QUICK RECAP: Grizzlies Secure the Second Seed with Win Over Resting Bucks

First Quarter

The Bucks started hot with 3’s from Beauchamp and AJ Green, and an easy offensive putback for Jae Crowder off the missed Myers Leonard shot led to the first Grizzlies timeout of the night, 11-4 Bucks. Milwaukee continued to push hard, attacking the basket and making tough shots while Luke Kennard dropped two long balls to make sure the lead didn’t get out of hand. Some Ja Morant magic cut the lead down significantly, even with an apparent hand injury that took him back to the locker room after he went out.

As the bench lineup came in, Xavier Tillman and Kennard led the charge to take the lead, withstanding back to back Goran Dragic 3’s. End of Q1: Grizzlies 36, Bucks 31. 

Second Quarter

The second quarter saw a clicking offense to start for Memphis, with hot shooting and good ball movement that found Jaren Jackson Jr. at his opportune spots– but poor perimeter defense, as has become known to Grizzlies fans, kept the Bucks in the game. 

With five left in the half, Memphis’s lead was slim despite their strong play. Milwaukee had already made 13 threes, doubling up Memphis even though both teams had made about half their shots from deep. The defense continued to decline as the half came to a close and the Bucks pulled ahead, with only a Morant flurry to keep Memphis close. End of half: Bucks 72, Grizzlies 71.

Third Quarter

The top of the third showed a slowdown in the offensive explosion that characterized the first half, but Jackson Jr. soldiered on with his domination of the game, sinking his third long ball with 7:44 left to hit 25 points that lead to a Bucks timeout. He hit his fourth immediately after, cementing another impressive game with poise and positioning that shows his growth this season. 

While the offense continued clicking in the third quarter, the water turned off for the home team– Milwaukee had only scored ten points in the period, with three minutes left. Milwaukee also had zero offensive rebounds for the quarter, indicating Memphis’s improved defensive concentration and addition to detail clearing the glass and limiting second chance points. End of Q3: Grizzlies 108, Bucks 87. 

Fourth Quarter

If this game started with a bang, it certainly went out with a whimper. The third quarter momentum carried over to the fourth, with clinical shot making from found shooters in the right spots that stretched the lead to 24, at 119-95 Grizzlies with around 8 minutes left. 

Milwaukee shrunk the lead to less than 20 with just a few minutes left, so the starters, unfortunately, had their rest cut short– minus Morant, who emerged with a stronger hand wrap for his previous injury. Taylor Jenkins fully emptied the bench with around three minutes left, and Memphis fans likely breathed a sigh of relief seeing a safe lead and the young blood closing it out. Hammer, Nail, Coffin, this baby is over!

Final Score: Memphis 137, Milwuakee 114

Jackson Jr. 36/4/2 4 Stocks

Kennard 19/4/5 5-7 3pt

Bane 16/8/6