The Memphis Grizzlies' “Grint N' Grind” era is over, as the franchise have ushered in some fresh talent in the 2019-20 NBA regular season led by their impressive rookie Ja Morant.
Fortunately for their fans, the future certainly looks bright in Tennessee, especially on Saturday night when the Grizzlies outplayed the Los Angeles Clippers, 140-114, at Staples Center.
Apart from defeating one of the best teams in the league, Memphis also set three separate franchise records, as announced by their PR team on Twitter.
The young team shared the wealth on Thursday, as four players scored 20 points or more.
Four Grizzlies scored 20+ points in today’s 140-114 road win over the Clippers: Jae Crowder (27), Jaren Jackson Jr. (24), Ja Morant (22) and Dillon Brooks (22).
Per @EliasSports this is the 1st time in @memgrizz history the team had four players score 20+ points in a road game.
— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) January 4, 2020
Memphis, who have gone 5-5 in their last 10 games, also showed its unselfishness for 48 minutes, recording 30-plus assists for the fourth consecutive game. Morant found his teammates early and often by pitching in a game-high nine dimes, while Jae Crowder added seven assists. Tyus Jones also came off the bench and set the tone with five dishes.
The @memgrizz have recorded 30+ assists in four consecutive games, the longest streak in franchise history.
Today marks the 13th time this season the Grizzlies have registered 30+ assists, tying the single-season franchise record (13 games in 2018-19).
— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) January 4, 2020
The Grizz also eclipsed their season average of 112.2 points per game by a huge margin, dropping 140 points against one of the best defenses in the league. The feat is Memphis' second-highest scoring output in franchise history and their highest record ever in a road game.
The @memgrizz recorded the second-highest score in franchise history in their 140-114 road win over the Clippers (record: 144 points on Jan. 3, 2007 vs. Golden State).
This represents the team’s highest score ever in a road game.
— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) January 4, 2020
Known more for their slow-pace and half court sets in previous years, the Grizzlies have drawn its focus towards pacing and spacing to adapt to the league's trend. The team let go of their two cornerstones Marc Gasol and Mike Conley Jr. and seems to be on the right track with the emergence of Ja Morant as the frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year award.
Memphis is still outside the playoff race in the Western Conference, as they currently sit at 11th place with a 14-22 slate –one and a half game behind the eighth seed.
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