Grizzlies players stand behind cold Brooks
SAN FRANCISCO — A two-minute clip of Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks missing shots made its way around Twitter not long after his 5for-19 performance in a 101-98 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Monday night.
All-star point guard Ja Morant, who didn't play due to right knee soreness, saw the clip, and immediately stood up for his teammate.
“Delete this dawg . Y'all wilding,” Morant tweeted.
Brooks' shot selection took center stage as the Grizzlies lost a game they didn't trail until 45.7 seconds remained. He was the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter as fans, national media and many others questioned why he played 39 minutes in the biggest Grizzlies game of the season.
The Game 4 loss at the Chase Center has the Grizzlies trailing 3-1 in the Western Conference semifinals. Game 5 is Wednesday (8:30 p.m., TNT) at Fedexforum.
“Yeah, got a lot of trust in him, and I loved what he was doing defensively,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said. “Had a big three, big two late in the game, just ball wasn't bouncing for him the majority of the game, but got a lot of trust in that guy.”
That was the message echoed through not just Morant and Jenkins, but the Grizzlies as a whole.
Kyle Anderson is one of the most vocal Grizzlies players. He's often seen encouraging teammates or telling them what they need to hear. He had a simple message for Brooks.
“Keep shooting,” Anderson said. “We live and die with him taking and making shots. We have confidence in him that he's going to knock down shots.”
Tyus Jones noted that the Grizzlies play a free-flowing offense where a lot of players are given green lights to play openly. That's why the Grizzlies were the top NBA team in transition points, but it's also why they were inconsistent in halfcourt sets.
Golden State ramped up the pressure late and the Grizzlies forced the issue. Brooks shot a 3-pointer with 53 seconds left with a one-point lead, and that was the last time Memphis had the ball as the winning team.
Brooks took his fair share of questionable shots, but the Grizzlies didn't have another closer. Usually, this is where Morant would take over. Jenkins drew up multiple plays for Jackson in the final 40 seconds, only to come up empty each time.
Desmond Bane gutted out another performance, but he was seen wearing some protection for his back at halftime, which was an indication that the injury is still bothering him.
Someone had to take those late shots, and Brooks has never been one to shy away from the moment. If he keeps that mindset, the Grizzlies seem OK with the results.
“He's done it for us all year,” Anderson said. “You can't get upset at him when the ball doesn't go in for him because when it's going in for him, we're a really good team.”
Contact Damichael Cole at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com and on Twitter @damichaelc