In Morant's absence, the Grizzlies have become stronger? Facing the Nets led by Durant and Irving, even though they fired 78 points, the Grizzlies still won the game, and the whole team celebrated after the game. Back-to-back to the Pacers, Morant remained absent, but the Grizzlies were still in excellent form, establishing a score lead early, once taking a 38-point advantage, and finally winning 133-103 to win three consecutive games while locking up the playoffs early.
After the Suns locked in the playoffs, the Grizzlies became the second team to lock up the playoffs, and I believe no one expected this result at the beginning of the season. The Grizzlies locked up eight games ahead of schedule, and the current seventh-place Timberwolves have a record of 42 wins and 32 losses, and even if they win all eight games and the Grizzlies lose all, they will not be able to overtake.
This result is really not expected, the Grizzlies this season's progress is so surprising, not just Morant alone, but the whole team is improving. As Morant puts it, "You've witnessed Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Fastest Improving Player of the Year." ”
This time against the Pacers, the Grizzlies did not give their opponents any chance at all, occupying the initiative from the first quarter, leading by 26 points at halftime and 36 points at the end of the third quarter, and the game also lost suspense early. In this game, the Grizzlies still blossomed a little, the whole team hit 21 three-pointers, Bane bombed 30 points, Jackson 20 points, Jones 11 points, Melton on the bench 19 points, Conchar 18 points, Tillman 16 points, always someone stood up to get points. Not only was Morant absent in the game, but also No. 2 scorer Brooks.
The Grizzlies are a really immeasurable team, and they have another statistic that is even more surprising, that is, in the absence of core Morant, the record is as high as 16 wins and 2 losses, which is really terrible. In other words, Morant's return is the icing on the cake, without him, this team can still win, can beat Durant Irving's Nets, can also beat the Pacers by 30 points, and the team's lineup depth is too good. Watching his teammates perform so hotly, Morant can also rest assured of his injuries.
According to Drury Hill, a Grizzlies reporter for the Memphis Daily News, Morant was absent for at least two weeks with a knee sprain and could return before the playoffs began. Coach Jenkins said bluntly: "We are looking forward to his full recovery before the start of the playoffs, and now there are two and a half weeks left in the regular season, and we are excited about that." Now that the Grizzlies have locked up the playoffs in advance, Morant can also recuperate from his injuries and wait for him to heal before playing with the team and trying to get a good result. Morant has also played well this season, averaging 27.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game.