Quick Recap: Grizzlies even season series with 133-119 win over Warriors

Both coming off back-to-back’s, the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors prepared for battle once again. Given this team’s history, we knew the energy would feel different in this game.

Both teams started out hot offensively out of the gates. The Grizzlies hit 3 three-pointers for their first field goals of the game, while the Warriors chipped away to keep themselves in the game. Jonathan Kuminga was a catalyst for the Warriors in the period, too. The Grizzlies closed the first quarter with a 33-23 lead.

Jordan Poole picked up his 3rd foul early in the 2nd quarter, shoving Desmond Bane to the ground after getting beat in the drive. David Roddy and Desmond Bane were keeping the offense humming to start the 2nd quarter. Dillon Brooks found a groove on both ends of the floor — getting to his spots in the mid-range, while maintaining a laser focus on Steph Curry defensively. The Grizzlies used a challenge on a call to save Brooks from a foul, as it looked like a push-off from Curry, and it was deemed unsuccessful. Luke Kennard went crazy from downtown to hit 3 second-quarter 3’s — 4 in the first half total. Scoring a blistering 38 points in the second quarter, the Grizzlies led 71-59 at halftime.

The majority of the 3rd quarter belonged to Jaren Jackson Jr. on both sides of the ball. He swatted 3 shots in the quarter, one of them on Draymond Green. He had a sequence where he blocked Stephen Curry’s layup, which led to a 3 from Bane. Jackson also found his groove offensively, attacking the Warriors’ defense downhill and finishing strong in the paint. The Warriors closed the gap though because of the “second timeline” guys, Poole and Kuminga. They also went to the charity stripe for 19 free throw attempts in the quarter. The Grizzlies still led the way to close the quarter with a 104-100 lead.

The strong 3rd quarter didn’t generate momentum for the Warriors. Desmond Bane started off the 4th quarter cooking both inside and beyond the arc. Dillon Brooks picked up his 5th foul with 7 minutes left in the game, but it didn’t matter. Jaren Jackson Jr. finished the job off for the Grizzlies with a few layups and a big 3.

Grizzlies win 13X-11X. Season series with the Warriors tied.

Quick Takeaways

• Jaren Jackson Jr. as the first option rules. Jaren Jackson Jr. was the best player on the floor tonight. Not Steph Curry. Not Draymond Green. Not Klay Thompson. For the second-consecutive game, Jackson had 20+ field goal attempts, and his aggression highlighted the dimensions of his game. He attempted 9 three-pointers, converting 3 of them. He continually found his way into the paint, finishing strong and absorbing contact. Oh, and he also blocked 4 shots. Jackson felt unleashed in this game, a theme over the past few weeks. There aren’t many big men in the league better than this version of Jaren Jackson Jr.
• Dillon Brooks’ best two-way game all season. Dillon Brooks loves the Warriors matchups, doesn’t he? He talked trash with Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. He galloped by Stephen Curry after drilling a 3. Brooks did not let Curry out of his sight defensively, suffocating him to 16 points on 5-15 shooting. Offensively, his shots came within the flow — exploiting size mismatch with Curry to find his spots closer to the basket, and shooting controlled 3’s. These are the type of games that showcase Dillon Brooks’ value to this team and its identity.
• Some unsung heroes. Jackson, Brooks, and Bane got a lot of the shine in this game. Kennard popped off in the 2nd quarter with his 3-point barrage. However, Tyus Jones and Xavier Tillman were the glue pieces in this game. Jones orchestrated the offense wonderfully, dropping 14 assists with 0 turnovers to his name. Xavier Tillman was on his Steven Adams flow, doing the little dirty things inside the paint. He scored 14 points, hauled in 10 rebounds, and dished 5 assists. It was a dynamic outing from this Grizzlies team, and Jones and Tillman’s subtle excellence was pivotal in this rivalry win.

The Memphis Grizzlies’ homestand continues when the Dallas Mavericks come to town on Monday night.