Grizzlies Win in Battle of Duos with Nets

On Monday, two of the most exciting offenses battled in Memphis when the Grizzlies hosted the Nets. What resulted was both team’s duos catching fire and lighting up the scoreboard in Memphis’ 134-124 win.

The Grizzlies’ young core of Ja Morant and Desmond Bane refused to take their foot off the gas during the contest. The pair both recorded 38 points and seven assists. Morant also brought in eight rebounds.

In the first half, Morant carried the scoring load. He put up 24 of his 38 points in the opening half while driving to the lane and showing off his newly effective three-point shot. Throughout the game, he connected on 12-of-22 field goals and 4-of-6 deep balls.

Then, Bane found his stroke toward the end of the game. He notched 32 second-half points after scoring just six in the first frame. The sharpshooter caught fire from three, shooting 8-for-11 on three-pointers.

With the attention both players were getting, they did an impressive job finding teammates. Their ball movement led to solid games from Santi Aldama and Brandon Clarke, who finished with 17 and 13 points, respectively.

For the Nets, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving led the charge. The duo both scored 37 points. Durant also recorded five rebounds and four assists. Irving earned eight rebounds and five assists.

Unlike the Grizzlies’ stars, both players saw success in the opening half. Durant scored 18 points, and Irving scored 16 in the first half. However, the third quarter was all Durant as he scored 17 in the quarter on 7-for-8 shooting. Irving failed to record a point.

Then, the script flipped when Irving came alive in the final stretch. He dazzled for 21 fourth-quarter points, bringing the game within six with little time remaining. Durant took the back seat while Irving had the hot hand, only scoring two points on free throws in the final quarter.

Brooklyn’s duo didn’t receive as much help as Memphis’s, with only one other player recording more than 10 points. Nic Claxton notched 16 points on efficient shooting.

The Grizzlies’ win pushes them to a 3-1 start. This comes without impactful players Jaren Jackson Jr. or Dillon Brooks making an appearance. Last year, Memphis claimed the second seed in the West after a phenomenal regular season. As one of the younger teams in the league, it appears the Grizzlies are off to another hot start with a bright future ahead.

On the other side, the Nets now drop to 1-2 with the loss. Brooklyn features stars in Durant, Irving, and Ben Simmons, but the season seems to have gotten off to a rocky start. It’s still early, and things can change, but the lack of depth and quality bench players seem to be hindering the Nets. However, it is worth mentioning that Seth Curry and TJ Warren were both inactive.