The last time the Memphis Grizzlies won on the road it was in Sacramento and the year was 2017.
Monday night, the Grizzlies — who had also lost 23 of their previous 24 total games — broke that three-month road losing streak at Target Center against a Minnesota Timberwolves that was playing for everything.
The Wolves are in the midst of a playoff hunt and the Grizzlies are playing for less than nothing, yet Minnesota was the team that didn’t show up.
“This was a must-win for us… against a team — not to take anything from them — that’s not playing for anything right now,” said Jeff Teague in a quiet locker room after the game. “This was the worst loss [of the season] by far.”
There was almost a sense of disbelief in Teague’s voice. The idea that his teammates did not rise to the occasion at this juncture of the season — while he came out and scored a team-high 25 points — was dumbfounding. It was a sentiment Tom Thibodeau echoed.
“I thought Taj (Gibson) and Jeff (Teague) were terrific; they gave us a lot of fight,” said Thibodeau. “But we need everyone. When you’re short-handed they way we are, you need toughness. You need toughness, you need skill, and you need fight.”
This comment felt particularly pointed at Karl-Anthony Towns. While Towns did stack up another double-double (15 points, 12 rebounds) his presence was missing for much of the game. Particularly in the fourth quarter where he shot 0 for 5 from the field. The team as a whole was 3-of-17 in the fourth.
It was dismal, really. Teague confirmed that in the fourth quarter Memphis took him away through trapping the pick-and-roll. With the ball out of Teague’s hands, it was up to someone to take over, but Memphis’ physicality overwhelmed everyone else. The Wolves responded by complaining about the refs.
“It became a slower game and a physical game,” said Thibodeau of the fourth. “If you feel like you’re getting fouled and you’re not getting the call, then you have to take it harder so you do get the call. You gotta make them make the call.”
Outside of losing to a tanking team, the inability to respond to the physicality is perhaps more concerning for this team with the playoffs set to start in just over two weeks.
Despite the loss, the Wolves maintained a game-and-a-half lead on the 9th seed Denver Nuggets — who lost in Philadelphia on Monday night. While the playoffs still seem very likely, it is games like this — games that lack toughness — that are concerning when playoff intensity comes to mind.
“I wouldn’t want to use the word scared because I don’t think they’re scared,” said Thibodeau. “I think for a lot of guys the experience is different, so responding to that we have to do better.”
Attacking Wiggins
Andrew Wiggins finished with 18 points on 17 shots but his at-the-basket game was there. In the first quarter, he came out attacking. The settling for jumpers is dissipating as he seems to be realizing the value of getting all the way to the basket.
One of these games it has to happen for all 48 minutes.
Marc Gasol, A Murderer
Marc Gasol wreaked havoc on Towns as the Wolves’ big man continued the trend of poor defense leading to limited offensive play. The Grizzlies used Gasol on the block to distribute and from the 3-point line to score.
Gasol had twelve of his 20 points from 3. It was multiple ball-screen actions that left Towns a step behind in contesting Gasol.
Seven-Man Rotation
With Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose still sidelined, the rotation functionally shrunk to seven players. Tyus Jones was the eighth-man but played a mere 5 minutes and 52 seconds. This type of role had been previously restricted to bench dwellers Marcus Georges-Hunt and Aaron Brooks.
Considering that Rose didn’t play, this type of quick hook on Jones is very suggestive to the concept that he may be out of the rotation come playoffs — when rotations tend to shrink.
Nemanja Bjelica’s playing time was also cut down to 22 minutes after averaging well over 30 minutes per game since the Butler injury. Granted, this move felt performance based. Bjelica, who has been starting in Butler’s stead, was held scoreless and didn’t impact the game in any other way.
Where the team will receive productivity beyond the core pieces is becoming a mystery. Thiboudeau is responding by limiting those other player’s minutes.
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