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Highlights: Grizzlies’ Green, Gasol Shine in NBA Africa Game

By Christian Dudley

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Mar 20, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Jeff Green (32) drives to the basket past Dallas Mavericks guard Monta Ellis (11) during the second half at the American Airlines Center. The Grizzlies defeated the Mavericks 112-101. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Memphis Grizzlies’ Jeff Green and Marc Gasol played large roles in pushing Team World to victory in the NBA Africa Game.

On Saturday, August 2nd, 2015, the National Basketball Association put on the first NBA game to ever be played in the country of Africa. Rightfully so, they titled it as the “2015 NBA Africa Game.”

The event featured current NBA players and even a couple retired legends by the likes of Hakeem Olajuwon and Dikembe Mutombo.

This game was very meaningful to fans of the Memphis Grizzlies because they were able to see Jeff Green and Marc Gasol play on yet another big stage. To make things better, both Grizz guys were starters for Team World in the NBA Africa Game.

For Big Spain, this was his first “real” game being played since signing his new maximum contract. Separately, this was an opportunity for Jeff Green to turn over a new leaf–a fresh start and a full season to show Grizz Nation what he can really do on the court.

February 15, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Eastern Conference forward Pau Gasol of the Chicago Bulls (16) and Western Conference center Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies (33) during the second half of the 2015 NBA All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Marc Gasol is probably bummed about not playing in this summer’s Eurobasket, but he got a taste of international basketball flavor by participating in Saturday’s NBA Africa Game. He was his normal self–collecting rebounds and cleaning up around the rim. He tallied six points, seven rebounds, one steal, and two blocks in just under 21 minutes of action. Marc went 3/9 from the field. These stats were almost identical to the production of his brother and Team World teammate Pau Gasol, a former member of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Jeff Green really stuck out from the bunch–in a good way, Grizz Nation.

Uncle Jeff was of course looking to score from outside, but unlike in the 2015 NBA Playoffs, he was on fire from deep. The game was pretty slow in the first half since players were trying to find their games and were still becoming acquainted with their new teammates. Once the second half began, the pace increased. This led to Jeff Green becoming a major factor–both on fastbreaks and from long-range.

Oh yeah, and JG even brought the effort on the defensive end in the special game. He managed to snag one steal and block two shots while contributing 19 points on 7/12 shooting from the field. Jeff nailed three of seven outside attempts, grabbed two rebounds, provided an assist, and made both of clutch free-throws to guarantee his squad the victory–not to mention recording zero turnovers in 22.5 minutes of play.

Team World (the squad belonging to Green and Gasol) defeated Team Africa by a final score of 101-97 following JG’s clutch free-throws to seal the deal.

Via YouTube video, here are the biggest highlights of the NBA Africa Game–an incredible event the NBA was able to create and successfully host in Johannesburg, Africa.

Grizz Nation knows and expects solid play from Big Spain, but sharpshooting and aggressiveness from Jeff Green certainly should spark some newfound hope from Memphis Grizzlies fans heading into the next few months leading into training camp. If Green plays aggressively and can be a consistent, dependable scorer–while shooting a high percentage from the field–Memphis becomes an even greater threat to dominate the Western Conference in the 2015-16 season.

Mar 4, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Jeff Green (32) during the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday’s performances from Gasol and especially Jeff Green will generate a great deal of discussion for the remainder of the offseason. After a disappointing postseason in May, JG is due for a major season with the Grizz. His time is now. Will he deliver as he did in the NBA Africa Game?

Both Green and Gasol represented the Memphis Grizzlies extremely well on the worldwide stage. The Grizz are more popular than ever before and this trend will only continue as the franchise reaches great new heights in the seasons to come. Big things are in store for the 2015-16 season in Memphis and this was only a preliminary step.

Did you miss the inaugural NBA Africa Game? You are in luck–you can watch the game in its entirety here!

Continue to check Beale Street Bears for the latest news, rumors, and other info of the offseason regarding your Memphis Grizzlies!

Go Grizz!

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