Grizzlies lose Desmond Bane to ankle injury, fall in valiant effort to Clippers
The Memphis Grizzlies displayed a ton of effort but were overmatched against the Los Angeles Clippers. Desmond Bane also sprained his ankle -- the hits keep coming.
The Grizzlies came into tonight’s game after a 3-0 road trip, looking to continue their winning ways for a 3-game homestand. The Los Angeles Clippers arrived in Memphis looking like one of the best team’s in the association — really finding their stride and fit with the quartet of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook.
Both teams came out of the gates slow — products of stagnant offense, but tight defense. The Grizzlies used their defense to fuel a small groove in the middle of the 1st quarter. However, they struggled once they staggered the lineups a bit more. The Grizzlies closed the 1st quarter with a 26-23 run.
The Clippers went absolutely berserk in the 2nd quarter, leading to a 61-percent shooting 1st half. Despite steady outside shooting — 6 three’s between Luke Kennard, Vince Williams, David Roddy, and Jake LaRavia — Grizzlies just couldn’t keep up with such a torrid scoring pace. They trailed 65-53 at halftime.
The Grizzlies went cold in the 3rd quarter, but the game just deflated in this period after Desmond Bane sprained his ankle.
Taylor Jenkins veered cautious and didn’t play Jaren Jackson Jr. in the 4th quarter. The Grizzlies had some good moments from the young guys — Ziaire Williams, Jake LaRavia, David Roddy, and GG Jackson — but they couldn’t handle the firepower from Paul George and the Clippers in the 4th quarter.
The Grizzlies lose 128-119.
“Core 4” Takeaways
Desmond Bane hurt. Are you kidding me? The injury bug is just demolishing the Grizzlies to no end. The video is above, no need to hash it out again. Now, we wait to see the ultimate verdict on the injury and how long he’d be out. It’s so demoralizing.
Game was about talent deficiency — the battle of health. The Grizzlies didn’t lose for effort reasons. They couldn’t contend with the Clippers’ firepower. Their Big 3 of Harden, George, and Kawhi torched the nets, regardless of the defensive attention. It’s just the state of the Grizzlies right now.
This is 2022-23 Xavier Tillman. The past 2 games, Tillman resembled the version we saw last season. He finished with 20 points (8-10 shooting, 1-2 from 3), 9 rebounds, and 3 stocks. His finishing around the rim was much better, though he couldn’t convert at the line. His defense was sound, from individual and event creation standpoints. With how depleted the big man depth is at the moment, this is a welcoming sight.
Good stuff from the young wings off the bench. Ziaire Williams, David Roddy, Jake LaRavia, and GG Jackson all received run and all played well within the system. Though a bit overmatched by Paul George and James Harden in the 4th quarter, they battled hard defensively for 50/50 balls — showing both hustle and physicality. They kept the ball moving offensively, making sure there was energy with their movements to generate momentum downhill. There will be ample opportunity over the coming months, so it’ll be interesting to see how they all seize the moment.
The Grizzlies will battle the New York Knicks tomorrow night at home at 7PM.