SAN ANTONIO – The Grizzlies (2-7) begin a two-game road trip seeking their first victory away from home when they face the San Antonio Spurs (5-4) on Monday at AT&T 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’ next two opponents are teams they faced in the preseason. Memphis placed five players in double figures in an Oct. 18 loss at San Antonio. In that game, Jae Crowder (11 pts, 11 rebs) and Brandon Clarke (11 pts, 10 rebs) both registered double-doubles and Ja Morant had a game-high 16 points, six assists, five rebounds and two blocks in the tune-up against the Spurs. The Grizzlies play at Charlotte on Wednesday, with the Hornets having won a Oct. 14 preseason matchup in Memphis.
- Since struggling with foul trouble and minor knee soreness that kept him out of one game, Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. has gained some rhythm in his last two outings. Jackson averaged 18.5 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 55 percent from the field during that stretch of back-to-back games against the Magic and Mavericks. Those performances came after Jackson was held scoreless for the first time in his career in a home win over Minnesota last Wednesday, when he played just 15 minutes.
- The Grizzlies enter Monday’s game leading the NBA in points in the paint (55.3 ppg), and have scored at least 60 down in four of their past five games. The showdown in San Antonio is also a matchup of teams at opposite ends of the league’s age/experience rankings. The Grizzlies’ active roster is the second youngest (24.2 years old) in the NBA, behind the Hawks (24.0). Memphis has three rookies and a second-year player in its primary rotation. The Spurs have the league’s fourth-oldest roster (28.6).
- Monday’s game will also feature two significant ceremonies as the Spurs, located in one of the country’s largest military markets, join the NBA in honoring Veterans Day. The Spurs are also retiring the No. 9 jersey of future Hall of Fame point guard Tony Parker, who spent 17 seasons in San Antonio. The six-time NBA All-Star helped the Spurs win four titles and was MVP of the 2007 NBA Finals. He’s the third member of San Antonio’s ‘Big Three’ to have his jersey retired, joining Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan.
- The Grizzlies are listing guard Grayson Allen (ankle soreness) as out for Monday’s game. Rookies Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke, who both missed Saturday’s game against Dallas, are expected back in the lineup after sitting out for rest and back soreness, respectively. The Spurs haven’t listed any injuries, although point guard Derrick White has been playing through back soreness the past two games.
For the Grizzlies complete game notes, check here: Grizzlies Game Notes