Despite being severely undermanned, the Memphis Grizzlies still managed to overpower the Miami Heat, emerging victorious with a 105-96 win during Wednesday’s NBA action.
Vince Williams Jr. led the charge with a career-high 25 points, and GG Jackson contributed a notable 17 points from the bench. The Grizzlies, dealing with the absence of nine players due to injuries, maintained the lead throughout the second half and disrupted Terry Rozier’s debut with Miami.
Scotty Pippen Jr. and Jaren Jackson Jr. each added 15 points to Memphis’ tally, while John Konchar secured a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins praised his team’s resilience and spirit despite the challenges posed by injuries and roster changes.
“Just be authentic to who you are, understand the reality and every single day I think our group’s maintained a great spirit,” Jenkins said. “I think our staff, coaching staff, performance, medical team, everyone’s dealing with a lot right now trying to navigate the injuries and guys being in and out.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier, Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies Updates
Tyler Herro was the top scorer for the Heat with 18 points, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Miami’s fourth consecutive loss, marking their second such streak this season. Bam Adebayo had an all-around performance with 15 points, 15 rebounds, six assists, and six blocks. Jimmy Butler and Caleb Martin each scored 15 points, and Rozier, newly acquired from Charlotte, contributed nine points on 3-for-11 shooting.
Rozier acknowledged the challenges of adjusting to a new team but expressed confidence in fitting into the Heat culture and contributing, especially on defense.
“We know things are not going to be perfect right away,” Rozier said. “You see the assessment of the team and see how things are going. But I feel like I fit the Heat culture and I’m coming right in to pick things up on the defensive side and let everything else take care of itself. We’re all basketball players, so we’ll figure it out.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier, Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies Updates
Memphis, missing key players like Ja Morant and Steven Adams for the season, displayed adaptability with its 25th different starting lineup in 44 games. The combined salary of the starting five is around $35 million, mostly attributed to Jaren Jackson Jr., who struggled with his shooting.
Nevertheless, Memphis managed to maintain their lead, bolstered by GG Jackson’s 3-pointer in the first half and a significant advantage in bench scoring and points from 3-pointers. Miami attempted a comeback, narrowing the gap to two points in the final minutes, but the Grizzlies closed the game with a 7-0 run.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier, Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies Updates
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra described the period as a “funky” time in the NBA season, noting uncharacteristic offensive plays from his team.
“It’s just one of these periods of time in an NBA season that’s funky,” Spoelstra said. “I can’t even explain it. … There were a lot of uncharacteristic plays offensively.”
Looking ahead, the Grizzlies will host the Orlando Magic on Friday, while the Heat will face the Boston Celtics on Thursday.
