Insider Insights: Grizzlies Remain Winless at Home After Loss to Heat

The Grizzlies began the game in another early hole, down by as many as eight points before Luke Kennard came off the bench and hit three consecutive threes to bring them within one point at 20-19. Miami quickly responded with an 11-0 run in less than three minutes to take their largest lead of the quarter at 31-19. After a Kennard layup to break up the scoring drought, the Grizzlies ended the first quarter on a 7-2 run to close their deficit to 33-26.

The Grizzlies continued to close the gap to begin the second quarter as the bench continued to contribute with Kennth Lofton Jr., Jacob Gilyard, and David Roddy joining in the scoring load; they combined to score the teams’ first 12 points to cut their deficit to 40-38 midway through the quarter. The rest of the quarter was a slugfest as the Grizzlies’ starters combined to shoot just 8-30 from the field, resulting in a 54-46 score at halftime, in favor of Miami.

The beginning of the third quarter brought renewed energy to the Grizzlies offense as Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. combined to score 16 of the teams’ first 18 points; they were able to cut the deficit to 65-64 with a little under eight minutes remaining in the third quarter. The Heat immediately responded with an 8-0 stretch to extend their lead back to nine points at 73-64.

However, the Grizzlies had yet another answer, as they exerted their will in the paint, resulting in a one-point deficit by the end of the third quarter. The Grizzlies finally retook the lead once the fourth quarter began behind a three from Santi Aldama. That triple gave Memphis a brief 79-77 lead.

Then, the stagnant offense returned. The Grizzlies surrendered a 22-9 run, allowing the Heat to take a commanding 11-point lead. The Grizzlies did have one more run in them, cutting the deficit to three points at 105-102 with 35 seconds remaining but to no avail. Memphis lost its seventh game in eight tries this season: 108-102.

Now for some takeaways:

Bismack Biyombo’s Home Debut

Bismack Biyombo made his presence felt in his Grizzlies debut Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers, providing eight points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks. He began his home debut right where he left off, as he opened the game with a dunk to kick off the scoring and grabbed four rebounds (3 offensive rebounds) within the game’s first five minutes.

As the game continued, Bismack continued to make an impact by being efficient with his opportunities, providing second-chance points, and excelling on the defensive end; he finished with nine points, ten rebounds, and a steal. Whether or not Bismack Biyombo will be a starter for the remaining 17-game Morant-less stretch is still to be determined, but he has made an excellent case in his two-game sample. Jaren Jackson Jr. even mentioned the great energy Biyombo brings and said that he reminds him of Steven Adams with the way he rebounds.

Three-Point Defense

In the pregame press conference, Taylor Jenkins mentioned that the teams’ urgency and recognition could be better when defending the three-point line, as the Grizzlies were second-to-last in the NBA in opponent three-point percentage coming into this game (39.7%.) He reiterated how guarding the paint was the main priority but admitted that the three-point defense could use some work.

That lack of urgency in defending the perimeter continued to be a problem early. Miami opened the game by hitting four of their first five attempts in the first five minutes of the game. The majority of the Heat’s three-point looks in the first half were open, and it showed, as they connected on 50% on 12 attempts.

As the second half began, the Grizzlies seemed to hear the halftime message. Their third-quarter defense protected the three-point line much better as their closeouts were evident, leading to Miami shooting just 2-8 in the third quarter from deep. However, with the game on the line, the Grizzlies gave up an open dagger three that sealed the win for the Miami Heat.

Start, Stop, and/or Continue

Continue finding ways to get Jaren Jackson Jr. the basketball in his spots. Jaren was very aggressive in this game, which was the byproduct of providing him opportunities with the ball where he is best at scoring. If you continue to get Jaren going downhill and consistently give him opportunities to attack and take advantage of mismatches in the post, you will get a consistently aggressive “Triple J.” As I have said before, frontcourt guys need opportunities early to stay engaged offensively. Unlike ball-handling guards who can create because the basketball is always in their hands, big men need to get fed, and Jaren is no different than any big man in the NBA in that regard.

Coming Up

The Memphis Grizzlies will continue to look for their first home win of the season as they remain at FedExForum for their second NBA In-Season Tournament game versus the Utah Jazz. The Jazz won their first matchup against Memphis last week in Utah by a score of 133-109. Also, the Grizzlies lost their first NBA In-Season Tournament game at Portland last Friday, 115-113 in overtime.

Final Quote

“We’re going to keep fighting through every challenge that’s put in front of us and that adversity is only going to continue to make us stronger” – Marcus Smart