Ja Morant wouldn’t call it an ugly win. Scotty Pippen Jr. said the Memphis Grizzlies played good.
The end result was a Wednesday night win against the Utah Jazz, but the Grizzlies once again found themselves in a position where they appeared to be playing with their food.
The Grizzlies built a 19-point lead in the first half against Utah, the Western Conference’s worst team. Utah (15-51) completely erased that deficit and held a one-point lead in the final minute on Wednesday.
Behind late-game heroics from Morant and Luke Kennard, the Grizzlies (42-24) escaped with a 122-115 win. Kennard led the Grizzlies with 30 points and made seven 3-pointers.
A win is a win, but Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins often talks about monitoring the way the team plays more so than sheer results. Memphis is a team with championship goals, so games against opponents like Utah are viewed through a different lens.
“I’m aware of our inability right now to stretch leads, but it’s kind of the nature of the season right now,” Jenkins said. “Got to give credit to the four teams that we played. Everyone is playing for different reasons, but these guys are coming out and playing extremely hard.”
Ja Morant answers the call
A recent influx of close games has meant several moments for Ja Morant to activate his clutch badge.
Morant has done just that, serving as the closer over the course of the Grizzlies’ four-game winning streak. His latest dagger came with the Grizzlies leading by two and the shot clock running down on Wednesday. Morant made a 3-pointer with 12.4 seconds remaining to put the nail in the coffin.
The Grizzlies point guard pulled out his signature “call 12” celebration. He finished the game with 28 points and seven assists.
Morant, who tends to speak openly when he feels the Grizzlies are struggling, didn’t chalk up the recent play to just surviving against teams Memphis expects to beat.
“I feel like we disrespect a lot of guys in this league just because of their team record,” Morant said. “They’re still NBA players. They’re here for a reason.”
A defensive focus
Memphis was without Jaren Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama, but Jenkins still played 11 players. That in part was due to the inconsistency on the defensive end.
Memphis led by 14 points at halftime before surrendering 36 points in the third quarter and leading by four at the end of that period.
Players have often talked about the intensity and urgency needing to be more consistent. After Monday’s win against the Phoenix Suns, Morant said it is something the Grizzlies are still searching for.
GG Jackson, for example, is a player Memphis is challenging to become one of its better wing defenders. At 6-foot-9, Jackson has the size and athleticism to become a defensive force.
On Wednesday, Jackson’s defensive mistakes led to Jenkins urging him to play better.
“To his credit, he understood what his mistakes were,” Jenkins said. “I love that he recognized it, and he’s going to be better from it.”
Tall task on Friday
Whether Memphis is surviving or thriving during its current four-game win streak will be answered on Friday. The Grizzlies will play against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have the NBA’s best record and a 15-game win streak.
Long defensive lapses won’t lead to good results against teams like the Cavs, and that’s something Memphis understands.
“A win is a win, but you got to be real with yourself,” Desmond Bane said. “We didn’t play our best basketball. I felt like we played with the game a little bit, which, you know, championship teams don’t do. It’s just about stacking habits and competing for 48 minutes.”
