Grizzlies didn’t trail after 1st quarter of win over Magic
It was health night at the Memphis Grizzlies game on Saturday at Fedexforum. The hometown team made sure to not give the fans any scares in a 124-96 win over the Orlando Magic.
The Grizzlies (44-21) took the lead in the final second of the first quarter and never trailed again. The Magic (16-49) was getting easy 3-point looks in a hot first quarter.
Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant's streak of three games of more than 35 points was snapped, but mainly because he didn't play in the fourth quarter. Morant came out hot, making his first three 3-pointers. He finished with 25 points and seven assists in 28 minutes.
This was the 51st meeting between the Magic and Grizzlies. The series was tied at 25 before the Grizzlies win.
Here are some observations from the win.
Second quarter eruption
It took a Tyus Jones 3-pointer in the final second of the first quarter to give the Grizzlies a 31-29 lead. No last-second heroics were needed in a dominant second quarter as the Grizzlies outscored the Magic 37-16. Even though Memphis made shots in the first quarter, the defensive activity was missing. The Grizzlies locked up in the second quarter, which led to transition highlights that have become all too common. A De'anthony Melton steal turned into a transition pass to Morant, who lobbed it to Ziaire Williams.
"Pretty much coach just started getting on us in the timeout and letting us know that we were playing soft and we had to pick up our energy and physicality," Morant said. "Once we did, we were able to get out to a big lead that allowed us to win the game."
The Grizzlies held the Magic to 30.4% shooting in the second quarter while making 54.2% of their baskets. A 13-0
over a three-minute stretch ballooned the lead to 20 points.
Good night of shooting
Basketball can be as simple as making and missing shots. When the Boston Celtics players went under screens and dared the Grizzlies to shoot, Memphis failed in Thursday's loss.
On Saturday, the Grizzlies lit it up from 3-point range. What made the showing impressive was that the 3pointers came from multiple players. Four Grizzlies made multiple 3s. Morant was giving the bombs away signal with his arms after making his second, and Desmond Bane looked like the player who has been one of the league's best snipers. Bane had a slow start against Boston but made four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. He followed that performance up with 24 points on 10-for-15 shooting overall and 3 of 6 on 3-pointers. Bane was 4-for-19 on 3-pointers in the previous three games.
"We definitely need him playing at that level," Morant said. "It feels good having him getting back in rhythm."
The Grizzlies made 13 3-pointers through three quarters and finished with 14 makes on 41.2% shooting.
Bench depth shines
Long before the Grizzlies bench was able to boost its stats in the fourth quarter, the impact was felt. Jones was aggressive as a scorer and finished with 14 points to lead the second unit. Melton showed why he's near the top of the NBA in deflections despite coming off the bench. His hands and defensive intensity made the young Magic guards uncomfortable. Melton and Brandon Clarke led the Grizzlies with two steals apiece. The bench finished with 50 points.
"I think our entire roster plays well off of each other when it's kind of a turnover drill," Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said. "
Contact Damichael Cole at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com and on Twitter @damichaelc