The surging Memphis Grizzlies are a far different team than the one that lost twice to the Brooklyn Nets in the first two weeks of the season.
Winners of nine of their last 10, the Grizzlies look to maintain their momentum when they face the visiting Nets on Friday. Both teams are playing on four days’ rest after failing to qualify for the final rounds of the NBA Cup.
Brooklyn has lost four of its last five and will be hard-pressed to slow down Memphis, which has scored at least 115 points in 10 straight games.
Memphis drew high praise from opposing coaches last weekend following wins over the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards. Memphis star Ja Morant scored 32 points in the Grizzlies’ 127-121 victory at Boston last Saturday.
“If you don’t defend them in transition, it’s going to be extremely difficult to beat them,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “They’re a good team, well-coached and have great players. You have to control what you can control, don’t turn the ball over and get back on defense so you can withstand when their talent takes over.”
Morant (back soreness) and Desmond Bane (left toe soreness) each missed the Grizzlies’ 140-112 road win over the Wizards on Sunday, but both are expected to be available against Brooklyn.
Santi Aldama is averaging 13.2 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 52.5 percent from the field for the Grizzlies, who have led for almost 370 of a possible 480 minutes over their last 10 games.
“We are making progress and developing right now, and I’m definitely excited where this group has trended the past couple weeks,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. “Are we going to maintain our pace? We’ve been committed to relying on our depth.
“Defensively, we’ve had progress in our pick-and-roll coverages and our one-on-one defense has improved. But it’s all about consistency. That’s the thing we’ve talked with the team about over this stretch.”
Memphis was held to an average of 105 points in its two earlier losses to Brooklyn, but the Nets’ defense has faltered in recent weeks.
Brooklyn lost 118-113 to Milwaukee on Sunday after blowing a 12-point lead in the third quarter. The Bucks emerged with the win after scoring 23 points in the final six minutes of the game.
“No defense to finish that third quarter. No defense to finish the fourth,” Brooklyn coach Jordi Fernandez said. “That’s how you win and lose games in the NBA. You look at the offensive line, it’s pretty good. It’s just our defense was worse than bad.”
Dennis Schroder had 34 points and 11 assists, while Cam Johnson scored 26 points. Center Nic Claxton, who had a season-high 21 points along with 10 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks, praised Fernandez for his candor after the game.
“That’s what really good coaches do. They hold you accountable. They hold you to a high standard. They’re straightforward,” Claxton said. “They tell you what they expect from you. That’s what we need, especially with a younger team. We definitely feed off of that.”
Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith returned to face Milwaukee after missing four games with an ankle injury, posting nine points and four rebounds in 31 minutes.
–Field Level Media
