The Memphis Grizzlies return home Monday night to face the Portland Trail Blazers, riding a wave of momentum powered by stellar teamwork.
The Grizzlies are among the league leaders in assists per game, averaging 29.8. Their 38 assists in Saturday’s dominant win over Chicago tied their season-high. Memphis entered Sunday’s games ranked third in assists, behind only Denver (30.3) and Golden State (30.2).
Scotty Pippen Jr., filling in as the starting point guard while Ja Morant recovers from a hip injury, recorded 10 assists and a career-high 30 points in the Grizzlies’ 142-131 victory over the Bulls. Pippen Jr. achieved this double-double in the arena where his father, Scottie, became a legend during the 1990s with the Michael Jordan-led Bulls.
Pippen Jr. described his performance as “a dream come true” in an arena where his father’s jersey number hangs in the rafters. He made an impressive 13 of his 16 shots.
The Grizzlies have also benefited from rookie forward Jaylen Wells’ strong early-season play. Wells scored a career-high 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting.
Pippen’s consistent play has helped the Grizzlies maintain a record above .500 during the absences of not only Morant but also Marcus Smart and rookie big man Zach Edey, who are out with various injuries and ailments.
Morant, who injured his right hip on November 6 against the Lakers, appears closer to returning. He was listed as doubtful before Saturday’s game in Chicago and is questionable for Monday’s contest. Smart, battling an illness, missed his fourth straight game, while Edey remains sidelined by an ankle injury suffered last weekend against Denver.
Despite these injuries, the Grizzlies have been productive on both ends of the court. They are averaging 120.3 points per game, second in the NBA entering Sunday, and lead the league with 7.2 blocks per game.
On Saturday, the Grizzlies surpassed 140 points for only the sixth time in franchise history. They shot 57.3 percent (55-of-96) against Chicago, including 45.2 percent (19-of-42) from three-point range, marking the second consecutive game they made 19 three-pointers.
The Portland Trail Blazers are also coming in with momentum. They rebounded from a 28-point loss to the Rockets on Friday with a 104-98 victory over Houston on Saturday. Anfernee Simons (25 points) and Shaedon Sharpe (24 points) led Portland, which made 18 three-pointers in the game.
Additionally, the Trail Blazers received a solid defensive performance from Deni Avdija, who had four blocks and spent most of the game challenging Houston’s Alperen Sengun in the paint.
Portland rookie center Donovan Clingan will not play on Monday due to a left knee sprain. Though he went scoreless on 0-for-4 shooting on Saturday, he grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds.
