Key Stat of the Night
- Miami shot 15-for-39 (.385) from three-point range while Memphis was 8-for-29 (.276).
Key Run of the Night
- After an 11-2 run by Memphis, Miami went on a 14-2 run in the fourth quarter from 10:12 to 5:45 (4:27 run) to lead 85-78. The Grizzlies never got closer than three after that.
Game Recap
The Memphis Grizzlies lost to the Miami Heat, 100-97, on Friday night in FedExForum. The Grizzlies fall to 16-12 on the season and are now 9-5 at home. The Heat improved to 12-16 on the year.
Mike Conley led all scorers with 22 points while dishing out a game-high eight assists. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Garrett Temple both scored 15 points. Marc Gasol added 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
The Grizzlies shot 35-for-83 (.422) from the field while the Heat went a similar 36-for-82 (.439). Miami fared much better from three-point range, shooting 15-for-39 (.385) from beyond the arc compared to just 8-for-29 (.276) for Memphis. The Grizzlies forced the Heat into 17 turnovers while committing only eight of their own, but the Heat outrebounded the Grizzlies 50-34. Miami handed out 30 assists in the game, the most by a Grizzlies opponent this season.
Josh Richardson and Kelly Olynyk each scored 18 points to lead Miami. Tyler Johnson added 17 points. Derrick Jones Jr. scored 13 points and pulled down eight rebounds off the bench. James Johnson rounded out the scoring with 12 points.
The Grizzlies’ run in the third quarter carried over to the fourth, ending up as an 11-2 run that lasted 3:19 (58.4 left in third to 9:39 in the fourth). The Heat countered with a 14-2 run of their own over the next 4:27 (10:12 to 5:45) to take an 85-78 lead. Down 96-92 with 22.3 seconds left in the game, the Grizzlies forced a turnover. Conley drove for a layup but missed, forcing Memphis to foul. Olynyk made a pair of free throws with 14 seconds remaining to put the Heat up 98-92, closing the door on the game. The Grizzlies shot just 8-for-24 (.333) in the quarter, including 3-for-11 (.273) from three.
The third quarter was kinder to the Grizzlies than the second, shooting 9-for-16 (.563) while tallying seven assists. Memphis closed out the third with a 7-2 run in the last 58.4 seconds of the quarter to lead 73-71.
Both teams shot almost exactly the same in the first half, as Memphis was 18-of-43 (.419) and Miami made 18-of-42 (.429) shots. The difference was beyond the arc, where the Heat shot 8-for-23 (.348) and the Grizzlies were just 3-for-13 (.231). The Grizzlies’ nine assists in the half tied a season-low, while the Heat’s 16 dimes tied for the most by an opponent in a half. The Grizzlies turned the ball over just three times in the first half, matching a season-low.
The Grizzlies offense was in rhythm early, making their first six shots of the game to finish with an efficient 11-of-22 (.500) shooting in the first quarter. The Heat weren’t far behind, making 9-of-20 (.450) shots, including 4-of-10 three-pointers, to lead 29-28 at the end of the quarter. Memphis attacked the basket, outscoring Miami 18-10 in the paint during the period.
Memphis cooled off in the second quarter, shooting just 7-for-21 (.333). The Grizzlies’ 21 points in the quarter marked the fewest in any second quarter this season. JaMychal Green collected a Heat miss with 2.5 seconds left before halftime, and Garrett Temple raced down the court to bank in a 33-footer before the buzzer to cut the Heat lead to 51-49 at the break. Miami assisted on eight of their nine field goals in the period.
Next Game
The Grizzlies will wrap up the homestand when they host the Houston Rockets tomorrow, Saturday, December 15 at 7 p.m. CT in FedExForum. It’s also the second Grind City Wrestling Night of the season, where the first 5,000 fans in attendance will receive a “Winter Slam” Holiday Greeting Card, presented by Mercury Printing. Come out to the game, tune in to FOX Sports Southeast presented by Pinnacle Financial Partners or listen on 92.9 FM ESPN to follow the action.
Fans who want to support the Memphis Grizzlies and purchase 2018-19 Season Tickets or 10-Game Flex Packs can do so now by calling (901) 888-HOOP or going online to grizzlies.com/tickets. Single Game Tickets are also available for purchase at the FedExForum Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, ticketmaster.com, online at grizzlies.com/tickets or by calling 1-800-4NBA-TIX. For more information on the Grizzlies, visit grizzlies.com, ‘like’ Memphis Grizzlies on Facebook or follow on Twitter and Instagram (@memgrizz).
Team Quotes
Player Notes
- Mike Conley led all scorers with 22 points while dishing out a game-high eight assists.
- Garrett Temple scored 15 points and had three assists. This was the first Grizzlies loss when Temple scores 14+ points (previously 5-0).
- Jaren Jackson Jr. also had 15 points and a pair of steals.
- Marc Gasol chipped in with 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
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