Grizzlies start hot but run out of gas against Kings

The Memphis Grizzlies couldn't sustain hot start, falling to the Kings 103-94.

Coming off a road game in Indiana Sunday, and into their 3rd game in 4 nights, the Grizzlies’ injury report was as long as a grocery list for this game.

So the available Grizzlies? Jaren Jackson Jr., David Roddy, Santi Aldama, Xavier Tillman Sr., GG Jackson, Scotty Pippen Jr., and the newly-signed Matthew Hurt.

The Grizzlies had a sizzling start to the game despite its situation. To start, Mike Brown hilariously called for a challenge 49 seconds into the game for an out-of-bounds call — unsuccessful, by the way. The Grizzlies used hustle, cohesion, and hot shooting to propel themselves to a hot start. They drilled 7 of their 10 three’s — spearheaded by Santi Aldama and the debuting Matthew Hurt combining for 5 of those 3’s. They led 33-18 after the 1st quarter.

The Kings turned it around in the 2nd quarter, as the Grizzlies crashed down to the mean. The only Grizzlies that could really get it going was Jaren Jackson Jr., who showcased his “big guard” skillset. The Kings closed the gap, as the Grizzlies led 50-47 at halftime. Also, I have to mention the demoralizing rebound deficit the Grizzlies went through at halftime:

• Kings: 30 rebounds

• Grizzlies: 18

• Domantas Sabonis: 16

In the 3rd quarter, Santi Aldama picked up on his hot shooting from the 1st half, even executing a 4-point play. However, the Kings took their 1st lead of the game and led 75-71 at the end of the 3rd quarter.

The Grizzlies came to life in the 4th quarter due to the production from GG Jackson and Matthew Hurt. They also benefited from the Kings’ early sloppiness. The Kings started to pull away towards the end, and a Taylor Jenkins’ blunder late in the game was a big blow. With roughly 3:40 left in the game, Jaren Jackson Jr. picked up his 5th foul and was pulled from the game. At that point, the Grizzlies were down 1. By the time he re-entered the game (at the 2-minute mark), they were down 6. It was a deficit they ultimately couldn’t overcome, as the Grizzlies lost 102-94.

Core 4 takeaways

• Shorthanded update. The Grizzlies were even more dinged up than they’ve usually been — as Luke Kennard, Vince Williams Jr., John Konchar, and Ziaire Williams joining the injury report. Not a total surprise, given the team coming off their 3rd game in 4 nights. In pregame, Taylor Jenkins said Kennard and Williams could be back by the end of the weekend.

• Resilience. Despite its circumstances, the Grizzlies continue to play with effort and continuity, approaching the game with a great sense of preparedness each night. Jenkins attributed the team’s competitiveness as a catalyst in this stretch, as he and the coaching staff are looking to keep it light and fun — given the state of the rotation at the moment. Even with the loss, there should be a lot of credit to go around for the players and coaching staff during this stretch.

• Rebounding and paint woes. The Grizzlies held the Kings to 103 points and only 11-38 from 3-point range. That’s rock-solid, especially since Sacramento has a high-powered offense. They struggled defending the paint though, as the Kings scored 56 points in the paint (28-38 on these looks). Jenkins pointed to the Kings’ ability to dish the rock on the interior and get into their next actions. The Grizzlies also got out-rebounded 51-37, as they really had no answer for Domantas Sabonis.

• Quick note on 10-day debut of Matthew Hurt. Yesterday afternoon, the Grizzlies used a hardship exception to give Matthew Hurt a 10-day contract. Playing with the Memphis Hustle the past 3 years, Hurt was performing at a high level in regular season play — averaging a G League-best 25.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks on 57% shooting (50.6% from 3 on 7 attempts per game) in 11 games. Offensively, he’s a floor-spacing big man that can also make plays off the dribble for himself and others. Defensively, he showed effort and fought for positioning on the inside. He finished with 10 points on 3-6 shooting (2-3 from 3), 2 rebounds, and 1 assist in 23 minutes — showing some really intriguing offensive flashes, including this slick step-back 3.

The Memphis Grizzlies will be back in action Thursday, as they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7PM CST.

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