Grizzlies couldn't cool off Murray, leading to loss against Hawks
The Grizzlies didn't have an answer for Dejounte Murray, who finished with 41 points, leading to a 99-92 loss
The Grizzlies returned home looking to start a 3-game winning streak after a 2-0 road trip. The Atlanta Hawks were coming in shorthanded themselves — playing without Trae Young, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu.
The 1st quarter belonged to Jaren Jackson Jr. and Dejounte Murray, as the two were just on an absolute heater to start. Jackson went straight at Clint Capela, who had zero answer for him. Jackson’s physicality on both sides of the ball was quite impressive. Vince Williams also orchestrated the offense early with sweet dimes to start. The Grizzlies jumped out to a quick 31-20 lead.
The Grizzlies did their best to hold down the fort in the 2nd quarter. However, a lackluster quarter of offensive stagnation led to their lead trimming. They only scored 15 points in the 2nd quarter — another symptom of their characteristically weak 2nd quarters. They went into the half tied at 46.
The Hawks blitzed them out of the gate for a quick 9-0 run, leading to an early Grizzlies’ timeout. The Grizzlies responded pretty well after the act, hitting 2 three’s to get the deficit back down to 3. However, they had no answer for Dejounte Murray, who continued his heater. The Hawks led 80-72 going into the 4th quarter.
The Grizzlies started to trim the deficit in the 4th quarter. Jake LaRavia hit a big 3 to cut the Hawks’ lead to 3, but Dejounte Murray answered with a 3 of his own to raise it back to 6. Later, Santi Aldama had a thunderous drive and slam to erase it down to 2. However, the Grizzlies had a timely defensive mistake — doubling off Bogdan Bogdanovic to trap Clint Cappella — which led to a Bogdanovic 3. The Grizzlies weren’t able to regain control, as they didn’t score in the final 3 minutes of the game — leading to a 99-92 loss.
Core 4 takeaways
Jaren Jackson Jr.’s dominant play. Jaren Jackson Jr.’s 1st quarter was rather dominant. He attacked Clint Capela relentlessly by taking him off the dribble in iso situations — quickly showing the ripple effects of having him as a 5 against a more traditional center. After a 13-point 1st quarter, he slowed down a bit from a shot-making standpoint. He still imposed his will on the game with his physicality — hauling in 9 rebounds and generating 5 stocks. This game was another example of the potential of Jackson at the 5.
Vince Williams’ growth and how it all scales down. Vince Williams is a legitimate playmaker. While the sample size is still quite small, he’s been shining with the ball in his hands these past two months. He’s making outstanding reads, while receiving a plethora of defensive pressure and coverages. I mean, look at these dimes:
I’m so fascinated in how it scales down when everyone comes back. Williams is now someone that can initiate the offense in pinches, but it should really shine as an advantage creator — identifying open teammates in drive-and-kick situations against a titled defense. It’s been an intriguing development this season. What Taylor Jenkins had to say in postgame about Williams’ playmaking with a more healthy roster:
Jake LaRavia minutes. Jake LaRavia has been impressive in this run lately. He’s attacking the basket off the catch, crashing the glass, and creating defensive events. Taylor Jenkins has challenged him to play with more physicality, and he’s answering the bell. The one area is he’s struggling with is his outside shot. He only hit 2 of his 7 three-point attempts last night, and has only connected on 24.1% of his trey balls this season. There was probably a misconception of his skillset from the fanbase — marking him as a stand-still shooter, rather than a two-way connector. Nonetheless, his growth as an outside shooter will be paramount for an entry way to minutes on a healthier team next year and going forward — a development to monitor in these last 18 games. What Taylor Jenkins had to say about his versatility:
Wenyen Gabriel impression. Wenyen Gabriel didn’t totally pop off the page, as expected since he’s been learning the system in less than 24 hours. His energy was pretty solid on both sides of the floor — finishing with 4 rebounds (2 offensive), 2 assists, 2 points, and a steal in 13 minutes. What Taylor Jenkins had to say on his performance:
The Grizzlies travel to Oklahoma City for a game against the Thunder tomorrow before a 3-game homestand next week.
If you choose to support my Substack, SubTsakalidis — aka “SubTsak” — follow this link to my Allie’s Allies St. Jude fundraiser page. If you choose to subscribe, all proceeds will go towards St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.