Grizzlies make statement in win vs. Bucks
It was fitting that after his 32-point game Friday, Dillon Brooks added an exclamation Saturday for the Memphis Grizzlies‘ best win of the season.
Brooks followed a Ja Morant missed 3-pointer with a putback dunk in the face of reigning MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo. He skipped down the court as the Grizzlies began to celebrate.
A 128-115 road win over the Milwaukee Bucks was as strong a statement as the Grizzlies have made this season. They were in control on both ends and Brooks' statement slam was just one of several moments where confidence and discipline led to execution. The Grizzlies (29-26) not only got revenge for a onepoint loss to the Bucks in March, they've improved to 7-3 this month.
Defense leads the way
Grayson Allen had a career-high seven 3-pointers and a team-high 26 points, and Brooks had 21 points. But this game was about defense as much as well-executed offense.
The Bucks (35-21), one of the NBA'S top offenses, shot 42.9% from the field and had just five fast break points. Antetokounmpo had 28 points and 11 rebounds, and Khris Middleton had 16 points and 10 assists but on 5-for-13 shooting. Throw in the Grizzlies scoring 24 points off 16 Bucks turnovers and this was a strong performance coming off a back-to-back.
“We're not backing down, there's no fear,” Allen said. “We believe we can hang with these teams and when its game time, it's time to prove it.”
Rookie-led bench shines again
How good was Desmond Bane feeling in the third quarter? He passed up an alley-oop pass to Ja Morant and knocked down a transition 3-pointer. Then he drove for a coast-to-coast layup to end the period.
Bane had 16 points, two fewer than the entire Bucks bench, and Xavier Tillman Sr. tied his career high with 15 points to follow his 14-point game Friday. Bane also had six assists as the
Grizzlies bench finished with 43 points.
“It’s basketball. I’m always having a good time out there,” Bane said.
Road warriors shine
The Grizzlies are 16-10 on the road and have won six of their last seven away from Fedexforum. This win over a healthy Bucks team showed some of the toughness forged from close losses the last two months.
Killian Tillie and Jonas Valanciunas each took elbows to the face but kept playing. Morant was left open by the Bucks and made them pay with three 3pointers; he finished with 13 points, six rebounds and six assists.
The Grizzlies led by as many as 17 and controlled the game over the final three quarters. This is also the third consecutive time they’ve won the second leg of a back-to-back.
The Mavericks beat them Wednesday with a buzzer-beating loss. But getting two wins to start a road trip showed the Grizzlies are learning from moments like that. They also now have a twogame lead on the Golden State Warriors for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.