The Memphis Grizzlies’ offense is on a outstanding roll, organising a fairly favorable matchup on Friday evening after they go to a New Orleans Pelicans crew that is having a tough time slowing anyone down.
Of their final 5 victories, the Grizzlies have averaged 140.4 factors. That features an NBA season-high and franchise-record 155 in routing the visiting Toronto Raptors on Thursday evening.
“We’re simply shifting the ball,” mentioned rookie ahead Jaylen Wells, who was one in every of eight Memphis scorers in double figures in opposition to Toronto, ending with 17 factors. “Loads of guys had plenty of assists. We’re taking part in quick, and we’re hitting plenty of threes.”
9 Grizzlies mixed for 36 assists because the crew made 58 of 109 subject aim makes an attempt. Wells made a team-high 5 3-pointers in 10 makes an attempt, and Memphis completed 18 of 45 (40 %) from past the arc.
Only a week earlier, the Grizzlies made a franchise-record 27 treys in 48 makes an attempt throughout a 144-93 blowout of visiting Golden State, which was the most important margin of victory within the league this season.
The Grizzlies, who’ve received 13 of their final 16 video games, did not have their finest defensive sport in opposition to Toronto. They led 78-70 at halftime and allowed 100 factors by three quarters, although they entered the fourth quarter with a 21-point lead.
“Giving up 70 factors in a single half could be very uncharacteristic, and I am glad our guys responded,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins mentioned. “Once we began clamping down, you possibly can really feel the momentum actually shift.”
Memphis’ halftime level complete was its highest in any half this season and the Grizzlies lead the NBA with a mean of 123.7 factors per sport.
They appear to have an excellent alternative to surpass that mark in opposition to a New Orleans crew that has allowed a mean of 120.9 factors throughout its eight-game shedding streak.
The Pelicans by no means led and fell behind the visiting Houston Rockets 39-22 on the finish of the primary quarter of a 128-111 loss Thursday evening. It was New Orleans’ seventeenth defeat of their final 18 video games.
Coach Willie Inexperienced, who has routinely praised his gamers for his or her toughness and competitiveness whereas taking part in with out a number of injured key gamers in almost each sport this season, felt otherwise Thursday.
“(It was) only a lack of competitiveness from our guys from begin to end,” Inexperienced mentioned. “We had been simply delicate tonight — interval. There are occasions when you are going to go in opposition to good groups and chances are you’ll go down. However, like I advised our crew, we will not step on our house court docket and have that lack of physicality.”
The Rockets scored a mixed 261 factors in two lopsided victories in opposition to the Pelicans in eight days, having received 133-113 in Houston on Dec. 19.
Ahead Herbert Jones lamented the Pelicans’ insufficient effort and “sense of urgency.”
“We have all received to be higher in that side,” Jones mentioned. “I do not actually care how a lot we lose by. I am extra involved about how we lose, and we will not lose like that. We have to be higher defensively. We have to be extra bodily.”
–Area Stage Media