A team effort in the truest sense is what led the Memphis Grizzlies past the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night, writes Chris Herrington of the Daily Memphian.
And don’t look now, but the Grizzlies are 23-23, and just a game back of the final playoff spot in the West.
All this and leading scorer Ja Morant tallied just 11 points. But hey, that can be a good sign. It shows others are stepping up as the Grizzlies aim to become a more well-rounded bunch.
“We’ve got great depth on this team, a lot of ballplayers who can do a lot of different things on the court,” said backup point guard Tyus Jones. “Night in, night out, it’s somebody else’s turn.”
More from the Southwest
- Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks seem to be hitting their stride, having won three straight and six of 10. They currently sit in first place in the division. “We’re going to keep getting better in all aspects of our game,” guard Jalen Brunson said after Friday’s win over the Knicks.
- Mavs assistant Jamahl Mosley filled in for Rick Carlisle after Carlisle tested positive for COVID-19. Mosley has been a hot coaching candidate over the past several offseasons, and drew praise for his interim debut. “Strange things happen, it’s not easy to replace the coach right away, but he did an amazing job,” Doncic said. “He managed the whole game perfectly.”
- While it didn’t work out for the San Antonio Spurs, Friday’s double-overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks was one of the NBA’s most exciting of the season. As it stands, the Spurs are second in the division and eighth in the West. “All year we have been showing how resilient we are, never stop playing as long as there is time on that clock,” guard DeMar DeRozan said.
