Memphis Grizzlies turn a page in win vs. Washington Wizards

The Memphis Grizzlies already beat the Washington Wizards before the NBA All-Star break, but it felt like this series could have had a similar fate as that of the series against the LA Clippers. Against the Clippers, the Grizzlies beat a strong team in dominating fashion, but didn’t show up to play for game 2.

That’s not how this game went.

For the most part, the Grizz handled the Wizards in this game, limiting Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal while putting on an offensive clinic. Ja Morant played great, Desmond Bane had a strong game, and Jonas Valanciunas had arguably the best game of his career.

The Grizzlies game was highlighted by an onslaught of floaters. I’m not sure if there was a single guy who received court time tonight who didn’t hit a floater. It was that kind of night for the team that hits more tear drops than any other squad in this league.

The Wizards looked like they didn’t stand a chance. There was an odd stretch where the Wizards were playing with 6 men on the court and it wasn’t called by the officials. They still couldn’t stop the Grizzlies. Memphis would score on that same possession, playing 5 vs. 6.

The Memphis Grizzlies continue to play complete basketball games

Once again, this Grizzlies team played a near-perfect game from start to finish. This is something that we hadn’t seen much of early in the year. Even in wins, it felt like there was room for improvement.

And while there was definitely room for improvement tonight, it wouldn’t be easy to spot in the Grizzlies’ 127-112 win against the Wizards.

Every starter scored double digit points, but there were still plenty of solid contributions from the bench. That being said, there was one player on this team who didn’t have a great night, and that player’s name is Xavier Tillman.

Tasked with guarding Robin Lopez, it was never going to be easy for the second-round rookie. At 6’8″, there was only so much that he could do. Lopez was playing extremely physical and the officials – who were having a rough night – weren’t making any calls. It was a lost cause for the rookie, but nothing to hang his head over.

Tillman would eventually foul out.

Fortunately, Jonas Valanciunas didn’t seem to care about Robin Lopez. He grabbed every rebound that came his way and did not stop scoring against the Wizards. The energy that he brought off the bench is what propelled this team to a win.