The Memphis Grizzlies took the court for their second exhibition game of the preseason against the Charlotte Hornets, but they were far from full strength.
Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., GG Jackson, Vince Williams, Brandon Clarke, and Cam Spencer all sat out, sporting plain clothes on the sidelines. Had this been a regular-season game, many of them would likely have played. However, the Grizzlies fell to the Hornets, 119-94.
When asked if a proper evaluation of the team could be made with so many players missing, head coach Taylor Jenkins acknowledged the challenge.
“I definitely think sometimes we’re missing some key ingredients, for sure, which makes it a little bit tougher,” Jenkins said. “But tonight, we didn’t have our pop for sure. We weren’t playing at the pace that we needed to [and] guys that have been training hard just kind of fell flat today.”
Preseason Goals and Scare with Smart
One of the primary goals this preseason has been to gauge the performance of rookie Zach Edey and assess the development of the new offensive system. Memphis is also focused on avoiding any further injuries. The team did have a scare when Marcus Smart had a knee-to-knee collision with a Hornets player in the first half, but he returned to the game later, avoiding a major issue.
Grizzlies Struggle Early, Hornets Take Control
In the first half, the Grizzlies looked sluggish. The Hornets jumped out to a fast start, scoring 35 points in the first quarter, with Brandon Miller contributing 16 points and Tre Mann adding 8 points off the bench. Despite a brief Grizzlies run, Charlotte maintained control and led 62-49 at halftime.
Memphis rallied in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to just 4 points midway through the period. However, Charlotte regained momentum and took an 82-71 lead into the final quarter. The Hornets never let the Grizzlies get close again, and with five minutes remaining, both teams emptied their benches.
Top Performers
Miller led all scorers with 22 points for Charlotte, while Mann added 19 points and Tidjane Salaun chipped in with 13. Desmond Bane paced the Grizzlies with 17 points, while Jay Huff impressed off the bench with 15 points. Jaylen Wells scored 12, and both Santi Aldama and Zach Edey finished with 10 points each.
After the game, Luke Kennard echoed Jenkins’ sentiments about the team’s flat performance, stating,
“I definitely think sometimes we’re missing some key ingredients, for sure, which makes it a little bit tougher. But tonight, we didn’t have our pop for sure. We weren’t playing at the pace that we needed to [and] guys that have been training hard just kind of fell flat today.”
Upcoming Preseason Games
The Grizzlies now head on the road to face the Chicago Bulls and the Indiana Pacers before returning home for their final preseason game against the Miami Heat at FedExForum. The Heat game will tip off at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 18. Memphis will open its regular-season home schedule on Saturday, October 26, against the Orlando Magic.