Memphis Grizzlies: Jonas Valanciunas sets a new franchise record in win
The Memphis Grizzlies were able to take down the Chicago Bulls in a much-needed home win. It was the first time that the Grizzlies had beaten the Bulls in FedEx Forum since April 2016, so they’ll celebrate this one a little more than a normal win over a losing team.
It was a close game all the way through, but the Grizz were able to pull away in the end.
A guy that the Grizzlies heavily relied on in this game was center Jonas Valanciunas, a player who has been essential to the Grizzlies’ success this year. The Lithuanian center has been elite this year, especially after the NBA All-Star break.
Against the Bulls, Valanciunas was able to have another excellent game, scoring 26 points and pulling in 13 rebounds. Most importantly though, JV brought a ton of energy to the court during an important 4th quarter stretch that saw the Grizzlies pull away and earn an important home win.
Memphis Grizzlies C Jonas Valanciunas set a new franchise record on Monday
On Monday, Valanciunas would do more than just have a good game. While his 26-point, 13-rebound double-double was impressive, the more impressive number from the night was 15. That’s how many double-doubles in a row Valanciunas has had during the best stretch of basketball of his career.
During that stretch, he has raised his numbers in every important category, including points per game, rebounds per game, and most notably, Player Efficiency Rating.
JV’s double-double streak is important for a couple of reasons. Firstly, he has established a consistency that the Grizzlies have not seen in the franchise’s history. The last time anybody played this well night-in and night-out was when Zach Randolph was wearing a Grizzlies uniform.
That also happens to be how long it has been since somebody has recorded 14 consecutive double-doubles. It’s the only time in franchise history that it has been done in the past. On Monday night, JV set a new franchise record for consecutive double-doubles with 15, breaking Z-Bo’s record.
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The Lithuanian center’s play has elevated the Grizzlies into a position that will see them fighting for an outright NBA Playoff spot instead of a play-in tournament position. Hopefully, this team will continue to fight on the back of Valanciunas.