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Some NBA regular season games just carry more weight than others, even amid an 82-game slog. Christmas and Martin Luther King Jr. Day matchups usually top the charts. Battles around the NBA All-Star break are a bit harder sell, usually. That was not the case when the relentless Memphis Grizzlies clinched a hard-earned victory against the Houston Rockets, snapping a three-game losing streak against their Western Conference rivals. Jaren Jackson Jr., named to a second NBA All-Star team earlier in the day, punctuated the statement win with two clutch free throws.
A few primal yells from Jackson Jr. were unleashed after the final buzzer to let the FedEx Forum fans know this was a special type of success. Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins explained why the locker room was getting loud after the one-point win.
“It meant a lot to (Jaren Jackson Jr.) and meant a lot to the team. This team has had our number and we knew it was going to be a challenge and a test,” Jenkins began. “You watch all four games, that’s basically what it is. It’s back and forth. They had to lead for the majority of the game and it came down to the fourth quarter where we just had enough of a run in us. It was back-and-forth with a possession here, a possession there and it came down to the execution.”
Jaren Jackson Jr. was instrumental in this turnaround, finishing the game with 21 points, four rebounds, four assists, and a steal. His performance was not just about the numbers; it was about the clutch moments when he stepped up. Despite being in foul trouble throughout the game, Jaren Jackson Jr. was crucial for the Grizzlies on both ends of the floor down the stretch.
Those free throws were just a part of the winning equation according to Jenkins. The Grizzlies had to pass a multiple-choice test to celebrate afterward.
“Are you going to get the shot that you want? Are you going to get the stop? Are you going to come up with the rebound? It was not perfect throughout the game, but you know great emotion by the guys staying levelheaded throughout,” Jenkins stressed. “It wasn’t the prettiest basketball by us throughout the game. We just had a slowly get better. To get a victory against a good opponent that is playing at an extremely high-level basketball right now, credit or guys. They worked hard for it.”
“Thought that we cleaned up (mistakes). We started switching a little bit more and I thought our on-defense steadily improved as the game went on,” added Jenkins. “We definitely saw in our breakdown that they have got a lot of dynamic players that put a lot of pressure on you one-on-one and at the rim.”
The Grizzlies got exactly what they needed out of the matchups, three dashes of humble pie to ponder and a taste of revenge. Still, Jenkins sounded a bit relieved to be done with the Rockets for the rest of the regular season.
“I’m just glad how our guys progressed over four difficult games against this Rockets team,” Jenkins stated. “Some fourth-quarter plays came down to some clutch plays. Big-time rebounds, big-time switches, and then big-time buckets. Obviously, (Jaren Jackson Jr.) was in foul trouble all game but he knocked down two big free throws.”
Jaren Jackson Jr. will have a shot to make a few more All-NBA Team moves against Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama before the NBA All-Star break. Next up is a difficult road-home back-to-back set against the Milwaukee Bucks (Feb. 2) and San Antonio Spurs (Feb. 3).
