Postgame wrap: Grizzlies 115, Pelicans 113

Ja Morant’s season debut started sluggishly, with New Orleans building a 24-point first-half lead over Memphis and seemingly in control, but Morant ultimately got the last word, making a spinning floater with no time left for Tuesday’s game-winning hoop. The Pelicans had their four-game winning streak snapped, in large part because Morant delivered numerous key baskets in crunch time, as the All-Star guard finished with 34 points. “He was able to do whatever he wanted,” Pelicans forward Zion Williamson described of Morant’s late-game bucket-making and creation off the dribble. “We didn’t get any stops.”

A 28-2 run.
An uneven early performance by both teams turned into New Orleans second-quarter dominance, as the hosts shook off a 29-25 deficit by going on a 28-2 run to create a 53-31 edge, seemingly restoring order in the Smoothie King Center. But as we’ve seen across the NBA, including in a recent Oklahoma City/Dallas matchup, a gigantic spurt doesn’t necessarily mean the outcome has been decided. Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins credited his team for showing significant resilience in coming back from down 24, particularly while playing the second game of a back-to-back (the Grizzlies lost in Oklahoma City on Monday, their fifth straight defeat).
A quality three-point shooting night, but no W.
In a rarity this season, New Orleans turned in a significantly better performance than the opposition from beyond the arc, but still lost. The Pelicans were 11/25 (44 percent) and rode some hot stretches by CJ McCollum (18 points, 6/9 three-point shooting), but cooled off later in the night, not able to hit critical fourth-quarter looks. Memphis was only 10/31 (32 percent) on threes, but sank a couple treys at vital moments to slice its deficit back down to a possession or two.
A seventh game between draft picks 1-2 from 2019.
Due to overlapping DNPs, Tuesday was just the seventh time Morant and Williamson have played in the same game, even though Memphis and New Orleans are scheduled to face each other four times every season. Morant nearly singlehandedly cut his deficit in the “one-on-one all-time series” to 4-3, winning for the first time in the Crescent City (when Williamson is also suited up for the Pelicans). Williamson finished with 13 points and four assists in his 25 minutes.

29-24: Memphis advantage in attempts from the foul line. The Grizzlies were able to get into the penalty for extended stretches of quarters, leading to additional trips to the charity stripe.
13-11: Grizzlies edge in offensive rebounds. This was a bigger factor in the second half, as Memphis extended some critical possessions with second chances. McCollum noted that it is difficult in the current NBA to stop offenses once, but it’s nearly impossible to do so two or three times on the same trip when you give opponents extra opportunities.

Among the six different times fans have voted for a Pelicans Player of the Week this season, five separate players have garnered the honor, with Jonas Valanciunas being the runaway winner for Week 8. The center helped lead New Orleans to a 4-0 week, averaging 18.5 points and 14.8 rebounds. Previous winners: Week 1, Zion Williamson; Week 2: CJ McCollum; Week 3: None; Week 4: Herb Jones; Week 5: Brandon Ingram; Week 6: Zion Williamson; Week 7: None.