Report Card: Jaren Jackson Jr. dominates in Ja Morant’s first game back

The Grizzlies welcomed the Rockets into Fedex Forum, where they have only lost five times all season, for game 72/82 of the long NBA season that is nearing its end. For the first time since March 3rd, Ja Morant was available, but he would come off the bench for the first time in his NBA career.

Both offenses clicked early as the Grizzlies and Rockets shot over 50% from the floor in the first quarter. Morant entered the game late in the first quarter and wasted no time, getting a poster dunk on Houston’s Keyon Martin Jr. early in the 2nd.

The real story of the first half was Jackson Jr.’s continued dominance; he scored 16 points on 8-11 shooting, exploiting numerous mismatches in the paint. Houston’s trio of Jalen Green, KJ Martin, and Alpernen Sengun combined for 47 first-half points keeping the Rockets within striking distance. However, a late Grizzlies run and a Luke Kennard buzzer-beater gave them an 11-point lead at the half.

The Rockets would fight back in the 3rd quarter, erasing a 13-point deficit and taking the lead near the middle of the 3rd quarter. But the Grizzlies responded, taking a five-point lead into the 4th quarter.  However, the Rockets came back again and had tied the game when Morant returned with just over 4 minutes left. Both teams were trading blows down the stretch, and it felt like neither team could get consecutive stops. 

With 1:26 left, Coach Taylor Jenkins won a challenge when Morant drew a charge on Sengun and fouled him out of the game. Desmond Bane scored on the following two possessions and gave the Grizzlies a 7-point lead. Two clutch free throws from Kennard secured a 130-125 win, the tenth straight at home for the team with the best home record in the NBA.

Jaren Jackson Jr. – A+

Jackson had the second-highest-scoring performance of his career, but there is no doubt that it was the most dominant game he’s had in the NBA. No one could stop Jaren in the paint, as he made 13 of his 15 two-point attempts tonight. He also scored 11 points in the fourth quarter as he continues to help the Grizzlies flip the script at the end of games.

The last five games have been the best stretch of Jackson’s career, scoring 25 or more in all of those games in the longest streak of his career. The best part of this stretch has been his efficiency; he’s shooting 62.4% from the field and has obliterated his matchups on the interior. The entire team has made it a point of emphasis to give Jaren the ball more, and it is clearly paying off.

Ja Morant B+

It was clear that Morant wanted to avoid disrupting any rhythm that carried over from when he was out. He came off the bench as more of a facilitator, but it did not take long for him to return to his typical incredible finishes. Along with the poster dunk, Morant also flew down the lane and made an and-one layup early in the game that let the fans know he was ready to go. The most important play of the game for Morant, however, came on the defensive end with the drawn charge. It showed he was willing to sacrifice his body for a win tonight.

Desmond Bane – A:

Bane had another solid outing offensively and was huge in the 4th quarter, scoring 11 of his 21 points in the final period and was 5-5 on free throws. Before his injury early in the year, Bane was leading the NBA in 4th quarter-scoring, and the Grizzlies will need this clutch game version of Desmond down the stretch. In his last 8 games, Bane is 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists in his last eight games. With Jackson playing so well and Morant returning, there should be even more opportunities for Bane to get open looks. Bane has continued to develop both as a scorer and a facilitator and is hitting his stride with the rest of the team at the perfect time.

The Others stepping up (Jones, Roddy, Kennard): A

Outside of the Grizzlies big three, the other players that made the most significant impacts were David Roddy, Tyus Jones, and Kennard. Roddy started for the suspended s Dillon Brooks and scored 11 points in the first quarter. Jones continued to run the Grizzlies’ offense to perfection, scoring 14 points and dishing out seven assists. As for Kennard, he made three of his five 3-point attempts tonight and was the Grizzlies’ 2nd leading scorer off the bench.

Overall Grade: B+

If the overall grade were based only on offense, then the Grizzlies would have received an A+. However, the defense and rebounding tonight would not have been good enough against other teams. The most important thing at this point in the season is that the Grizzlies still got the win and are now two games ahead of the Kings for the second seed in the West with 10 games remaining. The Grizzlies will face the Rockets again on Friday looking sweep the season series.