Grizzlies hand Heat 4th straight loss

Memphis Grizzlies ahead Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) and guard Vince Williams Jr. (5) have fun through the second half of an NBA basketball recreation towards the Miami Warmth, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, in Miami. The Grizzlies defeated the Warmth 105- 96.(AP Photograph/Marta Lavandier)

MIAMI — The Memphis Grizzlies have been wildly short-handed. And the Miami Warmth nonetheless couldn’t deal with them.

Vince Williams Jr. scored a career-high 25 factors, GG Jackson added 17 off the bench and the Grizzlies — who had solely 9 accessible gamers due to accidents — spoiled Terry Rozier’s debut in Miami by topping the Warmth 105-96 within the NBA on Wednesday evening.

Scotty Pippen Jr. and Jaren Jackson Jr. every scored 15 for Memphis, which led for the complete second half. John Konchar had 11 factors and 10 rebounds for the Grizzlies.

“Simply be genuine to who you’re, perceive the fact and each single day I feel our group’s maintained an amazing spirit,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins stated. “I feel our workers, teaching workers, efficiency, medical group, everybody’s coping with so much proper now attempting to navigate the accidents and guys being out and in.”

Tyler Herro scored 18 for Miami, which has dropped 4 straight for the second time this season. Bam Adebayo completed with 15 factors, 15 rebounds, six assists and 6 blocks for the Warmth.

Miami Warmth ahead Jimmy Butler (22) bleeds from his nostril after a collision through the second half of an NBA basketball recreation towards the Memphis Grizzlies, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, in Miami. The Grizzlies defeated the Warmth 105- 96.(AP Photograph/Marta Lavandier)

Jimmy Butler and Caleb Martin additionally scored 15 apiece, and Rozier — acquired Tuesday in a commerce with Charlotte — had 9 on 3-for-11 capturing.

“We all know issues aren’t going to be good immediately,” Rozier stated. “You see the evaluation of the group and see how issues are going. However I really feel like I match the Warmth tradition and I’m coming proper in to select issues up on the defensive facet and let all the things else deal with itself. We’re all basketball gamers, so we’ll determine it out.”

Memphis had 9 gamers out with accidents — Ja Morant and Steven Adams are completed for the season — and the lineup that the Grizzlies rolled out to begin the evening was its twenty fifth in 44 video games this season. Mixed, the 5 gamers that opened the sport for Memphis are making about $35 million this season and most of that’s going to Jaren Jackson Jr., who missed 16 of his 21 pictures.

And the Grizzlies discovered a manner anyway.

GG Jackson’s 3-pointer with 4:30 left within the half put the Grizzlies on high after a back-and-forth opening quarter and a half, the Memphis lead was 49-42 on the break and it reached 14 by the top of the third quarter. Going into the fourth, the Grizzlies held a 48-18 lead in factors off 3-pointers and a 32-9 edge in bench scoring.

Miami acquired inside 98-96 on a 3-pointer by Herro with 2:01 left, earlier than the Grizzlies completed the sport on a 7-0 run.

“It’s simply one in every of these durations of time in an NBA season that’s funky,” Warmth coach Erik Spoelstra stated. “I can’t even clarify it. … There have been a variety of uncharacteristic performs offensively.”

NEXT SCHEDULE

Grizzlies: Host Orlando on Friday.

Warmth: Host Boston on Thursday.