Insider Insights: Grizzlies Win the Battle of the Undefeated

After forcing an incredible 58 turnovers in their first two games in Vegas, the Grizzlies only forced 12 turnovers against the Magic but took control anyway to move their record to 3-0.

Trey Jemison scored the first four points of the game for the Grizzlies followed by two GG Jackson threes to help take an early 12-4 lead out the gate. The Magic made a run to cut their deficit to 20-16 but back-to-back threes by Drew Pember gave the Grizzlies their largest lead of the opening quarter as they led by 10 points on multiple occasions before ending the first quarter leading 33-24.

The Grizzlies’ onslaught continued in the second quarter as they led by as many as 19 points and outscored the Magic 24-16 in the quarter to lead 57-40 at the half.

Trailing by 15 points with a little under midway through the third quarter, the Orlando Magic used a 13-0 run to cut their deficit to 70-68 and eventually got within one point at 75-74 to end the quarter. After tying the game on two different occasions at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Scotty Pippen Jr. spearheaded a 13-0 run to put the Grizzlies back up double-digits at 93-80 midway through the quarter.

16 fourth-quarter points from Scotty Pippen Jr. helped the Grizzlies hold off the Magic’s comeback attempt to remain undefeated with the 104-98 victory. GG Jackson led the Grizzlies with 27 points and 13 rebounds followed by Scotty Pippen Jr. with 25 points and 9 assists. Trey Jemison and Jaylen Wells chipped in 9 points each for the core guys but let’s take some time to acknowledge…

The Others

Let’s give the players who aren’t currently on the Grizzlies roster or signed to a two-way deal with the organization some credit for continuing the standard set by those who are. With Zach Edey, Jake LaRavia, and Cam Spencer missing last night, only GG Jackson, Jaylen Wells, Scotty Pippen Jr., and Trey Jemison remained from the regular team which meant the others needed to step up, and they did just that.

Dejon “Deeky” Jarreau, who spent last season with the Memphis Hustle and a couple of 10-day deals with the Memphis Grizzlies, has been consistent this summer league and got the start last night and finished with 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, including some big shots in clutch time. He’s an all-around player who looked decent in the minutes he played on the Grizzlies last season and looks to potentially get a training camp invite.

Drew Pember and Isaiah Miller came off the bench last night and provided a spark as they combined for 15 points in the first half and ended with 8 and 7 points, respectively. The second half was much quieter for the others but their contribution didn’t go unnoticed as their first-half performance helped pave the way for the Grizzlies to take control of the game before the core guys took over down the stretch.

The Grizzlies look to finish their four-game slate undefeated and clinch a semifinal spot today at 5:00 PM CST against the New Orleans Pelicans. You can watch the game on ESPN+ and the Grind City Media app.