INDIANAPOLIS — The Grizzlies are rolling.
Minus three starters and a top rotation player, the Grizzlies are in Indianapolis tonight riding an NBA best seven game winning streak. A Grizzly team that is doing it with volume.
Monday night in a second straight win over the San Antonio Spurs, the Grizzlies put a record nine players in double figures. They have had seven players score in double figures in each of the last four games. That has not happened since 1990 in the NBA.
The bench unit put up 62 points.
That kind of balance has the Grizzlies hoping to tie a franchise record tonight in Indy with an eighth straight win.
“Certain guys on our roster are going to be heavily involved more often than not, the ball in their hands. Playmakers. But then it’s just great to see, game after game, just more guys stepping into a different role. Be a playmaker,” said Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins. “It’s awesome when you have that many guys that you can put there on the floor at any moment to make the right play, set up a teammate. As I said, it’s contagious. These guys are really benefiting from it. I think they’re really enjoying the style of play.”
The Grizzlies talented point guard tandem of Ja Morant and Tyus Jones also combined for 22 of the team’s 37 assists against the Spurs including a career best 14 for Jones.
“We have to use that to our advantage, night in and night out,” said Jones. “Long season. COVID. We knew that our depth was gonna come in handy. Yeah, we’re just trying to make the most of it.”
“We’ve said all season how it’s a next man up mentality. You have to be ready when your number is called,” saint Morant. “I feel like everybody who’s going out on that floor is helping us big time.”