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Memphis Grizzlies’ Rookies Show Promise in Loss Vs. Warriors

By Christian Dudley

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Apr 13, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Jarnell Stokes (1) fouls Golden State Warriors forward David Lee (10) during the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 111-107. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The Memphis Grizzlies were spiraling out of control on Monday night until they inserted their rookies into the game–resulting in a huge comeback and a loss that went down to the finals few seconds.

The Memphis Grizzlies are battered and bruised. They are trying their best to be as close to 100% as possible by this weekend for their Game 1 of the 2015 NBA Playoffs. Memphis traveled to the Bay Area without Tony Allen while they also did not get an appearance on the court from Mike Conley. Both players are most likely done until the start of the postseason.

The good news? Marc Gasol returned to the lineup on Monday evening. The Grizzlies decided to play everyone that was available instead of “tank” for a particular seed or potential playoff matchup.

Apr 13, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward JaMychal Green (0) and guard Jordan Adams (3) combine to foul Golden State Warriors guard Justin Holiday (7) during the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 111-107. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The game started very slowly for the Memphis Grizzlies. It was brutal, especially when Klay Thompson erupted offensively in the second quarter. The game seemed to be over before halftime. Key word: seemed. The youth of the Grizzlies had other plans in mind.

But first, Z-Bo, Big Spain, and company could not make any headway to cut the deficit. It kept getting worse as Klay Thompson continued to stay hot from all over the court. Without Tony Allen, no Memphis player could stop Thompson from splashing jumpers.

Although it took pretty much three full quarters for it to happen, Memphis Head Coach Dave Joerger waved the white flag. He inserted rookies into the game and left the remaining minutes for the reserves. However, Golden State kept in their starters. The lead grew to almost 40 points before Warriors’ Head Coach Steve Kerr pulled his frontline. Ridiculous!

Kerr risked his key players sustaining an injury or the game causing flared emotions amongst the two teams, but the young Grizz men used positive energy to spark an incredible fourth quarter run. The media will most likely only focus on Klay Thompson’s performance in this game, but the Memphis Grizzlies’ bench needs to be commended for their efforts.

Apr 13, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) watches his shot go in against Memphis Grizzlies guard Courtney Lee (5) during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 111-107. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Jordan Adams saw some valuable rotation time tonight–21:13 in total. He produced 19 points and led the charge by the reserves to make it a game. Adam’s backcourt teammate–Russ Smith A.K.A. “Russdiculous” took over, too. Let Beale Street Bears break it down for you via our live tweets from tonight.

The final score read 107-111, favoring the Golden State Warriors.

While this game was dreadful for the first three quarters, the silver lining in the loss was the noise the Memphis Grizzlies’ rookies and reserves made in order to bring the squad back for a chance to pull off an unbelievable comeback. Although a win was not achieved, Grizz Nation has got to be proud of the valiant effort by the Memphis youngsters. Fans also got to see the future of the Memphis Grizzlies, of which looks exceptionally bright. These guys already know how to get down with the grit and the grind.

Apr 13, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Jordan Adams (3) goes up for a shot against Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The box score, produced by ESPN, can be found here.

Key Game Notes

  • Zach Randolph had the worst +/- rating for the Grizzlies, although being the only bright spot for Memphis in the first three quarters, with a -31 overall.
  • Grizz rookie Russ Smith owned the team’s highest +/1 rating–recording a +25 on the evening.
  • Memphis’ reserves produced a whopping 71 points.
  • Golden State’s Klay Thompson scored 26 of his 42 points in the second quarter.
  • Stephen Curry was the only other Warrior besides Thompson to score in double figures (15 points).
  • No Golden State player reached 30 minutes of playing time while no Memphis player saw 26 minutes or more.
  • All available players for both teams scored a minimum of two points.
  • Memphis shot 41.8% overall compared to the Warriors’ 52.7%.
  • The Grizzlies had six less turnovers (15) than the Warriors (21).
  • Golden State recorded six more assists (30) than Memphis (24).
  • Memphis outrebounded the Warriors by a 44-39 advantage.
  • Golden State made 13 three-pointers on 24 attempts (54.2%) while the Grizzlies nailed just five of 15 attempts beyond the arc (33.3%).

Fantasy Watch: Grizzlies Edition

  • Russ Smith: 16 points on 5/8 shooting, two rebounds, four assists, one steal
  • Jordan Adams: 19 points on 6/15 shooting, two rebounds, two assists, two steals
  • JaMychal Green: 10 points on 4/5 shooting, eight rebounds, two steals, one block
  • Jarnell Stokes: Seven points on 3/4 shooting, two rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block
  • Zach Randolph: 10 points on 3/7 shooting, five rebounds, four assists

Next Game

The Memphis Grizzlies have just one remaining regular season game on their 82-game schedule. They will host the Indiana Pacers at the Grindhouse in Memphis, Tennessee on Wednesday, April 15th. The game will tip off at 8:30 P.M. Central Time.

Go Grizz!

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