Sitting at the number two spot in the Western Conference standings tied with the Dallas Mavericks with a 16-8 record, the Memphis Grizzlies can finally say they are one of the NBA's best teams this season.
The defending NBA champions, Boston Celtics, came into last night's matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies with a six-game winning streak in the series, with their last loss coming in March 2021.
While the Grizzlies ended a three-and-a-half-year losing skid against one of the NBA's teams over the last half-decade, here are some extra feats they accomplished to officially stamp themselves among the NBA's elite this season.
Snapped a 0-13 record against Jayson Tatum
Boston Celtics' superstar forward Jayson Tatum dominated the Grizzlies whenever he was on the floor. During the first seven years of his NBA career, the Boston Celtics had a perfect record against the Memphis Grizzlies when Tatum played.
The one game the Grizzlies did beat the Celtics was the one game he missed in the series against them since he entered the league. Since they are in opposite conferences, these teams only play twice per season which means fewer chances for the Grizzles to avenge the losses.
The players were well aware of the dominance Boston had over them as the core of Jaren Jackson Jr., Ja Morant, and Desmond Bane all entered the league in that order, respectively, after Jayson Tatum was drafted.
First win in Boston since November 2013
The Celtics' dominance of the Grizzlies extends past Jayson Tatum's entrance into the league as the Grizzlies hadn't won a game in Boston since 2013. A 10-game road losing streak against the Celtics stared the Grizzlies in the face last night and they conquered their past failures.
Again, these teams only play twice per season, which means the Grizzlies only get one chance to leave Boston with a victory. The last decade proved to be too much for them before ending the streak with last night's victory.
The Big Three led the charge
The Grizzlies relied on their league's second-best scoring bench unit for a good portion of their early season success while their stars battled injuries. Last night, the Grizzlies' stars aligned altogether at the perfect moment.
Ja Morant posted a near triple-double of 32 points, nine assists, nine rebounds, and two steals as he set the tone for the Grizzlies as they led throughout the game. Jaren Jackson Jr. posted 27 points, nine rebounds, and seven stocks (three steals and four blocks), including scoring 11 consecutive points in the fourth quarter to help the Grizzlies regain the lead while Ja Morant rested.
Desmond Bane has struggled for much of the early season, but late in the game last night he scored nine of the Grizzlies' final 12 points to close the game out and secure the victory for Memphis. The Grizzlies star trio will be relied upon in high-leverage situations, and succeeding against the defending champions is a great sign for the rest of this season.