The Memphis Grizzlies didn’t just escape with a 133–128 overtime win. They earned it. And in an NBA Cup game they couldn’t afford to drop, they moved to 2–1 in West Group B by refusing to let a rough start define their night.
This season has been heavy. Injuries, inconsistencies, and close losses can wear down even the most resilient groups. But every season has a moment where a team shows who they want to become. Wednesday night felt like the Grizzlies’ chance to take a breath and say, “We’re still here.”
They were down 15 at halftime, watching the Pelicans score at will and dictate every possession. Memphis looked like a team teetering toward another frustrating chapter. Instead, something shifted.
They fought back with intention. They played for each other. And for the first time in a long while, they looked like a group that trusted the work.
Halftime Honesty
The Grizzlies walked into the locker room without needing a single clip or replay. They didn’t need film to tell them they were getting pushed around. Tuomas Iisalo told them the truth: New Orleans was out-competing them, out-working them, and taking away their structure.
The message wasn’t about adjustments. It was about pride. And the players took ownership.
Vince Williams Jr. said afterward, “We figured it out for ourselves. We knew what we had to do.” You could feel that. Memphis came out with purpose, not frustration.
Zach Edey Becomes the Anchor
If the game had a turning point, it came when Edey decided the paint belonged to him.
The Pelicans had bullied their way inside early, but he flipped the tone completely. The Purdue standout finished with 21 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks on 10-of-15 shooting, but the impact was bigger than the box score. He absorbed contact, protected space, and gave his teammates the freedom to defend tighter on the perimeter. He finished with a team-high +39.
“We controlled rebounding in the second half,” he said. That simple statement captured how Memphis took back control. Once they controlled the glass, they controlled the game.
The Calm of Wells, the Leadership of JJJ
Jaylen Wells keeps proving he’s not afraid of big moments. His 25 points felt steady and mature: timely threes, smart drives, and the kind of composure that stabilizes an entire lineup. He looked like someone who understands the rhythm of winning basketball.
In his last two games, Wells is playing some of his best basketball yet, averaging 23.5 points and shooting an incredible 17-for-24, including 9-of-14 from beyond the arc.
And then there’s Jaren Jackson Jr.
His night had its ups and downs, but when it mattered, he stepped forward. Jackson Jr. finished with 27 points, five rebounds, three steals, two assists, and a block, and brought a calmness Memphis desperately needed late. He defended Zion Williamson with urgency, read double teams better as the game went on, and hit the kind of shots that carry a team through chaotic stretches.
Iisalo praised him for balancing scoring with creation. That maturity showed in the fourth quarter and in overtime.
Vince Williams Jr.: The Pulse of the Team
Williams Jr. delivered one of the best performances of his career by doing everything the game asked for. He finished with five points, 17 assists, four rebounds and two steals. His career-high assists were the foundation of the Grizzlies’ second-half rhythm. He was patient when the game needed patience and aggressive when the moment called for it.
“We limited them to one shot and got out in transition,” he said. That energy jump was obvious. Memphis ran harder, shared the ball better, and trusted each other more.
His presence continues to grow, and so does his voice. Williams Jr. played great defense on Williamson down the stretch in OT to help seal the much needed victory.
Connection and Selflessness
Memphis looked like the more connected team after the half. They talked, they defended with purpose, and they played with the kind of belief you can’t manufacture.
The defining moment didn’t come from a shot. It came from Jock Landale walking up to the coaches in the 4th quarter and telling them to stick with Edey. Play him. Let him finish this. No ego involved. Only trust.
“That’s Jock in a nutshell,” Jackson Jr. said. Iisalo added that moments like that show the group is starting to gel.
On the bench, Ja Morant stood the entire time, coaching possessions and lifting teammates emotionally. The energy mattered just as much as the execution.
The Grizzlies outscored New Orleans in overtime by playing like a team that wanted to win together, not as individuals trying to survive alone.
A Win That Feels Like a Step Forward
The Grizzlies still have plenty of work to do. One win doesn’t erase a slow start. But some wins feel different because of how they happen, not just because of what the box score says.
Memphis outscored the Pelicans 69–54 in the second half, controlled the paint 66–50, shot over 62 percent after halftime, and most importantly, closed out a game that easily could’ve slipped away.
At 2–1 in the NBA Cup, they’ve put themselves in position to fight for advancement. More than that, though, they looked connected. They looked committed. They looked like a team rediscovering its identity.
“We just kept believing,” Vince said. “And once we did that, everything worked out.”
The Grizzlies climbed out of a 17-point hole, fighting back for their biggest comeback of the season. This wasn’t just a win. It was a reminder of who the Grizzlies are trying to be.