CHARLOTTE – The Grizzlies (3-7) aim to win consecutive road games for the first time since November of the 2018-19 season when they finish a two-game trip Wednesday against the Hornets (4-6) at Spectrum Center.
Bear Necessities is a spotlight on key Grizzlies’ facts and trends, curated from Communication Manager Ross Wooden’s Game Notes, to stay informed entering tonight's matchup.
Here are a few things to watch:
- The Grizzlies look to build on their first road victory of the season in Monday’s 113-109 win at San Antonio to start the two-game trip. Memphis has not won consecutive road games since beating Minnesota on Nov. 18, 2018 and then winning at San Antonio on Nov. 21, 2018. But those were two separate trips. The last time the Grizzlies won two straight road games on the same trip was in March of 2017, when they beat Chicago and Atlanta. The Hornets have won five in a row against the Grizzlies.
- Second-year forward Jaren Jackson Jr. has continued to play well after struggling earlier. Against the Spurs, Jackson posted a season-high 24 points, six rebounds and a career-high five assists in a season-high 38 minutes on Monday. Jackson (age 20 and 57 days) became the youngest player in franchise history to finish with at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in a road victory. He is averaging 20.3 points on 56.5 percent shooting overall, including 46.2 percent on threes, the past three games.
- The Grizzlies are also getting consistent production at the center spot, where Jonas Valanciunas has scored in double figures in nine consecutive games since the season opener. During that stretch, he’s also registered six double-doubles. Like Jackson, Valanciunas also posted his season-high point total Monday when he scored 18 against the Spurs and added 12 rebounds and two blocks in a season-high tying 27 minutes. Valanciunas is averaging 12.3 points and a team-best 9.1 rebounds through 10 games.
- In addition to leading the NBA in points in the paint (54.6), the Grizzlies also top the league’s rookie leader board in several categories. Point guard Ja Morant, the No. 2 overall pick, leads all rookies in scoring (17.8) and assists (5.2). Power forward Brandon Clarke, the No. 21 pick, leads first-year players in rebounds (6.6), field goal percentage (60.0) and blocks (1.44). Both Morant (rest) and Clarke (back soreness) returned to the lineup Monday after sitting out their first games of the season last Saturday.
- The Grizzlies list guard Grayson Allen (ankle soreness) as doubtful for Wednesday’s game against the Hornets after missing the past five games. For the Hornets, forward Nicolas Batum (finger) reportedly participated in parts of Tuesday’s practice but missed his ninth game in Sunday’s loss to Philadelphia.
For the Grizzlies complete game notes, check here: Grizzlies Game Notes