The resurgent Memphis Grizzlies get an opportunity to avenge one of their most lopsided defeats of the season when they host the streaking Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night.
The game is part of the rescheduling of teams that did not advance past group play in the NBA’s inaugural in-season tournament.
Both the Grizzlies and Timberwolves took advantage of the first of two added games Wednesday night, with Memphis going on the road and blitzing the Detroit Pistons 116-102, while Minnesota rolled 102-94 at home against the San Antonio Spurs.
The win was the Timberwolves’ fifth straight, a run that began with a 119-97 shellacking of the Grizzlies in a previous visit to Memphis on Nov. 26. Anthony Edwards paced the win with 24 points, while Mike Conley had a happy homecoming with 18 points and 10 assists.
The 36-year-old Conley remains the Grizzlies’ all-time leader in several categories, including games (788), points (11,733), 3-pointers (1,086), assists (4,509) and steals (1,161).
Make no mistake, when he’s not leading the Timberwolves toward a promising season this year, Conley is wishing nothing but the best for the Grizzlies and their troubled star, Ja Morant.
“He’s a young man who’s learning his way,” Conley said. “I’m sure he’s growing up and doing what he needs to do to get back on the court and redeem himself on that end. I think we’re all waiting for him to get back. He’s good for our league. His talent and what he does and what he brings to the game, for the Grizzlies especially.”
Morant’s 25-game suspension is scheduled to end on Dec. 19.
Memphis got 49 points from Morant’s usual sidekick, Desmond Bane, in Wednesday’s win at Detroit. It was the Grizzlies’ third victory in their last four outings, the best four-game stretch of their season.
Bane also had 30- and 27-point scoring nights at Dallas and Phoenix, respectively, last week. His current scoring average is 25.1 points per game, well up from 21.5 last year as he’s learned, according to Phoenix Suns coach Frank Vogel, to be more assertive in Morant’s absence.
“Obviously, when they were really surging with Ja the last couple of years, Bane was really an underrated piece to their success,” Vogel said. “He’s really a big-time, big-time player who can do it all offensively. And he’s a dog defensively, too. He’s great at playing off someone like Ja, and he’s also someone you can put the ball in his hands and go for 30 a night.”
Morant’s season debut could coincide with Marcus Smart’s return from a sprained right foot that has sidelined him for the last nine games. Morant’s return date is five weeks from the time Smart suffered an injury that was projected to keep him out three to five weeks.
The Grizzlies and Timberwolves will meet two more times later this season, in January and February, both at Minnesota.
–Field Level Media
