Key Stat of the Night
- Memphis’s bench outscored the Pelicans’ reserves 53-11
Key Run of the Night
- Trailing 100-92 at the 5:18 mark, Memphis outscored New Orleans 15-3 to close the contest.
Game Recap
The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 107-103 in a tight divisional game on Friday night at Smoothie King Center. The Grizzlies improve to 15-9 on the season while the Pelicans fall to 13-14 overall.
JaMychal Green led the Grizzlies with a season-high 24 points (9-12 FG) off the bench to go with eight rebounds. Green has scored in double-figures in five consecutive games, and the game marked the first time this year he’s led Memphis in scoring. Kyle Anderson stuffed the box score with his first double-double of the year, scoring a season-high 18 points and 11 rebounds while adding three steals and three blocks. Marc Gasol added 15 points. Joakim Noah came off the bench to supply 13 points and five rebounds. Mike Conley chipped in with nine points and a team-high 10 assists.
The Grizzlies shot 39-of-83 (.470) from the floor and 8-of-19 (.421) from three-point range. The Grizzlies are now 8-0 when shooting at least 40 percent from three-point range. The Pelicans shot 38-of-84 (.452) in the game but struggled from beyond-the-arc, shooting just 7-of-29 (.241). The Grizzlies scored 53 bench points while the Pelicans had 11. The Memphis defense forced 18 turnovers (10 steals), and scored 26 points off Pelicans turnovers. The Grizzlies turned the ball over only 11 times (five steals), which led to 11 points for New Orleans.
Julius Randle notched his 13th double-double of the year, scoring a game-high 26 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Anthony Davis also logged a double-double with 25 points and 11 rebounds. Jrue Holiday had a double-double with 20 points and 11 assists. Solomon Hill added 14 points on 4-of-6 (.667) three-point shooting.
The Pelicans opened the fourth quarter with an 11-2 run from 11:23 to 7:04 (4:19 run) to take a 95-87 lead. However, the Grizzlies would claw their way back into the game. With Memphis up 106-103, Davis missed a three-pointer with 14.9 seconds left, but Green couldn’t corral the rebound, giving the Pelicans one last chance to tie. E’Twaun Moore got a clean look off the inbounds play but missed with 9.7 left. Anderson grabbed the rebound, forcing a Pelicans foul. Anderson missed the first free throw but made the second to put Memphis up 107-103, shutting the door on the game. Memphis held New Orleans to just 1-of-11 (.091) three-pointers in the final period. The Grizzlies closed the game out with a 15-3 run over the final 5:06.
The Grizzlies defense came out of the halftime break strong, holding the Pelicans to 8-of-21 (.381) from the field in the third quarter. Memphis also forced New Orleans into nine turnovers (six steals) in the period, converting them into 16 points. The Grizzlies shot an efficient 10-of-19 (4-7 3P) from the floor. Tim Frazier hit a 34-footer at the buzzer to cut the Grizzlies lead to 85-84 at the end of the quarter.
Memphis had a solid first half, going 22-of-46 (.478) from the floor, but New Orleans was even better by shooting 23-of-42 (.548). Neither team shot the three well, with the Grizzlies making 3-of-8 (.375) and the Pelicans going just 2-of-9 (.222) during the half. Memphis forced New Orleans into seven turnovers while committing only three of their own before the break.
Both teams traded baskets to open the game, with the Grizzlies shooting 13-for-21 (.619) from the floor and the Pelicans going 11-for-19 (.579) in the first quarter. The Grizzlies assisted on 12 of their 13 field goals in the quarter. Randle scored 11 points in 8:36 during the period. Holiday hit a 10-foot jumper as the buzzer expired to cut the Grizzlies lead to 31-30 at the end of the first.
Next Game
The Grizzlies return home to wrap up the back-to-back when they host LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers tomorrow, Saturday, December 8 at 7 p.m. CT at FedExForum. The Grizzlies will also be hosting their annual canned food drive tomorrow where fans can make a nonperishable food or monetary donation and receive a buy-one-get-one ticket voucher to either the Grizzlies matchup against the Miami Heat on Friday, December 14 or on Saturday, December 15 when the team takes on the Houston Rockets. Tune in to FOX Sports Southeast presented by Pinnacle Financial Partners or listen on 92.9 FM ESPN to follow the action.
Fans who want to support the Memphis Grizzlies and purchase 2018-19 Season Tickets or 6-Game Holiday Packs can do so now by calling (901) 888-HOOP or going online to grizzlies.com/tickets. Single Game Tickets are also available for purchase at the FedExForum Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, ticketmaster.com, online at grizzlies.com/tickets or by calling 1-800-4NBA-TIX. For more information on the Grizzlies, visit grizzlies.com, ‘like’ Memphis Grizzlies on Facebook or follow on Twitter and Instagram (@memgrizz).
Team Quotes
Player Notes
- Memphis forward Kyle Anderson notched his first double-double of the season with 19 points and a team-leading 11 boards.
- JaMychal Green led the Grizzlies in scoring with 24 points on 9-of-12 from the field
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