up 19 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block.
Santi Aldama finished the night with 10 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Who Got Next?
The road trip continues. The Grizzlies are taking their talents to South Beach Wednesday night March 15th, where they will face off against the Miami Heat. Tip-off is at 6:30 CDT.