Postgame Report: Grizzlies light up scoreboard, rout Warriors 134-95 in Game 5

On his pregame words about not doing more but doing better:

I think everyone embraced the opportunity and the challenge that was ahead of us. We knew that we can get significantly better than previous games, even though some of them were close. I thought individually our guys came out with the right mentality, the urgency on the defensive end, so much better, the pace and just moving the ball. I think we had just great energy. We’re going to need that moving forward. Game 6 on the road. It’s going to be a tough one, but are we accepting the challenge? Are we responding to it? And are we going out there to do everything we can in our control to go in with a victory.

Taylor Jenkins

On how they were able to capitalize:

Our pace. I mean, we were able to run. The ball movement and even more in the half-court, we only get to next actions and we were able to get in the paint and opened up a lot for us. Having better balance on the offensive end, but we capitalized because we had the urgency to run and capitalize.

Taylor Jenkins

On rebounding:

Yeah, I mean, Steven (Adams)’s doing Steven things, but (Brandon Clarke) had a great bounce back game. Really proud of him just playing to his strengths. It just didn’t go his way the last couple of games, but he just keeps staying the course, keeps putting the work in, was watching the film, understanding where he can make an impact. He was huge for us tonight. Really efficient on the offensive end, activity defensively, the rebounding was huge. But we’re going out there doing what we’re supposed to do in terms of the technique, the gameplan, our habits, and when we do that, we can be really successful.

Taylor Jenkins

On how to keep the urgency and pace:

Game 6 is an elimination game, so got to go out there. There’s no other way to describe it. We’ve got to go out there, accept the challenge, do everything possible individually and as a team to play our best basketball yet again.

Taylor Jenkins

On whether he feels the team made a statement tonight:

I think it’s just a statement to ourselves. I’m not worried about statements to anyone else. It’s to ourselves about when we can control what we can control and we’ve that done all season long. All the work that we’ve put in individually and collectively. Good things can happen. The results will be the results. Obviously, this was a very impressive win for our group. Great bounce back for sure, but if we go out there and control the defensive focus and urgency, offensive focus and urgency, the little things that matter to winning, one possession at a time, good things can happen. So, just really impressed with our guys mentality coming in, and we’re going to defensively need that even more so going into Game 6.

Taylor Jenkins

On if Ja Morant could return in the postseason:

As of now, pretty doubtful.

Taylor Jenkins

On Desmond Bane:

He had great pop. It’s all of the around the clock work that he’s doing with our performance team. Him and Jared Boyd, they’re just working really hard on his body. I think he’s getting better game-to-game. I think the pace really helped us too. We were getting out there. We were flying around. It wasn’t just one or two guys on a given possession. It was mostly five guys early in possessions, middle in possessions, late in possessions, and that just freed him up where he was able to get to his spots and he was able to shoot shots in rhythm. I think that got him going, but I think the improved help is definitely getting him back there. But, I think the collective effort of the group really helped as well.

Taylor Jenkins

On Jaren Jackson Jr.:

I think it’s bigtime. I think he’s just continued to get better game after game, understanding where you can make an impact. Obviously offensively, I think the force he’s playing with, getting inside, knocking down threes tonight. I mean, he had great looks last game and they didn’t fall, but he’s never wavered. He’s just, when he’s got a shot and there’s that energy that we’re playing with on the offensive end, the ball movement, he’s a beneficiary of it. But he’s just got that attack mentality that he’s had for the majority of the season, what I saw at the beginning of the season coming in. So, you learn a lot in the playoffs. One series is different than the next, and if you can keep just going and doing what you’ve been doing all season long, don’t change you’re routine. Just keep working to get better, find where you can be aggressive on both ends. He’s making an impact on both ends right now.

Taylor Jenkins

On playing without Ja Morant:

I mean, this is definitely impressive, but to use our player’s phrase, we deep. I mean, we’re deep. It’s as simple as that. I think we say that not arrogantly. We say that confidently because anybody that steps out on the floor can make an impact for us. To see what Tyus Jones is doing right now, what Jaren Jackson is doing, Steven Adams having been out for a good portion of the playoffs and coming back in and making a statement, guys off the bench. A lot of different guys stepping up. It’s really impressive, with no matter who’s out. Ja’s out, anyone else goes out, our guys rally and compete, and tonight was a big win for us.

Taylor Jenkins

On gameplan for Jaren Jackson Jr. early in the game:

I’ve just loved how he’s been attacking on the offensive end, trying to understand him. It’s a chess match at the end of the day, how they’re going to match up, how they’re going to gameplan defensively against us. I want to get him going early in the game because I knew he was going to be a big factor early in the game, late in the game. He’s going to be a big factor for the rest of the series.

Taylor Jenkins

On whether taking it one game at a time helps alleviate the pressure of the series:

Yeah, I mean if we stay consistent with how we approached all season long, no matter if it’s the regular season or the playoffs. I mean, obviously there’s different pressures and intensities this time of year and we’re experiencing that now with elimination games ahead of us. Tyus (Jones) was a great example of just trusting, can we just win one possession. We’ve done it in spurts in the first four games, but not enough. Tonight we did it way more, more of what we need. So, moving forward, how do you win with one possession, to win one game, to win one series? But, you don’t get to the series until you win one possession. Tonight, was an example of that.

Taylor Jenkins

On if the execution changed for tonight’s elimination game:

Yeah, an elimination game raises our urgency. We played better that way. I feel like guys were more locked in. Guys were tuned especially in times when they had their runs. We weathered it and went on our own run. We just need that same effort on the defensive end. Same rebounding, box out so we can fuel our transition.

Dillon Brooks

On adjusting after Game 4:

I'm never on social media, so I don't hear anybody. I'm my worst critic. I know I'm playing like trash. I know I'm not shooting the three well, but I’m trying to do all the little things. Trying to feel out my jump shot. Hit where my shots are. Play more physical on the offensive end to get my shots. Slowly and surely, it’ll come. It's been a rough season in and out the lineups, had injuries and what not, but you know, DB is going to be still here on the defensive end. Trying to minimize points from their best player.

Dillon Brooks

On Jaren Jackson Jr.:

He's the key. They’ve got no one to guard him. No one to stop him. He needs to keep demanding the ball and the Warriors are going to have to adjust and double-team him soon. He's going to have to learn how to pass the ball out to get his teammates shots. That's what he needs to do. I try to tell him to stay aggressive, and you're a walking mismatch out there for every single player that guards you, so just keep attacking.

Dillon Brooks

On the feeling in the locker room:

I would say we're energized. We’re locked in, and we're all eyes on Game 6. Trying to keep surviving so we can force a Game 7. But first comes Game 6. We’ve got to give our whole effort and just follow the game plan and work out their adjustments.

Dillon Brooks

On winning without Ja Morant:

Next man up mentality. We know how to respond. We know how to play with each other better than any team in NBA. We continuously find ways to keep up in our play. So, it’s just a fun style to play and it starts with the defensive end. Everyone bought in on the defensive end. Guarding, trying to get deflections, rebounding and it builds into our offense.

Dillon Brooks

On how he was feeling after getting his leg wrapped:

Feeling great. I'm ready for Game 6. Nothing's going to hold me out of this series.

Dillon Brooks

On how tough Game 6 will be:

Very tough. We're humble in this win. We’ve got to have that same effort in Game 6. That’s the only way we're going to have a chance to win. It's going to be a hostile environment as you guys know, and you're going to come in there with each other and our families that we bring and muster up some energy and pull out Game 6.

Dillon Brooks

On bullying the paint:

Steve-O (Steven Adams) will find a way to feed them in the paint. Same with Jaren, and once we get able to establish the paint, it's easy for us to make threes. We relentlessly crash the boards. Relentlessly played off the catch and drag their close-outs. Then, ultimately, it opens up the three, so we have a complete game tonight. It lets me know we’ve got to bring that on the road and keep that same effort and energy on the defensive.

Dillon Brooks