Five things we learned from first exhibition
It was a sluggish start for the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday in their first game since March 10 when the NBA shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At one point the Grizzlies trailed by 26 points. Good thing it was just an exhibition game.
A pair of timely 3-pointers in the third quarter from Dillon Brooks sparked a run that made the game competitive for a while, but the Philadelphia 76ers were able to hang on for a 90-83 victory at Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida.
Here are five observations from the Grizzlies' first game in the NBA bubble.
Ja Morant held under 10 points
Rookie of the Year candidate Ja Morant
missed four of his first five shots and it didn't get much better late in the game.
He finished with 7 points, his lowestscoring performance since a Jan. 22 road loss to Boston.
Morant led the Grizzles in assists with 8 and had a powerful two-handed slam in the first half but was 3-12 from the field.
"I could see the rust of not being out there playing against another team," Morant said. "I'm pretty sure everybody else could see it ... I just was missing shots that I normally make."
Sixers were able to take starters out quickly
Tobias Harris led Philadelphia with 15 points and 10 rebounds, most of which came in the first half.
The big lead, which was as much as 29 at one point, let the Sixers rest their starters with Harris and Ben Simmons playing 22 minutes apiece. Joel Embiid scored all 10 of his points in the first quarter in 13 minutes of action.
Wing rotation at a glance
With Justise Winslow out for the season, Kyle Anderson got the start at small forward and had 14 points on 5-7 shooting and 4-5 from 3-point range.
"He's shooting it with confidence," said coach Taylor Jenkins. "His teammates are finding him, he's picking the appropriate times to let it fly, so great first game for Kyle."
Josh Jackson played 12 minutes but was unable to get anything going offensively, going 0 for 4 from the field. Brooks played 26 minutes and finished with 6 points. The Grizzlies' No. 1 option was going down low as Jonas Valenciunas led
the team with 20 points and 11 rebounds. ..
Coaches wear 'Racial Justice' pins
Both the Grizzlies and 76ers coaching staffs wore rectangular pins that said "Coaches for Racial Justice" and according to ESPN'S Marc Spears, all coaches plan to wear them during the seeding and playoff games.
"It means everything. It's not something I take for granted," said forward Jaren Jackson Jr. "I'm glad people are speaking up. I'm glad people are using what they can to make a difference while we're out here. That's very important. The NBA is taking a big stance on it so credit to them and our coaching staff as well. We're a united front on it, so I know where their head's at and they know where we're at."
Next up
The Grizzlies take on the Houston Rockets in the second of three scrimmages on Sunday at 7 p.m. Central.