The Grizzlies made light work of the Portland Trail Blazers at FedExForum on Sunday, with a decisive 119-96 victory.
It’s also the first time this season that Memphis has won two consecutive games on its home court, the first coming Friday night against the Los Angeles Clippers. These were two games added to the Grizzlies’ schedule after they were eliminated from the NBA Cup. The Grizzlies have now won five of their last six games and seven of the last nine.
Are the Grizzlies beating mostly bad teams at the moment? Yes.
However, those wins are moving them up in the standings, and any wins are good when Memphis is still down so many injured players. Their record is now 11-13, and there is a strong chance they can get over .500 before the end of the year.
Zach Edey’s return to play has coincided with the Grizzlies’ rise, and that is not an accident. Before his return on November 15th, the Grizzlies were ranked 22nd in overall defense and 23rd in half-court defense. Since Edey made his season debut on November 15th, Memphis is ranked 2nd in overall defense.
While he fouled out midway through the fourth quarter, Edey put up 12 points and 10 rebounds against Portland, recording his fifth double-double of the season in 11 games played.
Turnovers are still an issue for the Grizzlies, but in this game, they were a bigger problem for the Blazers. Memphis gave up 23 points off 23 turnovers, but they picked up 31 points off 26 turnovers by Portland.
The Grizzlies also had a significant advantage from the free throw line: 29 of 39 from the charity stripe vs. 15 of 18 from the Blazers.
It was the second unit that contributed the most offensively, scoring 69 of the team’s 119 points.
Santi Aldama led with a team-high 22 points and seven rebounds.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope put up a season-high 16 points, five assists, and two steals.
Jock Landale added 15 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Cam Spencer finished with 12 points, three rebounds, six assists, and four steals.
Jaylen Wells led the starters with 16 points, on four of eight overall shooting, two of four from beyond the arc, and six of eight from the free throw line. He also added five rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Rookie Cedric Coward continued showing his value, adding 11 points, six rebounds, three assists, and one block.
Jaren Jackson Jr. struggled offensively, scoring only six points, but he added four assists, three steals, and two blocks.
His chase down block on Deni Avdija was a thing of beauty — hang that shit in the Louvre.
And because it has been reported extensively, Ja Morant did indeed have some words for Avdija after he deliberately tripped Cedric Coward. I’m never going to be upset to see Morant or any of the Grizzlies standing up for one of their teammates.
After missing the past 10 games with a right calf strain, Morant is predicted to make his return on December 12th.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies will close out this three-game homestand on Friday, December 12th, against the Utah Jazz. Tip-off is at 7 PM CST.