Grizzlies go toe to toe with the Clippers, but fall late 121-119

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The Memphis Grizzlies suffered another tough loss Wednesday night.  The young Grizzlies faced the Los Angeles Clippers and once again fell late to one of the league’s best teams.  The largest lead by the Grizzlies was 10 points; for the Clippers, it was 7 points.  There were 21 lead changes in the game, and the score was tied 16 times.  With 3.7 seconds left in the game, the score was tied at 119.  Lou Williams missed a floater, and Montrezl Harrell tipped it in leaving 2.3 seconds on the clock.  Jaren Jackson Jr. attempted a three point shot in those final 2 seconds, but he was unsuccessful.

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The Grizzlies’ starters scored 91 of their 119 points Wednesday night.  With the exception of Dillon Brooks, each of the starters played at least 30 minutes and scored in double digits.

  • Jonas Valanciunas had a season high 30 points (12-17 FG) with 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block.  This was his 10th double double of the season.  He was the game’s leading scorer and grabbed the most rebounds.
  • Ja Morant was scoreless (0-1 FG) but had 8 assists as the teams headed into the halftime break.  He, however, managed to end the game with a double double.  Morant scored 20 points (7-16 FG) and had 11 assists, 5 rebounds, 4 steals and 1 block.  He dominated the offense in the fourth quarter and scored 14 of his 20 points in that quarter.
  • Jae Crowder had another 20 point game (6-11 FG).  He also had 4 rebounds and 1 steal.
  • Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 17 points (5-17 FG), grabbed 6 rebounds, and had 2 assists and 1 block.  Nine of the 17 shots he attempted were three point shots.  He connected on three of them.

 

Head to Head Stats

  • The Grizzlies were 47% from the field (43-92) and 39% from three (11-28).  They held the Clippers to 46% from the field (44-95) and 34% from three (14-41).
  • The Grizzlies had 20 turnovers leading to 14 points by the Clippers.  They were able to score 14 points off of the Clippers’ 16 turnovers.
  • The points in the paint were pretty even.  The Grizzlies scored 60 (30-57), and they allowed the Clippers to score 58 (29-45).
  • The Grizzlies grabbed more rebounds than the Clippers (48-40).
  • There was a large margin in bench points.  The home team’s bench was held to just 28 points, while allowing the Clippers bench to score 71 points.

 

Other Noteworthy Stats

  • Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell came off the bench for the Clippers and combined for 48 points.  Williams had 24 points (6-18 FG), 13 assists, 1 rebound and 2 steals.  Harrell also had 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
  • Brandon Clarke came off the bench for the Grizzlies and scored 10 points (5-8) in 18 minutes.  He also grabbed 6 rebounds and assisted on 2 shots.  Clarke is showing himself to be pretty consistent.  The rookie is averaging 13 points and 6 rebounds.

 

Notable Quotes

 

Jaren Jackson Jr. on how he feels having big plays called for him at the end of close games:

“I have to do better with it.  Two straight times I didn’t get it done.  Once I get it done, I’ll probably have a better reaction to it.  I’m happy they go to me, but I’ve got to finish the job for them.”

 

Coach Jenkins on how Ja Morant’s game changed between the 1st half and 2nd half:

“I think he started to figure out how to navigate some of that pressure.  I think our screens were better.  He started to identify some of the lanes.  He took advantage of those.  But it’s a credit to him.  Ja and I even talked about it.  I said you know they’re trying to take you away tonight.  But I want you to keep attacking.”

 

Jonas Valanciunas on finding his way into the offense:

“My strength is a game on the low post.  We’re trying to be faster and run more.  I’m adjusting to that.  I’m trying to see where I can be helpful, where I can make some plays.”

 

What’s Next

The Grizzlies have another home game Friday.  Mike Conley and the Utah Jazz will return for their last match-up in Memphis this season.  The Grizzlies will don their retro Vancouver jerseys again for another Hardwood Classic Night.  The first 5,000 fans in attendance will get a Hardwood Classic flip hat.  The game will tip off at 7 p.m. CST at Fed Ex Forum.

Carmen Patton
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