Prior to this game, although the team boss Morant missed a long game due to injury, the Grizzlies have been in hot form for five consecutive wins, and if they can beat the Spurs in this game, then they will lock up the Championship of the Southwest Division and create the history of the team. However, although there is a big gap between the opponents of this game, the Spurs and them, they are currently in equally hot form and have won four consecutive games, so the Grizzlies cannot be taken lightly.
In the first quarter of the game, the two sides began a tug-of-war, and the Grizzlies took a four-point lead under the excellent performances of Jackson Jr. and Brooks. In the second quarter, while the Spurs were equally efficient in scoring, the Grizzlies were even better, quickly establishing a double-digit lead. By the end of halftime, the Grizzlies had extended the point difference to 13 points. At the end of the third quarter, the Spurs worked to narrow the point difference to single digits. In the final quarter, the Grizzlies fell into a scoring drought, while the Spurs took advantage of the situation to tie the score. At key moments, the Grizzlies took the lead by scoring from the inside, and as Johnson missed a layup, the Grizzlies eventually narrowly won 112-111.
The reason why the Grizzlies were able to win this game, in addition to the fluke factor that Johnson missed the key layup, their biggest magic weapon to win the game was the team basketball. The Grizzlies once again showed great team strength, with as many as five players scoring in double figures, with Brooks and Jones scoring 21 and 25 points, respectively. After winning the game, the Grizzlies not only won six straight, but they were also able to secure the Southwest Division title, the first time they had achieved such an achievement since the establishment of the team.
So far, the Grizzlies have achieved a record of 54 wins and 23 losses this season, ranking second in the West and locking up the Championship of the Southwest Division, an achievement that has not been achieved during the leadership of the Great Gasol or the black and white bears. In addition to the reasons why the Grizzlies have been so good this season, the traditional strong loners in the Southwest Division, the Spurs and the Rockets, are no longer as dominant as they were in previous seasons. All in all, this season's Grizzlies have written a glorious page in the history of the team.
Last season, the Grizzlies managed to reach the playoffs in the final minutes and re-enter the playoffs after several seasons. Although they eventually lost 1-4 to the No. 1 Jazz in the West in the first round, the Grizzlies, who have risen last season, have given fans a lot of hope. In the offseason, the Grizzlies did not make much changes to the lineup, but only traded Adams with Varans, which once puzzled the Grizzlies fans, after all, Varan averaged 17+12 double-doubles per game last season.
But after the start of the season, the Grizzlies made all fans feel extremely amazing, and with Morant's explosion and the team's excellent team combat ability, the Grizzlies have been in the top three positions in the West for a long time. In the following games, despite the team boss Morant's injury, the other Grizzlies players still led the team to maintain an excellent record. In the end, after the ups and downs in the performance of teams such as the Warriors and Jazz, the still stable Grizzlies were able to successfully overtake and have basically locked in the second place in the West.
The reason why the Grizzlies have achieved such a good achievement this season is inseparable from the following points. First of all, despite the current controversy that Morant has encountered, the Grizzlies' change is inseparable from his big explosion this season. So far, Morant has played in 56 games for the Grizzlies, averaging 27.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game in 33.3 minutes per game, shooting 49.3% from the field and 34% from three-point range, all of which are career highs.
Although the Grizzlies have played a better record without Morant, it also has a lot to do with the opponents they face. When faced with stronger opponents and the next playoff-level teams, the Grizzlies are completely inseparable from Morant's play. Especially at critical times, Morant will be the most threatening scoring point in the Grizzlies. In addition, the overall temperament of the Grizzlies this season has largely been a change brought by Morant to the team, and it is precisely because of his extreme desire to win and tough style that the Grizzlies have a new look at the team temperament.
Secondly, the qualitative leaps in performance of the Grizzlies' other players this season are also important reasons why they have been able to achieve excellent results. So far this season, with the exception of Morant, five members of the Grizzlies have averaged double-digit points per game, including second-year rookie Bane, who averaged 18.2 points per game this season, Brooks averaging 18.1 points per game, and Jackson Jr. averaging 16.3 points per game. With Morant absent from the game, Bane and Brooks became the main outside core of the team, while Jackson Jr. held up the team's inner line. In short, when Morant is away, it is the outstanding performances of other players that allow them to maintain their current record.
For the Grizzlies, winning the division championship is a great encouragement, but it is far from enough. In terms of the current league structure this season, they have become one of the strong contenders for the championship. With few games left, they have essentially locked in the second place in the West, and the first round of the playoffs will most likely face one of the Timberwolves and Clippers. Whichever team it is, the Grizzlies will have some pressure. After all, the former has played well this season, while the latter will have George or even Leonard, so the Grizzlies must now fully prepare for the playoffs.
The Grizzlies have only three games left in the regular season, and they will face Western conference powerhouses like the Suns and Jazz and nuggets. With the Suns and Grizzlies locked up in the top two, the Grizzlies' games against the Jazz and Nuggets will have a big impact on the West's final rankings.