The Ja Morant's Memphis Grizzlies have rediscovered an edge at just the right time, stifling opponents while surging up the Western Conference standings. Tuomas Iisalo has spent the first weeks of December rewiring the locker room's identity, turning a sluggish start into one of the NBA’s most quietly dominant defensive stretches heading into the holidays. Now, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Zach Edey will get to feast on a favorable holiday schedule to close out 2025 under the first-year coach, knowing full well they have a perfect recipe for success.
Both Edey and Jackson Jr. needed time to blend back into the team following long offseason rehabs. Thankfully, Iisalo's Grizzlies (11-13) have gotten everyone on the same page before Christmas.
“Collective is the word. Everybody is on a string,” Iisalo told Grind City Media. “We are able to play a little bit differently, with different types of lineups that bring about a nice variability, which is not easy for the ball handlers. They are seeing different looks during the games and our transition defense has been a lot better.”
Even without Ja Morant available, Iisalo is starting to stitch together winning streaks. The Edey-anchored Grizzlies have suffocated the LA Clippers (6-18) and Portland Trail Blazers (9-15), holding each under 100 total points and limiting them to fewer than 20 points in the fourth quarter. A defensive resurgence has fueled a broader hot streak, with Beale Street bullies winning seven of their last eight games by keeping opponents under 110 points. Their lone non-regulation win in that stretch required overtime.
Since Thanksgiving Day, the Grizzlies are 5-1. They enter a crucial holiday stretch with nine games remaining in the 2025 calendar year, including four at home. The schedule presents a prime opportunity to solidify their standing, with upcoming home games against the Utah Jazz (8-15), Washington Wizards (3-19), Milwaukee Bucks (10-15), and Philadelphia 76ers (13-10). Memphis will also visit Utah, LA, and Washington D.C.; expect Iisalo to keep the same approach in dictating the battlefield.
“Against a (Trail Blazers) team that can really score in transition, who are playing with some small lineups, we were able to do a very good job in the first half of absorbing their drivers,” explained Iisalo. “They do a great job of getting to the rim, drawing two defenders, and kicking out.”
The defensive intensity has created tangible advantages beyond just missed shots. It has tipped the possession battle decisively. These Grizzlies are far more assertive now, playing through mistakes with force and asking questions later. Usually, that activity and leadership lead to good outcomes.
“We're doing a good job on rebounders and are able to force turnovers for a big possession-game win,” explained Iisalo. “I think we had 15 true shot attempts more than (the Trail Blazers) did. That was the secret sauce (in the win).”
That “secret sauce” has become the team's identity. Iisalo saw it reach another level when needed against the Clippers, a sign the Finnish tactician finds particularly encouraging.
“Similar to the (LA Clippers win), when we needed it, there was still another level to go to in terms of energy, focus, and connectedness,” Iisalo beamed. “So that's a very good sign.”
As the Grizzlies head into the heart of the December slate, their defensive recipe is working. The challenge now is to keep it simmering against the league's elite. The Minnesota Timberwolves (15-8) and Oklahoma City Thunder (23-1) are the last two title-contending teams standing between Memphis and a top-six seed to start 2026.
