Key Stat of the Night
- Orlando outscored Memphis 70-52 in the second half, overcoming a 17-point first-half deficit to earn its third straight win.
Key Run of the Night
- The Grizzlies trailed 110-101 with 4:28 left in the fourth quarter, but a four-point play from Dillon Brooks and a three-pointer by Tyus Jones sparked an 11-2 run to tie the game at 112 with 1:58 remaining. Terrence Ross responded with consecutive three-pointers to help the Magic reclaim a 118-112 advantage with 43.4 seconds left in the game.
Game Recap
The Memphis Grizzlies fell the Orlando Magic 120-115 on Tuesday night inside FedExForum.
Memphis came out of the gate strong, outscoring the Magic 30-13 over the first 9:15 of play to grab their largest lead of the night. Grizzlies big man Jonas Valanciunas gave Memphis a spark in the first quarter, totaling 11 points and four rebounds on 4-of-4 shooting in the opening period. The Magic were able to cut the Grizzlies lead to 35-27 following a 14-5 run over the final 2:45 of the quarter. Josh Jackson entered off the bench and continued his strong play of late, scoring 11 points while adding three assists in the first half alone. Memphis settled for a 63-50 lead at the halftime break after shooting 53.8 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from behind-the-arc in the first half.
The Magic offense found their rhythm in the third quarter, outscoring Memphis 35-23 in the period on 56.5 percent shooting. Orlando used a 14-4 run to cut the Grizzlies lead to 74-71 with 6:25 remaining in the third following a floater from Nikola Vucevic. The Magic took their first lead of the game at 85-84 following a free throw from D.J. Augustin In the final minute of the third period. Orlando took control of the game in the fourth quarter, stretching their lead to 110-101 with 4:28 remaining. Memphis responded a furious 11-2 run to tie the game at 112-112 with 1:58 remaining. However, Terrence Ross connected on two three-pointers in the final 1:19 of play to help the Magic pull away with the 120-115 victory. Behind Ross, Orlando’s second-unit outscored the Grizzlies reserves 65-36.
Valanciunas finished the night 9-of-10 from the field for 27 points, 16 rebounds and one block. This marked Valanciunas sixth game with 15-or-more rebounds in the past seven games. Ja Morant totaled 21 points, four rebounds and five assists on 7-of-16 shooting. Dillon Brooks added 21 points on 7-of-16 shooting in 34 minutes. Jackson led the Grizzlies bench with 15 points and four rebounds on 6-of-8 shooting. Jackson became the first Grizzlies player since Tyreke Evans in 2017-18 to post five consecutive games of 15-or-more points off the bench.
Ross and Michael Carter-Williams both had big nights off the Magic bench to lead Orlando. Ross totaled a team-high 24 points to go with two rebounds and an assist on 8-of-19 shooting. Ross scored 18 points in the fourth quarter and proved to be the difference down the stretch. Carter-Williams finished with 20 points, three rebounds and two steals, while drawing a crucial charge on the defensive end in the final minutes. Vucevic posted a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds as the Magic improved to 30-35 on the season.
Next Game
The Grizzlies will hit the road for a three-game trip beginning with the Portland Trailblazers on Thursday, March 10 at 9 p.m. inside Moda Center. Fans can also watch the game on FOX Sports Southeast or listen on 92.9 FM ESPN.
Team Quotes
Player Notes
- Jonas Valančiūnas posted 27 points and 16 rebounds, including 15 points (5-6 FG, 5-6 FT) and nine boards in the first half. Valančiūnas, whose 33rd double-double added to his single-season career high, averaged 18.0 points and 9.5 rebounds before halftime and 27.0 points and 16.5 rebounds during Memphis’ two-game home stand.
- Ja Morant tallied 21 points, his 25th 20-point game of the season and his 21st consecutive game scoring in double figures.
- Dillon Brooks had 21 points, his 22nd 20-point game of the season.
- Josh Jackson recorded his fifth double-digit scoring effort in as many games during the month of March with 15 points (6-8 FG). Jackson is the first Grizzlies player to score at least 15 points off the bench in five consecutive games since Tyreke Evans during the 2017-18 season.
- De’Anthony Melton led the team in assists (six) for the second time this season.
- Terrence Ross led Orlando with 24 points off the bench. Ross entered tonight averaging 22.0 points in nine games (all as a reserve) since the All-Star Break.
- Michael Carter-Williams netted a season-high 20 points off the bench.
Fans who want to support the Memphis Grizzlies and purchase 2019-20 Season Tickets can do so by calling (901) 888-HOOP or going online to grizzlies.com. Single Game Tickets are available for purchase at the FedExForum Box Office, ticketmaster.com, online at grizzlies.com or by calling 1-800-4NBA-TIX.
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