<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-tuomas-iisalo-refreshes-desmond-bane-ja-morant-two-man-game-amid-nba-playoffs-push-point-guard-duty');   ga('set', 'title', 'Grizzlies’ Tuomas Iisalo refreshes Desmond Bane, Ja Morant roles amid NBA Playoffs push');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Grizzlies-news-Tuomas-Iisalo-refreshes-Desmond-Bane-Ja-Morant-two-man-game-amid-NBA-Playoffs-push.jpg"></figure><h1>Grizzlies’ Tuomas Iisalo refreshes Desmond Bane, Ja Morant roles amid NBA Playoffs push</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-01T19:18:53-07:00">April 1st, 7:18pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-01T19:18:53-07:00">April 1st, 7:18pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Memphis Grizzlies</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With time running out before the NBA Playoffs begin, Tuomas Iisalo is putting his stamp on the team’s offense, reimagining how stars <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-desmond-bane-finds-secret-sauce-success-ja-morant-out">Ja Morant and Desmond Bane share the table-setting, point guard duties</a>. In just a few days since taking over the<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-tuomas-iisalo-unfazed-slip-ups-amid-start-losses-lakers-celtics"> struggling, quickly slipping Memphis Grizzlies</a>, Iisalo has already reshaped how Bane and Morant initiate offense by emphasizing fluid, interconnected actions rather than predictable isolations. The early returns of the collaborative attack process have been promising.</p><p>Ja Morant (32.9 minutes, 24 points, 7.5 assists, 7 rebounds) and Desmond Bane (32.2 minutes, 20.5 points, 4.5 assists, 3 rebounds) are being allowed to play more minutes under the new coach. Iisalo’s system prioritizes continuous movement, forcing defenses to scramble rather than settle, and it seems the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-ja-morant-accepts-blames-credits-desmond-bane-will-to-win">Grizzlies are going heavy on their backcourt barrage.</a> Morant, one of the league’s most dynamic playmakers, has thrived as both a scorer and facilitator within the structure, while Bane has expanded his playmaking duties to go along with some elite shooting.</p><p>In the March 31 loss to the Boston Celtics, Iisalo showcased his vision early. On the game’s opening play, Bane brought the ball up the floor, Morant executed an Iverson cut to receive a pass, and a subsequent action freed Bane for an open three-pointer. Iisalo elaborated on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yqjc3FhePxc&amp;t=131s" rel="noopener">philosophy behind the sequence</a> while telling ClutchPoints why things might look a little different and be more equitable when comparing backcourt Usage Rates.</p><p>“I think every good offensive basketball (concept), you have the player actions and they compound instead of my turn, your turn, which is easily what happens if you have players who are skilled on-ball players,” Iisalo stated. “One guy takes a turn, then the other one. We want to try to facilitate situations where one guy can create a small advantage that can then be transferred to a bigger advantage because they’re late for the next action.”</p><p>“What you saw on the first play was one example of that,” continued Iisalo. “The placement of the players was for that specific interaction. We also ran other ones, but the basic idea remains that if you want to play winning collective team basketball offensively, the actions must build on each other and there’s hopefully a kind of a momentum that builds within the possession that leads to better and better quality shots and I thought we had good examples of that today.”</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ja-Morant-Desmond-Bane-Grizzlies.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>There are a few things beyond backcourt duties that Tuomas Iisalo is aiming to improve so the Grizzlies can close out the regular season on a high note. Clear, quick, and concise communication is at the top of the list.</p><p>“The one thing that I think I could’ve done a better job of is verbalizing (adjustments) in the fourth quarter,” Iisalo admitted. “I didn’t think we created enough penetration because (the Celtics) were staying close to their defensive matchups. Maybe if we would have given that feedback earlier to look to punch through the defense and collapse it, we would not only have had these inside-out three-point shots, but also a better opportunity to offensive rebound after first disorganizing (the defense).”</p><p>With the playoffs looming, the Grizzlies’ revamped offense and Tuomas Iisalo’s willingness to adjust could make them a tougher out than their record suggests. If Ja Morant and Desmond Bane continue to flourish in their expanded roles, Memphis may have unlocked a new gear just in time.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Grizzlies’ Tuomas Iisalo refreshes Desmond Bane, Ja Morant roles amid NBA Playoffs push

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-desmond-bane-truth-bomb-memphis-decision-fire-taylor-jenkins');   ga('set', 'title', 'Desmond Bane drops truth bomb on Grizzlies’ decision to fire Taylor Jenkins');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Desmond-Bane-drops-truth-bomb-on-Memphis-decision-to-fire-Taylor-Jenkins.jpg"></figure><h1>Desmond Bane drops truth bomb on Grizzlies’ decision to fire Taylor Jenkins</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-31T11:45:36-07:00">March 31st, 11:45am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-31T11:45:36-07:00">March 31st, 11:45am</time><address><a>Ryan Bologna</a>Ryan Bologna is an author at ClutchPoints. He studied journalism and communication at UConn.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Memphis Grizzlies</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-gm-breaks-silence-on-shocking-taylor-jenkins-firing">Memphis Grizzlies made a surprising move to fire Taylor Jenkins</a>, despite the team firmly being in a playoff spot, and the playoffs approaching in the near future, and Desmond Bane said that he feels <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1906766715511337201" rel="noopener">some personal responsibility</a> for the result.</p><p>“It’s on us for sure,” Desmond Bane said, via Avery Braxton of ABC 24 Memphis. “You know, we’re the five players out there. Coach didn’t shoot one shot all season. He didn’t guard anybody. He gives us a great gameplan and we didn’t execute it to the level we needed to, so lot of times coaches and other people end up taking the fall, but ultimately, it’s on the players.”</p><p>https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1906766715511337201</p><p>Despite being 44-30 at the moment, good enough for fifth in the Western Conference, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-ja-morant-shares-tough-admission-shocking-taylor-jenkins-firing">Grizzlies felt that they needed a change</a>. The team is very talented, having arguably the deepest rotation in the NBA. This is not the first surprise firing of a coach in the NBA this season, as the Sacramento Kings fired Mike Brown as the team struggled in the early going. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of Jenkins’ dismissal, however, was that it came so close to playoff time.</p><p>The Grizzlies have just eight games left in the regular season, with huge matchups remaining against the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets. All of those matchups have direct implications for the seeding in the Western Conference playoff picture. This is without mentioning the games against the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons, two Eastern Conference playoff teams.</p><p>It will be interesting to see how Bane and the Grizzlies perform down the stretch, and if there is any sort of bump in performance ahead of and going into the playoffs. The young group of players has shown much promise in recent years, but is looking to make a real deep run.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Desmond Bane drops truth bomb on Grizzlies’ decision to fire Taylor Jenkins

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/memphis-grizzlies/nba-rumors-what-desmond-bane-santi-aldama-said-during-heated-exchange');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: What Desmond Bane, Santi Aldama said during recent heated exchange');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/What-Desmond-Bane-Santi-Aldama-said-during-recent-heated-exchange.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: What Desmond Bane, Santi Aldama said during recent heated exchange</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-29T13:02:26-07:00">March 29th, 1:02pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-29T15:28:29-07:00">March 29th, 3:28pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Memphis Grizzlies</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Memphis Grizzlies’ turbulent week extended beyond the sidelines as details emerged surrounding a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-desmond-bane-shoves-santi-aldama-bench-heated-moment-jazz">heated exchange between teammates Desmond Bane and Santi Aldama</a> during the team’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-weathered-storm-amid-late-season-swoon-ja-morant-jaren-jackson-jr-desmond-bane">140-103 blowout win over the Utah Jazz</a> on Tuesday.</p><p>The incident, which took place during a timeout, was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6239543/2025/03/28/why-did-taylor-jenkins-get-fired-grizzlies/" rel="noopener">brought to light</a> in a recent report by The Athletic’s Sam Amick, Fred Katz, and Joe Vardon. According to a league source who witnessed the interaction first hand, the altercation stemmed from a disagreement over defensive effort.</p><p>Bane, visibly frustrated, confronted Aldama during the huddle.</p><p>“Are you gonna f—ing guard anybody?” he shouted.</p><p>Aldama quickly responded, “F— you,” prompting Bane to escalate the confrontation by shoving Aldama toward the bench and shouting back, “No, f— you. Play harder.”</p><p>The exchange did not appear to impact the Grizzlies’ performance on the court. Memphis cruised to a dominant 37-point victory, with Bane leading the way. The fifth-year guard finished with 21 points, six assists, four rebounds, one steal, and one block while shooting 8-of-16 from the field.</p><h2><b>Desmond Bane, Santi Aldama exchange underscores Grizzlies’ internal strain</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Santi-Aldama-7-forward-Jaren-Jackson-Jr.-13-guard-Ja-Morant-12-guard-Desmond-Bane-22-and-forward-Jaylen-Wells-0-huddle.jpg"><figcaption>© Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Tensions have reportedly been building within the Grizzlies’ locker room, culminating in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-gm-breaks-silence-on-shocking-taylor-jenkins-firing">Friday’s decision to dismiss head coach Taylor Jenkins</a>. Jenkins, who had served in the role since 2019, led Memphis to the playoffs in three separate seasons and became the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-kendrick-perkins-gets-real-on-memphis-taylor-jenkins-firing">franchise’s all-time wins leader</a> earlier this year.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/nba-rumors-ja-morant-hates-grizzlies-offense-under-new-hc-tuomas-iisalo">organization appointed Tuomas Iisalo as interim head coach</a> as the Grizzlies prepare for the final stretch of the regular season.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/is-ja-morant-playing-tonight-grizzlies-vs-lakers-injury-report">Memphis enters the weekend with a 44-29 record, tied with the Los Angeles Lakers</a> for the fourth seed in the Western Conference. The two teams are set to face off Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. ET in a game with significant postseason implications.</p><p>While internal disputes such as the one involving Bane and Aldama are not uncommon in high-pressure environments, the timing of the confrontation underscores the volatility surrounding the franchise in recent days. With the coaching change and playoff positioning on the line, the Grizzlies are looking to stabilize both on and off the court.</p><p>Aldama, 24, is in his fourth NBA season and has emerged as a key rotation piece. He is averaging 12.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 48.5% from the field and 37.1% from three-point range across 57 appearances, including 16 starts.</p><p>Bane, 26, remains one of Memphis’ most reliable contributors and vocal leaders. Through 61 games this season, he is averaging 18.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.2 steals while shooting 48.1% from the field and 38.5% from beyond the arc.</p><p>With nine games remaining, Memphis will look to regroup and finish the regular season strong under Iisalo’s guidance. Internal unity will likely be a critical factor as the team navigates a competitive Western Conference field.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: What Desmond Bane, Santi Aldama said during recent heated exchange

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-weathered-storm-amid-late-season-swoon-ja-morant-jaren-jackson-jr-desmond-bane');   ga('set', 'title', 'How Grizzlies, Desmond Bane ‘weathered the storm’ amid late-season swoon');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/How-Grizzlies-weathered-the-storm-vs.-Jazz-amid-late-season-swoon.jpg"></figure><h1>How Grizzlies, Desmond Bane ‘weathered the storm’ amid late-season swoon</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-26T16:15:39-07:00">March 26th, 4:15pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-26T16:15:39-07:00">March 26th, 4:15pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Memphis Grizzlies</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-desmond-bane-shoves-santi-aldama-bench-heated-moment-jazz">feisty, in-fighting Memphis Grizzlies</a> shook off a sluggish start to dominate the Utah Jazz (140-103),  snapping a three-game losing streak. Desmond Bane (21 points, four rebounds, six assists, one steal, one block) led by example and even sparked up a heated conversation with Santi Aldama after Jaren Jackson Jr. went to the locker room. Still, Taylor Jenkins praised his team’s ability to stay the course after falling behind early, crediting a third-quarter defensive surge that sparked a runaway win.</p><p>Jenkins was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7_YW16CEuI" rel="noopener">visibly relieved and quick to the punch</a> (68-second interview) afterwards, knowing full well these Grizzlies (44-28) need more urgency from the opening tip.</p><p>“Yeah, obviously a great start by the Jazz. They were firing on all cylinders in that first quarter and into the start of the second quarter,” Jenkins began. “We didn’t have the resistance or physically we needed in their pick-and-rolls. A lot of easy shots for them, but I’m glad we weathered the storm.”</p><p>Desmond Bane and defense deserve most of the credit.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Desmond-Bane-Grizzlies.jpg"><figcaption>Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Jazz (16-57) capitalized early on some defensive lapses, but the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-ja-morant-taylor-jenkins-missing-one-ingredient-complete-recipe-success-western-conference-nba-playoffs">misfiring Grizzlies found their footing</a> a few minutes before halftime. Once the momentum turned, there was no looking back. In fact, Jaren Jackson Jr. never needed to return after taking a shot to the face.</p><p>“We are getting what we needed on the offensive side even though we’re missing a couple shots,” Jenkins noted,  “but we made a great run at the end of the second quarter. Then it was just our resistance and physicality on defense. In the third quarter, (those) were so much better. That allowed us to get out (in transition), and our fast break numbers were better. We ended up with 38 assists. We were just playing with a different level of energy because our defense sparked us.”</p><p>“Heck of the third quarter. Guys bounced back. A number of guys were knocking down multiple threes. The ball movement, the collective play were just on a much better level,” added Jenkins. “It all started with the defense.”</p><p>As for which particular aspect of the defense was dialed up, well, it was noticeable everywhere to the coaching staff. The shutout on second-chance points was particularly notable against a Jazz team featuring the towering Kessler, underscoring the visitor’s dominance on the boards.</p><p>“I thought our point of attack defense was better. Our rotations were better, and we started blocking some shots. We limited them from a second chance point standpoint. I mean, zero (second chance points). That’s a huge factor when we talk about Walker Kessler and a lot of these physical wings and guards,” Jenkins said. “So overall, the defense set a tone for us late in the second quarter and the rest of the game. Luckily, our offense benefitted from it.”</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Ja-Morant-Jaren-Jackson-Jr.-Desmond-Bane-Grizzlies-1.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The unselfish play was a stark contrast to recent losses that had threatened their first-round home-court advantage seeding in the Western Conference. The win offered a glimmer of hope as Memphis aims to regain its early-season form ahead of the playoffs. “Weathered the storm” might be the phrase that defines this season given the injuries and inconsistent play over the past 70 games.</p><p>Memphis is 11-19 against over .500 teams and 33-9 against losing records. That is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-desmond-bane-finds-secret-sauce-success-ja-morant-out">not the groove the Grizzlies want to be stuck in</a> as the NBA Playoffs begin. Perhaps Desmond Bane’s dustup with Santi Aldama was just part of cleaning up the unforced errors and slow starts that have plagued this season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

How Grizzlies, Desmond Bane ‘weathered the storm’ amid late-season swoon

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-desmond-bane-shoves-santi-aldama-bench-heated-moment-jazz');   ga('set', 'title', 'Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane shoves Santi Aldama to the bench in heated moment vs. Jazz');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Grizzlies-news-Desmond-Bane-shoves-Santi-Aldama-to-the-bench-in-heated-moment-vs.jpg"></figure><h1>Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane shoves Santi Aldama to the bench in heated moment vs. Jazz</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-25T23:52:17-07:00">March 25th, 11:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-26T07:57:58-07:00">March 26th, 7:57am</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>Rexwell Villas is an experienced sports writer covering a variety of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. He's a Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, and he claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Memphis Grizzlies</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting/grizzlies-jazz-prediction-odds-pick-spread-3-25-2025">Memphis Grizzlies took care of business Tuesday night</a> against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center but not before a heated moment took place on the winning team’s bench during a break in the contest.</p><p>While the Grizzlies were on a huddle, Desmond Bane and Santi Aldama got into a confrontation that led to the former shoving the latter to the bench. Aldama immediately got back up on his feet as the two seemingly continued to jaw at each other while the others on the team tried to pacify the situation.</p><p>It’s unclear what caused the commotion, but it’s probably because of something that happened on the court.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bane and Aldama beefing 👀</p><p>Lock in and that 5th seed is ours 🔥<br> <a href="https://t.co/mIA6U0yyCr">pic.twitter.com/mIA6U0yyCr</a></p><p>— LoonMuse (@KevonLooneyMuse) <a href="https://twitter.com/KevonLooneyMuse/status/1904773507839373360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>In any case, the Grizzlies had a walk in the park versus the Jazz in Salt Lake City. Memphis finally snapped a three-game losing skid by taking their frustrations out on Utah with Bane and company coming away with a 140-103 victory.</p><p>Bane led the Grizzlies with 21 points on 8-for-16 shooting from the field to go with six assists, four rebounds, a steal and a block in 30 minutes. Aldama, on the other hand, produced nine points on 3-for-7 shooting with five rebounds and three assists in 23 minutes of action.</p><p>As a team, Memphis dominated for most of the game against the Jazz. The Grizzlies dominated the possession battle, ending up with 20 more field-goal attempts than Utah while also shooting 53.1 percent from the floor to just 43.6 percent by the Jazz.</p><p>The Grizzlies hit 20 of their 45 attempts from behind the arc but also did plenty of damage inside. They scored 64 points in the shaded area, double the production of the Jazz in that space.</p><p>Memphis did all of that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-desmond-bane-finds-secret-sauce-success-ja-morant-out">without the services of star point guard Ja Morant</a>, who missed his fifth game in a row because of a hamstring injury. The Grizzlies improved to 44-28 after the win over Utah. They are <a href="https://www.espn.ph/nba/standings" rel="noopener">fourth in the Western Conference standings</a> and just half a game behind the No. 3 Denver Nuggets.</p><p>Memphis, however, will have a tough assignment ahead as the Grizzlies are scheduled to face the top seed in the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road on Thursday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane shoves Santi Aldama to the bench in heated moment vs. Jazz

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-desmond-bane-finds-secret-sauce-success-ja-morant-out');   ga('set', 'title', 'Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane finds secret sauce to success with Ja Morant out');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Grizzlies-Desmond-Bane-finds-secret-sauce-to-success-with-Ja-Morant-out.jpg"></figure><h1>Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane finds secret sauce to success with Ja Morant out</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-25T12:21:00-07:00">March 25th, 12:21pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-25T12:21:00-07:00">March 25th, 12:21pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Memphis Grizzlies</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-where-jaren-jackson-jr-zach-edey-getting-bullied-2025">Memphis Grizzlies need to flip the script</a> for the NBA regular-season stretch run, especially with Ja Morant (hamstring/shoulder) nursing multiple injuries. With Jaren Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama still knocking off rust related to their respective stints on the sidelines, Taylor Jenkins has enough data to trust Desmond Bane with the keys to the offense. Generating drive and kick opportunities while protecting the ball and spacing the floor is the TCU alum’s specialty, and Morant could use the extra space to surprise defenses with off-ball actions.</p><p>Desmond Bane is averaging 18.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game (31.7 minutes) with a 22.6% Usage Rate. The TCU alum is shooting 48.6% from the field and 39.1% from beyond the arc. Ja Morant is posting 22.3 points, 7.4 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game (30 minutes) on 44.9% shooting (29.1% 3PA). The two-time All-Star’s usage rate sits at 30.7% this season. Taylor Jenkins needs to find a way for the backcourt’s burden to be shared more equitably.</p><p>Morant’s cutting, slashing, and pick-and-roll diet should keep defenses guessing while cutting down on the on-ball hits. Either can push the ball and the stats back that up. They are practically tied in fast-break points (3.8 to 3.7) this season. However, Bane’s 6-foot-5, 215-pound frame is better accustomed to being a bruising, table-setting bowling ball right now. His pull-up game (based on percentage of points from the midrange) is far better (9.3 to 6) as well.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Ja-Morant-Jaren-Jackson-Jr.-Desmond-Bane-Grizzlies-1.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-ja-morant-taylor-jenkins-missing-one-ingredient-complete-recipe-success-western-conference-nba-playoffs">Grizzlies need everyone’s offense to hit a high note</a> as the NBA Playoffs loom, too. Morant (67.8% of field goals unassisted) is going alone far too oftenthough, or not finding help as everyone waits around for a highlight. The turnover percentages expose that flaw well (37.3% to 25.3%).</p><p>Fortunately, Bane’s drive and kick game has been the perfect sauce to spread the love this season. He is <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/ball-handler?dir=A&amp;sort=TEAM_ABBREVIATION" rel="noopener">almost 23 percentile points better</a> than Morant as a pick-and-roll ball handler. The Grizzlies also has more efficient, successful shot creating possessions (48.9% to 46.4% EFG) and cut the turnovers almost in half (20.7 to 11.6).</p><p>Bane’s drives end with a higher field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and pass percentage with far fewer mistakes. Morant has a better assist percentage (36.2%) than Bane (23.7%), but the former has a superior assist-to-turnover ratio (2.14 to 1.99). The turnover ratio (12.1 to 9.2), Effective Field Goal Percentage (56.5% to 49.4%), and True Shooting (60.1% to 56%) stats favor Bane as well. Even with a lower usage rate, Bane averages almost eight more passes per game.</p><p>That kind of chemistry-building ball sharing becoming contagious before the NBA Playoffs begin is a priority. Lineups with Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. but missing Ja Morant have been above average. The same applies when swapping Morant and Jackson Jr. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-giving-away-free-points-western-conference-foes-nba-playoffs-ja-morant">Grizzlies can do more than tread water</a> while one All-Star gets a break as Bane runs the show. Adding Santi Aldama to the Bane-Jackson Jr. pairing leads to good things as well, so Morant does not need to rush back from injury.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Jaren-Jackson-Jr.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Jaren Jackson Jr. (27.9% Usage Rate) leads the Grizzlies at 22.4 points per game, but those rebounding (5.7) and assists (2.1) stats are depressing the 27-year-old’s All-NBA votes. The big man should focus more on clearing the boards, hitting those trailing three-pointers (36.5%), and grabbing those second-chance points in the paint.</p><p>There will be playmaking opportunities within the offense without acting as the primary ball handler early in the shot clock. Taking players off the dribble is not the best use of the 6-foot-11 Defensive Player of the Year candidate’s energy or skill set.</p><p>Taylor Jenkins and the Grizzlies are running out of time to see what Desmond Bane can do as the primary ball handler for 25 minutes per game. With about 10% of the regular season remaining, it’s hard to argue against letting the 26-year-old cook given what has been coming out of his drive and kick kitchen the past six months.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane finds secret sauce to success with Ja Morant out

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-kevin-durant-desmond-bane-go-face-to-face-in-heated-moment-in-suns-grizzlies');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kevin Durant, Desmond Bane go face to face in heated moment in Suns-Grizzlies');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/NBA-news-Kevin-Durant-Desmond-Bane-go-face-to-face-in-heated-moment-in-Suns-Grizzlies.jpg"></figure><h1>Kevin Durant, Desmond Bane go face to face in heated moment in Suns-Grizzlies</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-10T19:50:07-07:00">March 10th, 7:50pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-10T19:54:07-07:00">March 10th, 7:54pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Memphis Grizzlies</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With every game mattering in the grand scheme of this year’s playoff race, the action is bound to get heated. On Monday night, that’s exactly <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/phoenix-suns/suns-news-kevin-durant-skip-bayless-semi-retired-claim">what happened to the Phoenix Suns and Memphis Grizzlies</a>, a game that finished 120-118 in favor of the latter, when Kevin Durant and Desmond Bane exchanged some words in what was a truly emotional moment in a tussle between two playoff hopefuls</p><p>In the dying moments of the third quarter, Bane swung the rock to Grizzlies two-way player Cam Spencer to the corner; Spencer promptly made a triple, with Durant not even making much of an effort to close out, and Spencer was definitely feeling himself, talking some smack to the Suns star in the aftermath of the play. Durant, however, didn’t take too kindly to this, and Bane then came to the defense of his teammate — prompting an altercation between Bane and Durant that had them <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1899282037250416771" rel="noopener">going head to head</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>In the aftermath of the fracas, officials called technical fouls on Durant and Spencer, sparing Bane from the hammer of the law in the process. Perhaps this was justified, as it was the exchange between the two that triggered the altercation anyway.</p><p>It takes a lot of stones for anyone to talk trash to Durant; coaches would never instruct their players to poke the bear, but Spencer, a rookie playing in just the 13th game of his NBA career, decided to dish it to the Suns star, who evidently wasn’t all that pleased to hear that kind of talk from the 24-year-old guard.</p><p>And with Spencer playing the best game of his career for a Grizzlies squad looking to maintain its place in the West standings, against a team looking to crash the postseason party no less in the Suns, perhaps it’s best to let the rookie have his moment.</p><h2><b>Grizzlies make life more difficult for the Suns</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Grizzlies-guard-Desmond-Bane-22-drives-to-the-basket-as-Phoenix-Suns-forward-Kevin-Durant-35-defends.jpg"><figcaption>© Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/phoenix-suns/why-suns-season-on-line-mavericks">Suns have been fighting an uphill battle all season long</a>; with the season nearing its end, and the 10th spot in the West standings up for grabs amid the Dallas Mavericks’ downfall, the opportunity for them to compete for a playoff spot looks ripe for the taking.</p><p>However, the Grizzlies, even though they were without Jaren Jackson Jr., managed to defend home court on Monday night and withstand attempts from Kevin Durant at some crunch-time heroics to win their third game in a row. They are still well within striking distance of the two-spot in the conference, and Spencer and Bane had the last laugh.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kevin Durant, Desmond Bane go face to face in heated moment in Suns-Grizzlies

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-taylor-jenkins-sounds-alarm-over-ja-morant-desmond-bane-supporting-cast');   ga('set', 'title', 'Grizzlies’ Taylor Jenkins sounds alarm over Ja Morant, Desmond Bane’s supporting cast');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Grizzlies-Taylor-Jenkins-sounds-alarm-over-Ja-Morant-Desmond-Banes-supporting-cast.jpg"></figure><h1>Grizzlies’ Taylor Jenkins sounds alarm over Ja Morant, Desmond Bane’s supporting cast</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-10T12:49:59-07:00">March 10th, 12:49pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-10T12:49:59-07:00">March 10th, 12:49pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Memphis Grizzlies</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-taylor-jenkins-disagree-ja-morant-kendrick-perkins-hierarchy-hot-take">regrouped Memphis Grizzlies do not have a leadership crisis</a>, contrary to reports from ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins. However, Taylor Jenkins is starting to lose some patience as the NBA Playoffs loom. The faith in the system is unwavering, but the clock is ticking to turn good looks into made shots. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-desmond-bane-got-ja-morant-griddy-again-nba">Ja Morant and Desmond Bane remain the Griddy grooving heartbeat</a> of this team, capable of carrying Memphis to victories even on off nights from three-point range. Yet, their heroics can only mask the team’s three-point shooting woes for so long.</p><p>Jenkins <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yBoKjkJGNE" rel="noopener">not-so-subtly called out</a> the supporting cast and the team’s three-point shooting after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-how-ja-morant-jaren-jackson-jr-desmond-bane-learn-stephen-curry-draymond-green-leadership-blueprint">Ja Morant and Desmond Bane willed the Memphis Grizzlies</a> to a 107-104 last-second road win over the New Orleans Pelicans. The franchise record holder for wins did not mince words either.</p><p>“It’s encouraging that those guys (Ja Morant and Desmond Bane) are rising to the challenge for sure. We definitely need some other guys to make a few more plays,” Jenkins stressed. “Great creation from Des and Ja, I mean, 14 assists from those guys. (With) their scoring, ability to get to the free throw line, rebounds, defensive activity, we just need more guys to play better.”</p><p>Playing better is as simple as making shots. The defensive effort has not waned much during the NBA’s mid-season lull. Tired legs are just a part of the job after playing over 60 games. Great teams find ways to win but the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-tracking-three-troublesome-trends-amid-post-nba-all-star-break-slump-ja-morant-desmond-bane-jaren-jackson-jr">Grizzlies have been falling just short far too often in 2025</a> and it’s starting to take a toll.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Ja-Morant-Desmond-Bane-Grizzlies-unhappy.jpg"><figcaption>Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Memphis made out like bandits in New Orleans. Morant had 32 points, six assists, four rebounds, and three steals; Bane finished with 30 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, two steals. The duo combined to shoot just 5-of-17 from three-point range though. The Grizzlies were 13-49 from three-point range collectively in the Big Easy and the bench unit could barely hit the Mississippi River from beyond the arc.</p><p>It was another datapoint pointing to disaster, another microcosm of a larger issue plaguing the Grizzlies this season: a supporting cast that has not consistently risen to the occasion. Poor shooting in big moments has led to a 12-18 record against over-.500 teams. With the offensive burden disproportionately falling on the star duo, the challenge to the rest of the roster—<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-auditioning-players-feature-nba-playoffs-roles-jaylen-wells-gg-jackson-vince-williams-jr-scotty-pippen-jr">Jaylen Wells, Vince Williams Jr., GG Jackson, and Scotty Pippen Jr. specifically</a>—couldn’t be clearer: step up or risk squandering a once promising season.</p><p>“Obviously, hopefully, we are able to break the lid off of the three-point rim,” Jenkins sighed. “I thought we took exactly what the Pelicans were going to give us tonight with a lot of bodies in the paint, kickouts whether it was offensive rebounds, then drive-kick, and even other opportunities where we made the pass out. But it’s difficult right now. We’re not knocking down shots like we need to and it’s putting a lot of pressure (on Morant and Bane).”</p><p>Forget the bargaining stage of grief or using some mathematical tricks to push the shooting woes under the rug. Jenkins is giving the Grizzlies no room for excuses after more than a few brick-laying blunders have led to bad, one-possession losses this season.</p><p>“The sample size is the sample size. It’s not just a couple of games,” asserted Jenkins. “Guys have been in the rotation. Jaylen, thankfully, broke the lid open in the fourth quarter (vs. New Orleans). I think (Vince Williams Jr.) is getting great looks. (GG Jackson) is getting great looks, Ja has got great looks. I mean, whether it is variance or not, we have got to keep putting the work in.”</p><p>Jenkins’ frustration with the team’s three-point shooting woes is palpable, but so is his belief in the process. The process is better than the recent end-results might suggest as evidenced by the Grizzlies generating good shots. Their accuracy is just slightly off. Sorting that out before the NBA Playoffs begin is on top of the priority list in Memphis.</p><p>“With the type of shots we are getting, I don’t think too many of them are heavily contested,” Jenkins noted. “It’s can we get better rhythm into those shots with our ball movement? I’ll continue to watch that and monitor that, but I feel like a lot of the hockey assists and the assists for three-point attempts are great. It’s exactly what we’ve been practicing. So we’ve just got to keep trusting in that work.”</p><p>“I love that these last two games on the road trip our guys are just super positive throughout,” added Jenkins. “They keep telling each other to just shoot it. That gives me a lot of trust, especially with Ja and Des being our primary creators right now. They have faith in their teammates and are not trying to go away from them. Obviously when they’ve got opportunities to take over, they’ve got to take over.”</p><p>A nailbiting win over the shorthanded Dallas Mavericks (32-33) preceded the win over another NBA Draft Lottery bound also-ran squad in New Orleans (17-48). Next up is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting/suns-vs-grizzlies-prediction-odds-pick-spread-3-10-2025">Kevin Durant’s Phoenix Suns (30-34), another team with an NBA Play-In Tournament ceiling</a> at best. The Grizzlies (40-24) have to shoot their way into a top-four seed and some fourth quarter cushions so Ja Morant and Desmond Bane can keep down the regular season miles.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Grizzlies’ Taylor Jenkins sounds alarm over Ja Morant, Desmond Bane’s supporting cast

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-why-desmond-bane-should-lead-offense-over-ja-morant-taylor-jenkins-jaren-jackson-jr-out-injury-nba-playoffs');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Desmond Bane should lead Grizzlies’ offense over Ja Morant');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Why-Desmond-Bane-should-lead-Grizzlies-offense-over-Ja-Morant.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Desmond Bane should lead Grizzlies’ offense over Ja Morant</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-06T06:58:00-08:00">March 6th, 6:58am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-06T06:58:00-08:00">March 6th, 6:58am</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-jaren-jackson-jr-injury-directly-impacts-grizzlies-desmond-bane-breakout-opportunity-nba-playoffs-race-western-conference">Memphis Grizzlies are starting to feel the pain</a> three-quarters of the way through the 2024-25 NBA season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-how-ja-morant-jaren-jackson-jr-desmond-bane-learn-stephen-curry-draymond-green-leadership-blueprint">Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant are still growing as leaders</a>, but also learning it’s hard to contribute much from the bench. Still, injuries are a part of the job so <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-taylor-jenkins-ja-morant-jaren-jackson-jr-lineup-change-zach-edey">Taylor Jenkins is going to have to tinker with the Grizzlies’ rotations</a> and everyone’s responsibilities as the two All-Stars heal up. Fans will be looking for Desmond Bane to have a breakout amid a mostly under the radar season.</p><p>Desmond Bane taking some ball-handling duties from Ja Morant could help the currently fourth Grizzlies (38-23) finish the season strong. This approach would reduce Morant’s workload, potentially lowering injury risk, and perhaps give the Memphis a more versatile offensive playbook in the postseason. It might also give Bane more opportunities to create some attention-grabbing highlights. Jenkins needs to keep everyone happy after all.</p><p>Given Bane’s proven ability to handle the ball and Morant’s injury history, the 10 following stats make a good case for spreading the ball around more earlier in the shot clock.</p><h2>Grizzlies getting by on ballhandling</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Jaren-Jackson-Jr.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. already have All-Star resumes while Desmond Bane is sometimes overlooked even in Memphis. A look at the numbers suggests the TCU alum deserves some time at the wheel, especially while the other two stars rest. If Morant is out, Bane, Jaylen Wells, and Scotty Pippen Jr. are the only other point guard options.</p><p>Tactically, Wells is needed more as an All-NBA level defender who provides spacing. Pippen Jr., needing to be split up from Bane’s minutes, would get a chance to shine running the second unit. Regardless of availability, Bane (47 games played) has been bullying his way to points more efficiently and more often than Morant (37) all season.</p><ul><li><b>Drives</b></li><li><b>Drives that end in Points (by assists)</b></li><li><b>Field Goal Percentage on Drives</b></li></ul><p>Forget the last-second blip in the loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Taylor Jenkins will trust the entire locker room when it comes to treading water in the Western Conference without Jaren Jackson Jr. That starts with Desmond Bane, who has handled initiation responsibilities well enough to be trusted with the ball a few more times per game even when Ja Morant is healthy.</p><p>The Grizzlies will still <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives?PerMode=PerGame&amp;TeamID=1610612763&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=DRIVES" rel="noopener">get to lean on</a> paint pressure, finding the extra pass, or finishing at the rim. Memphis might even cut down on turnovers while helping Morant, averaging only 20.9 points per game as the focal point, find open lanes to the rim. He seems to prefer finishing drives whereas Bane is 50-50 on the shot-pass scale.</p><ul><li><b>Turnover Rate</b></li><li><b>Passes Made Per Game</b></li><li><b>Pass Percentage from Drives</b></li><li><b>Assists to Turnover Ratio</b></li></ul><p>Bane has been asked to cut, shoot, and finish plays later in the shot clock but still finds a way to keep teammates involved and turnovers down. The Grizzlies should give him more time to work but Jenkins will have to be creative. Sticking Morant in the corner is not a recipe for success. The two have to work in tandem or the minutes need to be split up more often.</p><h2><b>Shooting numbers slightly off</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Ja-Morant-and-Desmond-Bane-celebrate-a-big-play.jpg"><figcaption>© Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Being able to pull up off the dribble and drain a three keeps defenses honest, when those shots go in. Ja Morant is being asked to take more threes and attack less by opponents lately and it’s a problem the Grizzlies must solve soon. Letting Morant get out of focus and catch the ball with a head of steam elsewhere should catch the defense off guard more often than not. Bane is better pulling up with a dribble.</p><ul><li><b>Off the Dribble Effective FG%</b></li><li><b>Off the Dribble FG%</b></li><li><b>Off the Dribble Three Point Shooting</b></li></ul><p>Bane’s off the dribble <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/pullup?TeamID=1610612763&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=PULL_UP_FG3A" rel="noopener">threat is far superior</a> and it shows in both the attempts (157 to 86) and accuracy. Of course, there are reasons besides the height difference that Morant is the lead guard and Bane usually works off the ball. Bane draws fewer fouls than Morant, just for one example. Still, the Grizzlies have got to get out of their comfort zone philosophically if they want to ease back up the standings while Jackson Jr. is out.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Desmond Bane should lead Grizzlies’ offense over Ja Morant

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-jaren-jackson-jr-injury-directly-impacts-grizzlies-desmond-bane-breakout-opportunity-nba-playoffs-race-western-conference');   ga('set', 'title', 'How Jaren Jackson Jr.’s injury impacts Grizzlies, Desmond Bane breakout opportunity');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/How-Jaren-Jackson-Jr.s-injury-impacts-Grizzlies-Desmond-Bane-breakout-opportunity.jpg"></figure><h1>How Jaren Jackson Jr.’s injury impacts Grizzlies, Desmond Bane breakout opportunity</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-05T14:32:49-08:00">March 5th, 2:32pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-05T14:32:49-08:00">March 5th, 2:32pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Memphis Grizzlies</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-taylor-jenkins-ja-morant-jaren-jackson-jr-lineup-change-zach-edey">injury-ravaged Memphis Grizzlies are looking at big lineup changes</a>, again. Ja Morant (shoulder) is day-to-day while NBA Defensive Player of the Year candidate Jaren Jackson Jr. (ankle) is more week-to-week. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-taylor-jenkins-what-greatest-ncaa-march-madness-moments-require-nba-playoffs-high-school-coaching">Taylor Jenkins might love March Madness</a>, but that’s a bit too much bad luck for some FedEx Forum fans to bet on this team’s future. However, Jackson Jr.’s absence will give Desmond Bane a bit more room to break out of a season-long funk before the NBA Playoffs begin.</p><p>For a team that has weathered a storm over the past two seasons, losing Jackson Jr.—who has been a rare constant amid the chaos—<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-12-stats-ja-morant-misfiring-grizzlies-new-offense-taylor-jenkins">threatens to derail Ja Morant’s misfiring Grizzlies</a>. Memphis is now mired in a 3-7 stretch and has <a href="https://www.nba.com/standings" rel="noopener">fallen behind in the race</a> for the Western Conference’s second seed. While Jackson’s injury is undoubtedly a setback, it gives Taylor Jenkins room to experiment with new looks. Bane will be a huge part of whatever happens over the coming weeks, but the hope is to see some improvement on a few career-low numbers.</p><p>Defensively, Bane has the tools to be a solid contributor. While he doesn’t have Jackson’s shot-blocking ability, Bane is a strong, physical defender who can guard multiple positions. Bane guarded Kevin Durant on the last possession to seal a crucial home win over the Phoenix Suns after all.</p><p>Bane’s effort and basketball IQ make him a valuable piece on that end of the floor, and he will need to step up to help mitigate the damage. The Grizzlies will likely rely on Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke to fill the void in the frontcourt, but neither player brings the same combination of shooting and rim protection that Jackson provides. This will force Taylor Jenkins to adjust his schemes, potentially leaning more on big lineups with Bane as the only ballhandler.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Jaren-Jackson-Jr.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Unfortunately, Bane’s last-second ball-off-the-foot blooper led to a buzzer-beating dunk by the Atlanta Hawks. The Grizzlies lost 132-120, their third straight last-shot defeat. The first order of business with Jackson Jr. out is simple: Jenkins has to give Bane (31.2 minutes per game) time to bounce back. The 26-year-old hasn’t spent this much time on the bench watching in years.</p><p>The next is giving Bane (14 attempts per game) the green light to go for any shot. He was averaging more shots as an NBA sophomore. Attacking the basket would be preferred though. Bane is shooting 49% from the field with a rim heavy diet, a career best. His three point shooting (37.8%) has never been worse. It’s still a great mark, but get in rhythm and find some and-one opportunity. Don’t just settle for long shots that bail out the opponent and keep teammates from touching the ball. Pressure the rim and the rest will come.</p><p>Next few games are going to be tough, as both are on ESPN and the Grizzlies (38-23) will be shorthanded. A visit from the Oklahoma City Thunder (50-11) is an expected thumping going by Las Vegas odds. The trip to see the Dallas Mavericks (32-30) should be a bit easier though. A four-game homestand follows, with Memphis hosting the Phoenix Suns (29-33), Utah Jazz (15-46), Cleveland Cavaliers (51-10), and Miami Heat (29-31).</p><p>It hurt everyone when Jaren Jackson Jr., one of the planet’s most reliable defensive anchors, was diagnosed with a Grade 2 left ankle sprain. The locker room knows how much the two-time All-Star works to be great and available in all moments. The front office is biting fingernails too, hoping to have $345 million worth of leverage over the market when Jackson Jr. hits free agency. However, this setback also opens a significant opportunity for Desmond Bane to step into the spotlight.</p><p>In the long run, Jaren Jackson Jr.’s injury could catalyze growth for both Desmond Bane and the Grizzlies as a whole. While the immediate impact is undeniably challenging, the experience gained by other players during this stretch could pay dividends when everyone returns and the team is back at full strength.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

How Jaren Jackson Jr.’s injury impacts Grizzlies, Desmond Bane breakout opportunity

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-desmond-bane-injury-may-cost-him-crucial-knicks-clash');   ga('set', 'title', 'Desmond Bane injury may cost him crucial Grizzlies-Knicks clash');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Grizzlies-news-Desmond-Bane-injury-may-cost-him-crucial-Knicks-clash.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Desmond Bane injury may cost him crucial Grizzlies-Knicks clash</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-28T13:55:01-08:00">February 28th, 1:55pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-28T13:55:01-08:00">February 28th, 1:55pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Memphis Grizzlies</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Memphis Grizzlies (38-20) <a href="https://official.nba.com/nba-injury-report-2024-25-season/" rel="noopener">could be without</a> guard Desmond Bane when they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-jaren-jackson-jr-shares-cold-shoulder-secret-motivating-ja-morant-nba-all-star">host the New York Knicks (38-20) on Friday night</a> at FedExForum. The team has listed Bane as questionable with left groin soreness ahead of the 8:00 p.m. ET tip-off, potentially sidelining him for a key matchup in their five-game homestand.</p><p>Bane last played in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-taylor-jenkins-disagree-ja-morant-kendrick-perkins-hierarchy-hot-take">Memphis’ 151-148 overtime victory against the Phoenix Suns</a> on Tuesday, contributing 25 points, nine assists, three rebounds, and two steals in 43 minutes. His status will likely be determined closer to game time as the Grizzlies assess his condition.</p><p>The 26-year-old guard is in his fifth NBA season and has been a key contributor for Memphis. Through 47 games, he is averaging 18.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 48.9% from the field and 38.3% from three-point range.</p><p><i><b>*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/nba/?irad=356361&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener sponsored">(Get Access | Save $30)</a>*</b></i></p><h2><b>Grizzlies’ potent offense could be without Desmond Bane vs. Knicks</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Desmond-Bane-22-passes-the-ball-as-Phoenix-Suns-guard-Bradley-Beal-3-defends.jpg"><figcaption>© Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Memphis, currently second in the Western Conference, has won 14 of its last 20 games and continues to showcase one of the league’s most dominant offenses. The Grizzlies lead the NBA in scoring, averaging 123.3 points per game, narrowly edging out the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are first in the Eastern Conference at 48-10 while averaging 122.9 points per game. Memphis also holds the seventh-highest offensive rating in the league at 117.8, a testament to their efficiency on that end of the floor.</p><p>On the Knicks’ side, they are dealing with injury concerns of their own. Forward Karl-Anthony Towns has been listed as questionable with left knee patellar tendinopathy after missing the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-new-york-dealt-brutal-injury-blow">Knicks’ 110-105 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers</a>. Towns has been a key offensive presence for New York, and his absence could impact the Knicks’ ability to keep pace with the high-scoring Grizzlies.</p><p>Meanwhile, center <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-mitchell-robinson-set-to-make-injury-return">Mitchell Robinson has been upgraded to questionable for the first time</a> this season after missing the entire 2024-25 campaign up to this point due to offseason ankle surgery. Robinson’s return would provide New York with a significant defensive boost, particularly in protecting the paint against a Memphis team that thrives in transition and inside scoring.</p><p>Both teams sit at 38-20, making this matchup crucial for playoff positioning as the regular season enters its final stretch. The Grizzlies will aim to maintain momentum during their homestand, while the Knicks look to secure a key road victory in the competitive Eastern Conference playoff race.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Desmond Bane injury may cost him crucial Grizzlies-Knicks clash

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-desmond-bane-believes-memphis-leave-ring-worthy-legacy-nba-playoffs-postseason');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Desmond Bane believes Grizzlies can leave a ring-worthy legacy');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Why-Desmond-Bane-believes-Grizzlies-can-leave-a-ring-worthy-legacy.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Desmond Bane believes Grizzlies can leave a ring-worthy legacy</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-27T15:20:51-08:00">February 27th, 3:20pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-27T15:20:51-08:00">February 27th, 3:20pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Memphis Grizzlies</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>A mutual trust between players, coaches, and fans can fuel a plucky underdog’s rise to bona fide contender. For example, the small-market, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-ja-morant-jaren-jackson-jr-desmond-bane-zach-edey-stock-watch-2025-nba-all-star-break-playoffs">homegrown Memphis Grizzlies are watching their stocks rise</a> largely due to a belief in their process. In fact, Desmond Bane didn’t hesitate to a team-wide conviction after a big home win over the Phoenix Suns. According to Bane, these <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-desmond-bane-got-ja-morant-griddy-again-nba">Ja Morant-led Grizzlies have the makings of something extraordinary</a> and <a href="https://x.com/DoingItDodson/status/1895214207119040823" rel="noopener">understand the responsibility</a> that comes with an NBA Finals opportunity.</p><p>“(This team) is special,” Bane asserted. “We are trusted within the organization, trusted here in Memphis around the city. It’s a great honor and responsibility to continue to grow as players and men and represent our organization the right way.”</p><p>Having home court advantage throughout the NBA Playoffs is all but impossible given the Oklahoma City Thunder’s standings cushion. However, the FedEx Forum atmosphere during the overtime win over the Suns will be a big boost later this spring. The frenzy even reminded Bane of the last time the Grizzlies went on a Western Conference Finals run.</p><p>“(The fans and atmosphere) were cool. Nostalgic. Just that joy and the environment in there too. It was a great environment from the fans,” Bane said. “It felt reminiscent of some playoff games we’ve had here in the past. It’s about that time, for sure.”</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Ja-Morant-Jaren-Jackson-Jr.-Desmond-Bane-Grizzlies-1.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Grizzlies are gunning for NBA Finals gold but know what to focus on to close out the regular season on a high note.</p><p>“Sharing the ball. Trying our best not to get stagnant,” Bane stressed. “If we can get rebounds, we can get out and run. When we are doing that, the ball is just flying around and guys are making shots.”</p><p>However, regular season records and rhythm mean nothing in the postseason’s seven-game series setup. Bane believes the fast-paced Grizzlies are ready for the slowed down half-court game in the NBA Playoffs though.</p><p>“When the game slows down, we have a couple different packages. There’s some for (Ja Morant), some for myself, and some for (Jaren Jackson Jr.),” Bane explained. “It was working and we stuck with it. When the time was right, Ja did his thing.”</p><p>The Grizzlies are leaning into Bane’s bully-ball nature. Taylor Jenkins even had the 26-year-old guarding a 36-year-old and still dangerous Kevin Durant for the final plays after all. It was easy to understand why after the game.</p><p>“Coaches, players, teammates, everybody has trust in me. I’ve got trust in myself,” Bane asserted. “I’m looking forward to taking on those type of matchups the rest of the season…I feel confident and comfortable in those situations.”</p><p>Playing a unique offense that sometimes leads to high-scoring back-and-forth games against Western Conference foes. Bane is not worried though. These <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-taylor-jenkins-tackling-difficult-rotational-decisions-nba-regular-season-standings-stretch">Grizzlies are having fun on the job</a>, not grinding away the days in a lethargic locker room.</p><p>“It’s a fun game. We’re over there (in the huddle) after every time out trying to find ways to slow them down and get stops,” Bane said. “But it’s fun. It’s a fun brand of basketball…I think so. I think it’s one that can give us some momentum too. Especially being here at home for a couple more games, it’s going to bring the best out of us.”</p><p>Desmond Bane’s biggest assists might have come off the court though. The Grizzlies are all-smiles given Ja Morant’s newfound, Griddy-dancing joy.</p><p>“That boy blowing kisses to the rim,”  Bane laughed. “It was crazy, just crazy.”</p><p>The Grizzlies can keep the party going by stacking legacy-defining days consistently. For instance, next up at home is the New York Knicks – a team that has not beaten the Thunder, Boston Celtics, or Cleveland Cavaliers. Desmond Bane and Ja Morant need to avenge a 143-106 blowout loss in the Big Apple to be taken seriously by the current skeptics. Then they might let some ‘legacy’ talk slide from a team currently fighting for second place.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Desmond Bane believes Grizzlies can leave a ring-worthy legacy

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-desmond-bane-got-ja-morant-griddy-again-nba');   ga('set', 'title', 'How Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane got Ja Morant to Griddy again');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/How-Grizzlies-Desmond-Bane-got-Ja-Morant-to-Griddy-again.jpg"></figure><h1>How Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane got Ja Morant to Griddy again</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-27T13:53:22-08:00">February 27th, 1:53pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-27T13:53:22-08:00">February 27th, 1:53pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Memphis Grizzlies</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Sometimes the easiest way to coax a friend out of their shell is to do something fun wrong.  Somehow, their fury is funnelled into a new corrective energy and everyone is back on a positive track. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-ja-morant-jaren-jackson-jr-desmond-bane-zach-edey-stock-watch-2025-nba-all-star-break-playoffs">Memphis Grizzlies were grumbling at recent report cards</a> after wrapping up a 1-2 post-NBA All-Star break road trip. Fortunately, Taylor Jenkins and Company were dancing out of the FedEx Forum with a much needed win over the Phoenix Suns to begin a five-game homestand. More importantly, Jaren Jackson Jr.’s jokes and Desmond Bane’s bellowing might have shaken Ja Morant’s Griddy out of a funk.</p><p>If the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-taylor-jenkins-ja-morant-fighting-off-complacency-amid-five-game-homestand">Grizzlies are going to find a groove</a> before the NBA Playoffs begin, Memphis needs their three-piece band of stars singing the same tune. The Grizzlies do not need Morant to necessarily be orchestrating all the music, but the out-of-rhythm All-Star must be on the same page as Bane and Jackson Jr. Thankfully, the nonchalant duo got the no-nonsense 25-year-old to lighten up a bit in a 151-148 win over Kevin Durant’s Suns.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Ja-Morant-Grizzlies-celebrate-Griddy-dance.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Morant’s Call 12 celebration was paired with a get-right Griddy skip as Phoenix looked on helplessly. Bane just offered up a sly grin in the postgame locker room.</p><p>“About time, man,” Bane laughed. “I thought he forgot how to dance…I was just telling him to stay aggressive. Keep shooting and keep attacking and he did.”</p><p>The entire NBA knows it is hard to stop Morant once he gets going. Bane knew to keep pouring fuel on the fire and agitating the starter a bit. Eventually, the engine would <a href="https://twitter.com/DoingItDodson/status/1894615083877101804" rel="noopener">fire up full steam ahead.</a></p><p>“I knew it was coming, it was just a matter of time. He is too good of a player to struggle for the whole game,” Bane said. “He stayed with it and there is nobody else I’d rather have trying to make plays to the stretch.”</p><p>As for that Griddy and getting Ja Morant to smile? Blame Desmond Bane and a recent trip to Disney World.</p><p>“Nah that was just Des,” Morant joked. “We had pretty much back-to-back situations like this, I think the other one was versus the (Orlando Magic) where he was continuing to yell at me. Telling me that the team goes off me and just go be me. In both the Magic game and tonight, I was able to hit some big time shots for us to stay in it.”</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Kevin-Durant-35-handles-the-ball-as-Memphis-Grizzlies-guard-Desmond-Bane-22.jpg"><figcaption>© Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>“So that’s where that Griddy came from,” added Morant. “I don’t know what Des was doing at first. I thought that was what he was trying to do so I just did it too.”</p><p>Desmond Bane might not be the better dancer, but the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-taylor-jenkins-disagree-ja-morant-kendrick-perkins-hierarchy-hot-take">Grizzlies do not do hierarchies.</a> Ja Morant’s moves were good enough despite an 0-8 start from the field against the Suns. Bane’s nine assists to one turnover was great; Ja Jackson Jr. (28 points) was dominant as well. Memphis needs more of that kind of music more often.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

How Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane got Ja Morant to Griddy again

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-donovan-mitchell-admission-desmond-bane-scuffle');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell makes ‘blackout’ admission about Desmond Bane scuffle');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Cavs-news-Donovan-Mitchell-makes-blackout-admission-about-Desmond-Bane-scuffle.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell makes ‘blackout’ admission about Desmond Bane scuffle</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-24T09:41:11-08:00">February 24th, 9:41am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-24T15:01:05-08:00">February 24th, 3:01pm</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Midway through the third quarter on Sunday, Cleveland Cavaliers superstar Donovan Mitchell attacked the rim with his signature explosiveness, a blur of power and precision. He cut hard to his right, attempting a swift between-the-legs dribble.</p><p>But then, things didn’t go according to plan. The ball slipped from his grasp, skipping erratically across the hardwood as the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-donovan-mitchell-knicks-playoff-rivalry">Cavs guard lost his balance and tumbled to the floor</a>.</p><p>A loose ball is an invitation to war.</p><p>Mitchell scrambled, hands outstretched, but Memphis Grizzlies sharpshooter Desmond Bane was already diving in, arms locked in pursuit. Just as Bane reached for control, the Cavs called timeout. The play should have ended. The game should have resumed. But neither Mitchell nor Bane were ready to let go.</p><p>At first, it was just a standoff. A second of silence. Their grips tightened. Muscles tensed. The ball, an unspoken claim to dominance, remained trapped between them. A tug. Then another. Tension snapped like an overstretched wire.</p><p>And suddenly, it was more than a fight for possession. Mitchell yanked. Bane yanked back. Then, the <a href="https://x.com/AmNotEvan/status/1893839145165889657" rel="noopener">bubbling tension erupted</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">During the Cavs-Grizzlies game, Donovan Mitchell and Desmond Bane both received technical fouls for a scrum after a loose ball.</p><p>Ja Morant and Tristan Thompson received technicals for the ensuing scuffle. <a href="https://t.co/KPwxYJoNig">pic.twitter.com/KPwxYJoNig</a></p><p>— ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1893845223584755977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Teammates stormed in, a wave of bodies colliding, crashing into the struggle like a dam breaking under pressure. Shouts ricocheted through the arena, swallowed by the surge of motion.</p><p>Some players in the fray hadn’t even been on the court or hadn’t even been in the immediate play. But now, they were part of something bigger, something boiling over from <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-could-be-without-two-stars-at-home-against-grizzlies">competition into conflict between Cleveland and Memphis</a>.</p><p>For most of the arena, it was a frenzy. But for Cavs guard Ty Jerome, it was nothing more than noise.</p><p>“It was nothing serious,” Jerome said with a shrug after Cleveland’s 129-123 victory. “Neither wanted to give up the ball. Just childish behavior. That’s it.”</p><h2><b>Dustup between Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell, Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane reshaped game’s intensity</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Donovan-Mitchell-and-Desmond-Bane-fight-for-rebound-Cavs-Grizzlies.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>But it wasn’t nothing. It was a moment of reckoning, a surge of intensity that reshaped the battlefield of the game.</p><p>“I don’t even remember what happened after I put my hands up,” Mitchell admitted postgame, smirking. “I kind of black out in those moments. But I knew one thing—I’m too valuable to get thrown out. At the end of the day, the ball was on the floor. I’m not letting it go. He’s not letting it go. That’s all it was. Nothing crazy.”</p><p>The referees disagreed. Once the dust settled, a lengthy review that led to four technical fouls followed. The referees flagged Mitchell, Bane, Ja Morant, and Tristan Thompson for the chaos. Mitchell and Bane started it. However, Morant and Thompson had fueled the eruption, charging into the chaos.</p><p>Thompson, in particular, could face additional discipline if the league determines he left Cleveland’s bench area to engage in the scuffle. And while Thompson was unavailable for comment, Morant made his stance clear.</p><p>“I don’t think guys should have gotten a tech,” Morant said. “That’s my teammate. We were in front of the opposing team’s bench. When you ride for each other, you make sure everybody’s good. That’s just how we do it.”</p><p>Memphis center Zach Edey echoed Morant’s loyalty.</p><p>“I don’t appreciate when people get physical with my teammates,” Edey said, his voice edged with protectiveness. “I’m always going to stand up for my guy. Especially Des. He’s family. Had Thanksgiving with him. I don’t like when people try to pull stuff like that.”</p><p>Asked what, exactly, the Cavs did to provoke such a reaction, Edey’s response was laced with sarcasm. “Just exchanged pleasantries,” he said. “Said hi; asked what’s up; how’s the family?”</p><h2><b>Cleveland found clarity in their dustup with Memphis</b></h2><p>On the sidelines, Cleveland guard Darius Garland, out with a hip contusion, stood alongside Cavs big man Jarrett Allen and Memphis forward Santi Aldama, watching the spectacle unfold with bemused grins.</p><p>But Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson wasn’t laughing. He had been among the first to sprint into the chaos, hands out, trying to restore order. And even after the dust settled, frustration lingered in his voice.</p><p>“I don’t understand,” Atkinson said, shaking his head. “It was a 50-50 ball [and] I don’t know how it got elevated; I guess I did see Ja join the fray. I wish it would have just been left to Don and Desmond and leave it at that. … I did not love that we had extracurricular people come from the perimeter to get involved.”</p><p>Still, in the wake of the confrontation, the Cavs found clarity.</p><p>“I could feel us raise our intensity without losing control,” Atkinson said. “That’s the key—sometimes emotions take over, and you start worrying about the other team, the refs. But we stayed locked in.”</p><p>Cleveland’s intensity helped them win the battle. But the war? That’s far from over.</p><p>Round 2 of Cavs vs. Grizzlies is just weeks away. After this showdown, it won’t just be another game between two teams that don’t like each other. It’ll be another do-or-die, playoff-like battle.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell makes ‘blackout’ admission about Desmond Bane scuffle

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/donovan-mitchell-desmond-bane-nearly-spark-wild-brawl-between-cavs-grizzlies');   ga('set', 'title', 'Donovan Mitchell, Desmond Bane nearly spark wild brawl between Cavs-Grizzlies');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/NBA-news-Donovan-Mitchell-Desmond-Bane-nearly-spark-wild-brawl-during-Grizzlies-Cavaliers.jpg"></figure><h1>Donovan Mitchell, Desmond Bane nearly spark wild brawl between Cavs-Grizzlies</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-23T18:08:35-08:00">February 23rd, 6:08pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-23T18:08:35-08:00">February 23rd, 6:08pm</time><address><a>Lorenzo J Reyna</a>Lorenzo J Reyna has joined ClutchPoints as Associate Editor of NFL &amp; NCAA Football. He's equipped with past experience for both realms through his recent stops at Pro Football Network and Heavy while also writing for 247Sports. His Twitter/X handle is @LJ_Reyna and his Instagram is @lj_zo_rey.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Play between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Memphis Grizzlies halted momentarily for a heated reason. Donovan Mitchell and Desmond Bane nearly came to blows.</p><p>Both fought for the basketball and became tangled up on the floor. They wouldn’t let go of the basketball. The benches eventually cleared on both sides.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Things got heated between Donovan Mitchell and Desmond Bane 👀<a href="https://t.co/rjuXwsrvFo">pic.twitter.com/rjuXwsrvFo</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1893840205548810241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The scuffle took place near the 7:30 mark of the third with the Cavs up 74-71 at their home venue. But Mitchell and Bane weren’t the only players in trouble. Memphis star Ja Morant and the Cavs’ Tristan Thompson also briefly fought.</p><p>Morant and Thompson got slapped with technical fouls. Mitchell and Bane also earned the double tech. Cleveland, meanwhile, led by as many as nine after the brief scuffle.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
18.0	5.8	5.4	0.4	1.2

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
18.0	5.8	5.4	0.4	1.2

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