The Memphis Grizzlies were defeated by New Orleans Pelicans, 105-85, in the
annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Game on Monday evening in FedExForum.
The Grizzlies fell to 19-28 on the season and are now 12-10 at home. Memphis has
lost six-straight games, tying a season-high streak. The Pelicans improved to
22-25 on the year.
After opening the game by shooting 6-for-17 (.353) from the floor and 0-for-7
from three-point range in the first quarter, the Pelicans made 33-of-57 (.579)
shots the rest of the way, including going 9-for-19 (.474) from three.
Marc Gasol led Memphis with 22 points while grabbing eight rebounds and handing
out six assists. Gasol has now led Memphis in scoring 11 times this year. Mike
Conley added 20 points and a game-high eight assists. Conley has now scored 20
or more points six times in 2019. Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 14 points. The
rookie has now reached double-digits in 10 of 11 games during January. Garrett
Temple approached a double-double with nine points and eight boards.
New Orleans shot 39-for-74 (.527) overall in the game, and went 9-for-26 (.346)
from three. Memphis finished 33-for-88 (.375) from the floor and 9-for-35 (.257)
from beyond the arc. The Grizzlies won the turnover battle by forcing the
Pelicans into 19 turnovers and scoring 21 points off the giveaways, but New
Orleans was more efficient, converting 12 Memphis turnovers into 22 points. The
Pelicans outrebounded the Grizzlies 50-35, outscoring them 17-10 on second
chances. Memphis, who entered tonight ranked fourth in the NBA in blocks (6.0
bpg), had only one block tonight, matching a season-low (Oct. 27 vs. Phoenix).
Jrue Holiday earned his 14th double-double of the season, scoring 21 points and
collecting 11 rebounds. Nikola Mirotic also finished with 21 points, making five
three-pointers in the game. Julius Randle had 20 points and a game-high 12
rebounds, giving him his 22nd double-double of the year. Jahlil Okafor, who
started in place of an injured Anthony Davis, recorded his first double-double
since Feb. 25, 2017 at New York, finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds. It’s
the first time this season that four opposing players have each scored at least
20 points, and the first time since Dec. 9, 2017 in Oklahoma City (Abrines,
Adams, Anthony, Westbrook).
Memphis’ offensive woes continued in the fourth quarter, making just 7-of-24
(1-10 3P) shots for 17 points. The Grizzlies only turned the ball over twice in
the final period, but the Pelicans made a three-pointer off both of them.
Memphis grabbed four offensive rebounds while New Orleans had just one, but the
Pelicans outscored the Grizzlies 6-0 on second chance points in the final frame.
New Orleans’ strong shooting continued after halftime, making 11-of-20 (4-6 3P)
shots in the third period. Memphis went cold in the quarter, going just 6-for-21
(2-8 3P) to score 18 points. The Grizzlies scored eight points off of nine
Pelicans turnovers in the quarter, while New Orleans had 10 points off of five
Memphis miscues. The Pelicans went on a 13-1 run (4:45 to 1:24) late in the
quarter to help build an 82-68 lead.
Memphis shot well in the first half, going 20-for-43 from the field and 6-for-17
(.353) from three, but New Orleans was even better by making 20-of-37 (.541)
shots despite only going a season-low 1-for-12 (.083) from long distance in the
half. The Pelicans’ 8.3 three-point percentage during the first half was the
lowest by an opponent this season. Memphis committed only five turnovers (six
Pelicans points) in the half, while New Orleans had seven (eight Grizzlies
points). The Pelicans scored 30 of their 54 first-half points in the paint,
while the Grizzlies scored 22 points inside. Conley led Memphis in the first
half with 15 points on 5-of-7 (3-4 3P) shooting.
The Grizzlies offense opened the game with an efficient 10-for-20 (.500)
shooting in the first quarter, including going 5-for-11 (.455) from three-point
range. The Pelicans chose to work in the lane, with all six field goals scored
inside to outscore the Grizzlies 12-4 in the paint. New Orleans missed all seven
three-pointers in the first quarter, but connected on 9-of-10 (.900) free
throws. Conley hit a 27-footer as time expired in the quarter to put the
Grizzlies up 28-21.
New Orleans continued to struggle behind the arc in the second quarter, making
just 1-of-5 (.200) threes, but made 14-of-20 (.700) shots overall. Memphis shot
10-for-23 (.435) from the field, making 1-of-6 (.167) treys. The Pelicans
outrebounded the Grizzlies 11-6 in the quarter, and both teams scored 18 points
in the paint. Memphis went on a 9-2 run from 7:48 to 5:19, highlighted by a
one-hand jam from Jackson Jr., but Okafor and Holiday both scored in
double-digits in the quarter to lead 54-50 at halftime.
The Grizzlies will face the Charlotte Hornets for the first time this season on
Wednesday, January 23 in FedExForum at 7 p.m. CT. Come out to the game, 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 single-game tickets
or 10-Game Flex 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).
Download or Update the Official Grizzlies App
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