It wasn’t a thing of beauty, but the Memphis Grizzlies pushed their record to 2-0 in Summer league play with a gritty (what else?) win over the Sacramento Kings by an 81-75 count inside Cox Pavilion.
The Grizzlies took control of the scoreboard in the second quarter, outscoring the Kings 24-17 in the frame. In that period, the Grizzlies hit 10 of 18 shots and dominated on the glass against the cold-shooting Kings.
Still, the Grizzlies nearly blew a 17-point lead, much as they did a 16-point advantage Saturday against Washington. But Wayne Selden and Jarrell Martin rose to the occasion. Those two Grizz posted 17 of the team’s 21 points. Clinging to a 71-68 advantage with just under three minutes remaining, Selden connected on two free throws, then saw Martin slam back a Baldwin miss and next assisted on another Martin slam off a gorgeous press-break. That picture-perfect execution slammed the door on the Kings.
Sacramento got 17 points and 4 assists from heralded rookie De’Aaron Fox, but he had more turnovers than assists and more fouls than either category. Justin Jackson’s shot went MIA as he clanked all eight attempts from deep, finishing with four points.
Quick takeaways from the game:
- Nice bounce back game for Jarrell Martin. After a less-than-stellar outing against Washington, Jarrell showed why Memphis drafted him in the first place: perimeter shooting and inside presence. His 21-point, 10-rebound effort was a definite upgrade.
- Wayne Selden played strong, assertive basketball and if this continues, he’ll be impossible to keep out of the rotation. He filled up the stat sheet in all the right columns and was a gamer when Sacramento made their run.
- Wade Baldwin was much better in game two. He rebounded the ball well (ten boards) and scored passably well. He also turned it over just once. He also accepted the challenge of dealing with lottery pick De’Aaron Fox. Now, he needs to string strong performances together.
- Rade Zagorac looked much more comfortable in posting six points and five rebounds.
- After a strong performance against Washington, Kobi Simmons came back to earth with a team-worst -13. In fact, the entire Grizzlies bench was in negative territory and was part of the reason Memphis nearly gave away the lead.
Overall, the Grizzlies played with greater force and precision than Sacramento. The Kings bricked shot after shot and if not for the rebounding efforts of Skal Labissiere and Jack Cooley, the Grizzlies would have won comfortably.
The vibe around Sunday night’s Summer League matchup between the Grizzlies and Kings was an odd combination of family reunion and family feudin’.
The most beloved played to wear Beale Street Blue, Zach Randolph, is now a King and the most decorated player to wear the bear, Vince Carter, will be his teammate in the California capital. The only constant is change, but this was a stunner for Grizzlies fans.
There is no quick and concise way to summarize Z-Bo’s impact in Memphis, except for this: Z’Bo is Memphis. He understands having to scrap and scrape and fight from the bottom up. There’s no glitter on his game, just grit and grind. And despite the scowls (he’s looking at you, Steven Adams) and shoves (hi there, Blake Griffin), he’s smiles and sincerity to his people.
I’ve known Zach since he was a rookie in Portland. His transition to the NBA wasn’t easy. He was young, impressionable and socially out of his element in Portland. Surrounded by questionable associates, he developed a less-than-sterling reputation. But Zach disproved F. Scott Fitzgerald’s belief about there being no second acts in American lives.
When Michael Heisley signed Zach to the Grizzlies, he made it clear that Zach’s tenure with the Grizzlies was related to his comportment. A handful of NBA Community Assist awards, thousands of dollars donated and smiles generated later the larger world has discovered what Zach Randolph has always been about – being a big-hearted and loyal man.
And if the world had more Vince Carters, we’d all be better off. Take away the dunking, the three-point shooting and the “rev it up” celebrations and you still have a man in full. Thoughtful, engaging and earnest in his desire to leave the world a better place, Vince Carter is a big believer in education. Just ask Grizzlies Prep and its students and staff.
Forget about basketball for a second. If Vince Carter had gone into business, he’d be the CEO by now. He’s a natural leader and loves being among people. After what would turn out to be his final Grizzlies exit interview, he came to the practice facility to meet the media. Unlike most players, Vince didn’t immediately depart after those responsibilities. Instead, he stayed and visited with a number of Grizzlies staffers who were just hanging out, drinking in the last of a season just ended. Five minutes, then ten minutes stretched to twenty or more. Vince stayed. He chatted, laughed and reminisced.
If all you know of Vince Carter is dunking, you only know maybe 10% of the man. Memphis was privileged to know 100%.
Next Game
Grizzlies tangle with the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, July 11 in Game 3 of the Las Vegas Summer League at 3:30 p.m. CT. Catch all the action on NBATV.
Key Stat of the Night
- The Grizzlies outshot Sacramento from the charity stripe by a 71.9 percent to 57.1 percent margin.