Brandon Clarke drops sentimental take on Jaren Jackson Jr. after wild Grizzlies win
By Mark Nilon
After having just scraped by against a putrid Detroit Pistons team, the Memphis Grizzlies pulled off an unbelievable upset against the title-hungry Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night and, in turn, claimed their first string of consecutive wins since early March.
While it took a complete team effort for them to come away with the 111-101 triumph, as has often been the case throughout the season, star big Jaren Jackson Jr. paved the way with a monstrous 35-point performance, his second straight outing with 35 or more points scored.
Following the sound of the final buzzer, Grizzlies big Brandon Clarke talked about his frontcourt cohort's recent surge and dished out a rather sentimental message regarding his longing to get back onto the hardwood and be a part of such moments while he was sidelined for over a year recovering from an Achilles tear.
Brandon Clarke talks Grizzlies big Jaren Jackson Jr.'s play against Bucks
"He's a very very good player. He's showing all his talents. I'm very very grateful I'm able to play again with him. I fricken missed it, so [I'm] just very very proud of him."
- Brandon Clarke
Jackson's stat line alone doesn't tell the complete story of just how tremendous his performance was against the Bucks, as his night started off a bit slow considering he dropped just 10 points and shot a mere 33.3 percent from the floor in the first half.
It wasn't until the final two periods that the big man showcased his improved offensive repertoire, as he went on an absolute tear, playing bully ball down in the paint and splashing home contested treys with All-Defensive talents in his face.
During his 20-minutes played in the second half, Jackson went on to post a stellar 25 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound, and 2 steals while cashing in on 64.7 percent of his attempts from the floor and 50.0 percent from deep, one of which served as the proverbial nail in the coffin for Milwaukee's comeback hopes with under a minute left to play.
Jackson's recent stretch has seemingly served as a reminder to Clarke of just how much he missed suiting up and seeing action within this Grizzlies rotation. As for fans, it's been a reminder of just how special they can be when at full strength.