With a small victory in their last five outings, the Grizzlies wanted to get back in the right direction. It’s done with a convincing success (132-111) against a Pelicans team, which remained it on five wins in six games, but which really did not exist. From the beginning of the evening until the end.
Four first points from Stevens Adams in the key, a 3-point basket from Dillon Brooks and here is the Grizzlies machine launched. With this initial 7-0, the locals took control of the match and never let them go. Largely in the lead after a fiery first quarter (44-25), they only had to manage this comfortable lead which will never really be called into question.
Led by 20 points at the break (68-48), the Pelicans saw this gap grow a little more, up to… 36 points, in a third quarter still dominated by their opponents. It was only in the long “garbage time” of the last quarter that the visitors managed to reduce the extent of the damage a little.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– A record first quarter. A very dense defense on the stars opposite (Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson), a desire to punish in transition and long-distance address. These are the classic ingredients taken up by the Grizzlies to sign a devastating start to the meeting for the Pelicans. With maestro Ja Morant, the locals passed 44 points in 12 minutes to the opposing defense, thus offering themselves their first most attacking quarter of the season.
– Brandon Ingram’s injury. Dirty night for NOLA’s second leading scorer who, in addition to having great difficulty expressing himself against the Grizzlies’ compact defense, had to leave his partners in the second quarter after being hit in the big toe . Without passing the bar of 10 points scored, a first since… December 2021. His team already had to do without CJ McCollum, placed under the Covid protocol.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Ja Morant. Surprisingly clumsy at free throws (5/10), the local conductor was not when it came to attacking the circle. In the first quarter, he was seen often passing the Pelicans defense thanks to his speed and changes of pace, while finishing on his left hand. He was able to have fun while feeding his teammates to sign his 4th double-double of the season.
✅ The rest of the Grizzlies’ five. All incumbents finished with a “+/-” at +18 or more, which is to say their dominance over the opposing five. Dillon Brooks and Jaren Jackson Jr. honed their shooting skills to also reach the 20-point mark while Steven Adams, as many a double-double, largely won his duel against the man he had been against traded, Jonas Valanciunas.
⛔ Jonas Valanciunas. “JV” has precisely been struggling in many sectors. Beaten by Steven Adams under the circle from the first moments, the pivot of New Orleans signed a very bad passage at the start of the second period. Ill-adjusted passes that end in the stands, collection of faults (sometimes severe…) and total lack of impact on the penetrations of Ja Morant and company: the pivot is obviously not the only one to blame but he did not help his crew.
THE FOLLOWING
Grizzlies (11-8) : trip to the Knicks, Sunday.
Pelicans (11-8) : reception of the Thunder, Monday.
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