The Memphis Grizzlies didn’t just beat the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night. They buried them, rolling to a 142-111 win that pushed Memphis to 8-4 overall and 1-1 in NBA Cup play.
That 31-point margin also pulled the Grizzlies’ cup point differential back to even, and the biggest reason the game got out of hand was simple: the bench showed up in a major way.
Memphis got 76 points from its reserves, with the second unit shooting 21-for-36 from the field and 13-for-21 from three. The depth was obvious all night, and this time the substitutions worked in the Grizzlies’ favor instead of creating the kind of rough stretches they’ve dealt with earlier in the season. Jerami Grant stayed steady, Cam Spencer turned in another strong outing, and Taylor Hendricks delivered useful minutes with Zach Edey sidelined for injury management.
GG Jackson also gave Memphis a lift, finishing with 14 points and six rebounds. With his minutes trending down lately, that kind of game could matter for his confidence.
The ball movement was just as important as the scoring. Memphis finished with 35 assists, and the offense looked cleaner when possessions were built through movement and kick-outs after penetration instead of settling into isolation. The shot quality reflected it.
Ty Jerome didn’t have a big scoring night, but he still made his presence felt by setting a season high with nine assists. That stands out after he had five or fewer assists in each of his previous six games.
Cedric Coward and Grant have been two of Memphis’ most dependable players this season, and both backed that up again. Coward, whose growth is a key part of the Grizzlies’ rebuild, posted 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists while also holding his own defensively on and off the ball. Grant added 22 points on 7-for-10 shooting and hit three triples, continuing to look like the kind of plug-and-play piece every team wants.
Saddiq Bey, though, was the one who really torched Memphis. He scored 30 points on 11-for-20 shooting and kept punishing the Grizzlies with tough threes off movement. Bey has now scored 18, 22 and 36 points in his previous three games against Memphis, and this one fit the same pattern.
The Grizzlies entered the night second in the NBA in three-point percentage at 38.9 percent, trailing only the Golden State Warriors. They stayed hot from deep, shooting 40 percent from outside, and that long-range touch helped fuel another big offensive night.
In Other News...
Grizzlies Stand To Lose Big From A Jazz Draft Collapse
The Grizzlies have a little more riding on Utahs long-term fortunes than most teams, thanks to an extra first-rounder they own in 2027. Under the NBAs new draft lottery system, though, Memphis no longer has the same kind of upside it once might have had if the Jazz continue to stumble, which matters because the Grizzlies have been trying to build every possible edge into their asset stockpile.
Memphis was the lone team to vote against the new setup, and the reason is easy to see from its perspective. The rules now place a ceiling on how much the Grizzlies can gain from a Jazz collapse in the draft order, turning what could have been a major windfall into something far more limited and leaving one of Memphis future assets tied to a system it clearly never wanted in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Grizzlies Walk Into A Short-Handed NBA Cup Test In New Orleans
The NBA Cup brings Memphis into New Orleans at a time when both teams are trying to patch together a workable rotation. The Pelicans are looking to snap a four-game losing streak, but their injury report has kept the focus on availability as much as on the matchup itself, with several regulars listed as doubtful and the game carrying a little extra edge because of the tournament setting.
Memphis is dealing with its own short-handed situation, too, which makes this feel less like a clean measuring-stick game and more like a test of depth and adaptability. With key bodies missing on both sides, the Grizzlies will have to navigate a road environment that could hinge on which group can settle in faster, and New Orleans will be hoping the uncertainty around its lineup does not linger once the ball is tipped. [Read more 🡒]