The Memphis Grizzlies took the floor Monday against the Chicago Bulls on the tail end of a back-to-back. The Grizz entered having lost their last 2 games, much worse than their last 6 against Chicago dating back to 2017-2018. Albeit, the Bulls had dropped their last couple of contests as well. So, both teams were understandably hungry to get back in the win column.
Low score, high competition
In an opening quarter that saw Chicago scratch first on a Nikola Vucevic three-pointer, the Bulls struggled to score for an extended stretch. Consequently, the Grizzlies built a 9-point lead with just a few minutes left in the quarter. Turnovers and missed shots during those minutes, however, allowed Chicago to go on an 11 to 2 run that would tie the game at 22 apiece heading into the second.
The Bulls kept the momentum rolling to start the second quarter, pushing their run to 20 to 5. Chicago’s Daniel Theis seemed to be in the right place on every possession, coming off the bench to score 14 points in the first half alone. After falling by 9 points, the Grizzlies went on a 12 to 0 run that included an electrifying transition alley-oop slam by Ja Morant. Although Chicago answered to take the lead back, another alley-oop – this time from Morant – gave the Grizzlies a 48-47 halftime advantage.
Fight for control
The Grizzlies threw the first punch to start the second half. However, Chicago countered as former slam dunk champion Zach LaVine slashed through the lane for a thunderous dunk. The dunks kept coming, with Morant throwing down yet another vicious dunk off a lob. This came just before Morant dished to Jonas Valanciunas for another jam on the next play. Despite the exciting play from the Grizzlies, Chicago still led heading into the fourth, largely due to a big third quarter from Vucevic.
The final frame was hard-fought on both sides. Although they trailed by 4 at the start of the quarter, the Grizzlies refused to let the game slip away. Both teams traded buckets for the first half of the period. Nonetheless, the Grizzlies’ relentless attack persisted to see them in a double-digit lead they would not relinquish.
Persistence prevails
A put-back slam by Valanciunas with a minute and a half left sealed the deal, as the Grizzlies (27-25) came out with a 101-90 win over the Bulls (22-31).
After dropping 34 with 22 rebounds the night before, Valanciunas led the way once more for the Grizzlies. He scored 26 while adding 14 boards to help secure the win. Dillon Brooks chipped in 17 points and 7 rebounds, while Morant finished with 13 points and 10 dimes. Grayson Allen also scored in double figures with 14 points to go with 6 rebounds.
“It’s not an individual sport,” Valanciunas said. “I would not be doing it without my teammates, first of all. Second thing, I’m playing with a high energy. I’m putting a lot of work in trying to go for every rebound. Trying to go for every put-back. Stuff like that. That pays off.”
Despite a subpar shooting effort, LaVine led the way for Chicago with 21 points and 9 assists. Thaddeus Young displayed a more efficient performance, pouring in 20 points on 10 of 15 shooting. Theis finished with 18, while Vucevic added 17 with 10 boards.
For their next matchup, the Grizzlies will face off against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. PDT.
