Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins and Brooklyn Nets coach Jordi Fernandez experienced differing feelings about the performances of their respective teams over the weekend.
Jenkins was pleased with the Grizzlies after they did a little bit of everything in their win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Fernandez was displeased with many aspects of Brooklyn’s fourth loss of the season.
Jenkins and the Grizzlies attempt to earn a third straight win while the Nets look to shake off a difficult performance when the teams get together in Brooklyn on Monday for the second time in less than a week.
The Nets earned a 119-106 win in Memphis on Wednesday but since then the Grizzlies produced their best two defensive showings of the opening weeks despite the absences of Desmond Bane (oblique) and Marcus Smart (ankle). They cruised to a 122-99 rout of the Milwaukee Bucks a night after falling to the Nets. Memphis followed that with its 124-107 win at Philadelphia on Saturday.
The Grizzlies led by as many as 25 and outscored the 76ers 70-34 in the paint. The Grizzlies also shot a season-best 55.2 percent.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 27 points four nights after torching the Nets for 30. Jay Huff added 20 points while Ja Morant finished with 18 points and 12 assists for his fifth double-double this season.
“Having contributions up and down the roster, whether it’s double-doubles or not, just guys filling the stat sheet and the winning plays,” Jenkins said. “It’s not about scoring, it’s about the rebounds, the steals, the blocked shots, the assists. That’s the stuff that I’m focused on and it was a great road win and we just got to continue to build on it.”
The Nets did not have many bright spots in their 106-92 home loss to the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. Fernandez watched his team allow the Pistons to shoot 68.8 percent in the paint and also endured his team getting outrebounded 47-27.
It was the fifth time the Nets were outrebounded so far but in each of the previous instances, the difference was no more than four.
Besides the rebounding issues, the Nets were held to their fewest points this season after averaging 118.3 in their first six games. Brooklyn shot 45.1 percent but finished a season-worst 29 percent (9-of-31) from 3-point range and set a season worst by going 19-of-31 (61.3 percent) from the free-throw line.
“This is a game that we all have to look ourselves in the mirror, watch film. I’m going to help with ‘don’t do this again,'” Fernandez said after his team was outscored 54-35 in the second half. “Thirty-one threes to 20 mid-range shots is pretty awful. So we just don’t want to do that.”
Cameron Johnson led the Nets with a season-high 26 points but scored 22 of those in the first half. Cam Thomas was held to 17 points and shot 6 of 17 after averaging 28.2 in Brooklyn’s opening six games.
The Nets will attempt to regroup from their rough showing with a different lineup.
Ben Simmons is unlikely to play the second night of the back-to-back set after having back surgery in March.
Nic Claxton, who missed the preseason with a hamstring injury and has yet to start, also could be out on the second part of the back-to-back after he missed 8 of 12 free throws Sunday.
