Report Card: Short-handed Grizzlies fall to Clippers despite monster nights from Morant, Brooks

The Memphis Grizzlies decided to take an unique approach for their Wednesday night matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers.

They rested regulars Tyus Jones, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr., and they faced the Clippers with just 9 players available. 

The Clippers were also missing a litany of firepower, thanks to the absences of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Marcus Morris. 

However, the game proved to still be a winnable one for the Grizzlies, but lights out shooting from the Clippers (particularly from the three point line) resulted in a 141-132 defeat. Clipper players Russell Westbrook and Robert Covington combined to shoot 12-12 from outside the arc. Despite getting 30-point gems out of Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks, Memphis couldn’t get out of their own way on the defensive side of things, which further inhibited the setback in the loss column. 

Let’s get into some grades from last night, and check out who distinguished themselves on the Grizzlies front.

Santi Aldama- 17 points, 8 rebounds, 1 steal, one block, 6-7 FG, 2-2 3 PT, -1 +/-

Picking up his 19th start of the season last night, Santi Aldama did a solid job of being efficient on each end of the floor for Memphis last night. He cracked double-digit points for the first time since his 22 point, 14 rebound outing on March 20 against the Dallas Mavericks. Asserting himself on the glass led to 8 rebounds, while his growing defensive abilities flashed at times last night as well. It seemed to me that playing large minutes for Aldama brought the best out of him last night, which was needed considering the absence of JJJ. Considering that he played alongside two other players that produced 30-point scoring efforts, I would say that Aldama did a good job of maximizing his opportunities when called upon to do so.

Grade- A

Dillon Brooks, 30 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 12-24 FG, 2-9 3 PT, +1 +/-

Dillon Brooks certainly took advantage of the extra shots provided by the absences of Bane and JJJ. The 24 shot attempts were the most from the 27-year-old since he got up 19 of them against Dallas on March 13. No one is mad at the results, however. Despite chucking up a few shots that seemed a bit, well, untimely, Brooks performed solidly all night for the Grizzlies, getting to his mid-range spots while also fearlessly attacking the rim. The slight uptick in assists also represents an area of encouragement. For the season, Brooks averages 2.6 per game; during his last 3 games, he’s averaged 4 a contest. Last night’s performance served as Dillon’s best display of basketball that Grizzlies fans have witnessed in quite a while. Hopefully, it’s used as a stepping stone with the playoffs right around the corner. 

Grade- A-

Ja Morant- 36 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals, 11-28 FG, 2-9 3 PT, -6 +/-

We have grown accustomed to big nights from Ja. There’s nothing new about that.

He also nearly had a double-double, falling just an assist short in that category.

The area that stood out to me was his performance from the three-point line. If someone just took a casual glance at the production, there wouldn’t be much to write home about a 2 of 9 performance. However, despite missing his first five shots from long-range, his persistence paid off as he connected on 2 of his final 4 attempts.

Ja’s prowess in the paint and in the mid-range are well-known to opposing players and fans alike. However, he’s just gaining his confidence when it comes to consistently knocking down threes at a high level. Sticking to it after starting out rough demonstrates his ability to continue improving upon his craft.

That’s great for him and for the aspirations of the Grizzlies going forward.

Grade- A