Ja Morant gets triple-double; Grizzlies drop fifth straight in loss to Timberwolves
MINNEAPOLIS — The road trip woes continued on Friday night when the Memphis Grizzlies fell behind by double digits in the first half against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Down 14 with 5:03 left in the fourth quarter, Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins went back to his starters for one final push at a comeback. The Grizzlies were unsuccessful in a 111-100 loss to the Timberwolves.
Memphis (31-18) has now lost five straight games. Ja Morant led the Grizzlies with a triple-double. He finished with 27 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.
The Timberwolves (26-25) got a big night from Anthony Edwards to lead the way.
Here are some takeaways from the game.
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Ziaire Williams in, Desmond Bane out
Starting Grizzlies shooting guard Desmond Bane joined Steven Adams as usual starters not in the lineup on Friday. Bane was out due to right knee soreness. Adams will be sidelined the next three to five weeks due to a sprained PCL in his right knee. Jake LaRavia and David Roddy played double-digit minutes to deepen the bench.
The fill-in starters struggled early as the Grizzlies fell behind. Ziaire Williams did not take a shot in the first half, and the 6-foot-8 Brandon Clarke struggled to get his shot over 7-foot shot-blocker Rudy Gobert. Williams attempted and made his only shot in the third quarter. Each of the other starters finished in double figures.
Familiar face strikes
Former Grizzlies forward Kyle Anderson was in the starting lineup for the Timberwolves. The Grizzlies sagged off of Anderson, but he made them pay with two quick 3-pointers in the first quarter. Anderson also showed off his playmaking with pump-fakes and getting to the basket to create scoring opportunities for teammates. Anderson's most notable play came when he got a steal on Morant, and, as the Grizzlies guard chased him up the floor, he dished a no-look pass to Jaden McDaniels to cause a Grizzlies timeout.
Anderson got help from Edwards and D'Angelo Russell to carry the Timberwolves on offense. Minnesota's bench also outscored the Grizzlies 29-20. Anderson finished with a season-high 23 points.
What's next
The Grizzlies return home Sunday after an unpleasant road trip. Memphis will play the Indiana Pacers (5 p.m., Bally Sports Southeast) for the second and final time of the regular season. Memphis has the best home record in the NBA at 20-3.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Grizzlies fall to Timberwolves, lose fifth straight game
