Tony Allen was on hand to watch the Grizzlies welcome back Mike Conley. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)
A standing ovation for “The Conductor” Mike Conley. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)
Old friends. Mike Conley gets love from former running buddy Tony Allen. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)
Mike Conley makes his entrance.
Starting guard for the Utah Jazz: Mike Conley! (Photo: Warren Roseborough)
Past meets present as Ja Morant goes up over Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)
Jeff Green also now plays for the Utah Jazz. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)
Ja Morant gets rejected. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)
Ja Morant is relentless attacking the basket. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)
Ja Morant leans in for the score. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)
Jaren Jackson Jr. for the jam. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)
Morant over Conley. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)
Jae Crowder passes out of coverage. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)
Ja Morant went behind the back for this nifty lay in. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)
Jonas Valanciunas with the pick of Mike Conley as Ja Morant turns the corner. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)
Ja Morant vs. Donovan Mitchell. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)
A packed FedExForum. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)
Winning is great! (Photo: Warren Roseborough)
Dillon Brooks celebrates the win over the Utah Jazz. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)
Beale Street Flippers! (Photo: Warren Roseborough)
Brandon Clark at the rim. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)
Grizzlies fans got everything they wanted Friday night. Longtime followers of the franchise wanted to see and play tribute to Grizzlies great Mike Conley Jr., who was traded to the Utah Jazz over the summer as the Grizzlies finally jettisoned the last remaining link to the “Grit N’ Grind” era. Even Tony Allen was on the Grizzlies bench for Conley’s return.
But make no mistake: Fans, players, coaches all wanted the win. And it took a Ja Morant bucket at the end and a key defensive stop to get it, but the Grizzlies got the W and now sport a shiny three-game winning streak.
Morant was spectacular, as always. He led the Grizzlies in scoring with 25 points, adding eight assists and four rebounds in the win. But he also delivered at least three highlight plays, including a breakaway dunk, an alley-oop dunk on his running buddy Jaren Jackson Jr. (you have to see it) and a nifty behind the back scoop lay-in.
Check out my coverage of the game, including the Three-Point Play, Coach Taylor Jenkins’ postgame conference, as well as postgame video of Conley, Jackson and more . . .