The Memphis Grizzlies haven’t had much cause for celebration of late.
Still, they head to Miami riding a rare high after a 123-114 home win over the Utah Jazz on Friday ahead of their Saturday clash with the Heat.
That victory was the Grizzlies’ first in more than two weeks, snapping a four-game skid, and just Memphis’ third in the past 13 games during a season that has gone off the rails.
Through recent struggles and a host of injuries, a number of less prominent players have taken advantage of the opportunity.
With leading scorers Ty Jerome (right calf) and Ja Morant (left elbow) sidelined against the Jazz, third-year players Olivier-Maxence Prosper and GG Jackson rose to the occasion. The pair, who were averaging a combined 15.4 points per game, totaled 43 points between them on 17-of-29 shooting against Utah.
Of that scoring tally, 27 of the points came in the second half as Memphis erased a 12-point halftime deficit.
The depleted Grizzlies dressed just nine players vs. the Jazz, and all of them scored nine or more points.
“It just shows our depth. We’ve got a lot of guys that can go out there and score the ball,” Jackson said. “Not only score, we can play defense, get rebounds, if we need to dish it out. Whatever you need, we’ve got it.”
Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo likes the energy he is seeing from his players lately, especially in dire circumstances.
“It’s been a long road trip,” he said of the current stretch of just one home game over a three-week span. “But our team’s togetherness and the vibes have been great overall.”
Meanwhile, the Heat — who are 16-11 at home — got standout guard Tyler Herro back from the injured list on Friday night as he scored a game-high 24 points in 23 minutes off the bench during a 128-97 road win over the Atlanta Hawks.
Herro, who had missed 15 straight games due to three fractured ribs, played on Friday with a flak jacket, which gave him extra padding on his torso.
“I look like a football player almost out there,” said Herro, who shot 9 of 14 from the floor and made 2 of 4 3-point attempts on Friday. “Ultimately, I just want to feel safe.”
Earlier in the week, Herro appeared to be frustrated with his long absence.
“There’s nothing I can magically do to fix my ribs,” he said. “My ribs were in a lot of pain. Just doing normal lifestyle things, I couldn’t do it, so there’s no way I could play basketball (with that pain).”
After the win at Atlanta, though, Herro said he “felt good.” That bodes well for the Heat as they hope to add his production onto what they’re getting from Norman Powell, Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins. That quartet combined to score 69 points on Friday.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said it was “encouraging” to have Herro back.
“We know how competitive he is and we know how much he wants to be out there,” Spoelstra said. “We’ve never forgotten about the talent that he brings. He changes our dynamic quite a bit. … When we have everyone available, we look different.”
