Grizzlies Grind Out Win Against Spurs, Surging Suns Up Tonight.

Colin Rafferty –

Your Memphis Grizzlies get off the schneid with a hard-fought win against the number 2 team in the West, the San Antonio Spurs 106-105.

Sweet, sweet victory, yeah!

It was a wild night inside FedEx Forum last night as Victor Wembanyama and company came into town and got all they could handle from the Grizzlies.

Cam Spencer, take a bow, was the deciding factor in the final minutes of the game. He hit a huge three-pointer to bring them within 1 with 1:26 left to play, 104-105.

After securing an offensive rebound, Cam got the ball dribbled around, got a mismatch on Luke Kornet, took him to the base line and drilled the shot to go up 1 with 37.3 seconds left in the game.

The Forum erupted, it was a playoffs like eruption, the fans felt like they were back in the days of beating the dominate Spurs with a 94-91 win with Z-Bo and the boys.

The game wasn’t over yet, it was sealed with a Santi Aldama block on De’Aaron Fox from about 14 feet out with 5.2 left on the clock, Cam rebounded and the place went nuts.

It felt like a huge sigh of relief came from not only the fans, but the players too. After dropping the last 4 games, mostly in the fourth quarter, the Grizz were able to grind out a win, just like in the old days.

The Grizzlies had 5 guys reach double digit points, with Cam Spencer and Jaren Jackson Jr. leading the way with 21 points each. Jaren, Santi, and Jock Landale were a rebound away from having a double-double, Jock finished with 19 pts, Santi with 10 pts.

And Vince Williams Jr. came back and immediately went 4-5 from three, adding 15 pts, 6 rebs, and 5 assists.

Jock Landale played great last night, there is no two ways about it. He was crashing the boards, getting deep in the post, and hitting some well-timed three pointers. He really looks like he is starting to fit in, and the guys look like they enjoy playing with him.

Once this team gets fully healthy, they could be a fun to watch.

It was a full team effort, one that was able to overcome the sloppy play they had most of the game. Despite having 23 total turnovers, the Grizz dominated the Spurs in rebounding (61-50).

Victor Wembanyama finished his night with 30 pts, 5 reb, and 3 assist. He is a freak, and I mean that in the most respectful way.

Nobody his height should be able to move and have the soft touch that this monster has, it’s literally unfair. He is a head taller than everyone else and moves like a guard, shoots like a guard, and can finish around the rim in Ja Morant type fashion.

He was worth going to see.

The Spurs were helped by Champagnie who dropped 23 pts, 8 reb, and 3 assists. Stephon Castle added 15 pts, 8 reb, and 4 assists before fouling out with about 3 minutes left in the game. That was a massive loss for the Spurs and a huge point in the favor of the Grizzlies being able to win.

The crowd for most of the night felt like they were on pins and needles, but when there was a no-call on a Jaylen Wells shot at the rim, the crowd came alive and from that point out was engaged in every big play.

I have made a lot of comments about head coach Tuomas Iisalo, but last night he made the right decision to put Vince Williams back out there and finish the game with him. Vince played well and was integral to them being in the game and winning.

He capped off his night by running down the court and hanging on the rim as time ticked off, with Santi holding the ball.

This team has some fight in them, and they will need it again tonight. The seventh seed Phoenix Suns come into town to play the second of a back-to-back.

The Suns come into the game after a loss to the Houston Rockets on Monday, Kevin Durant hit a game winning 3-pointer. The Suns are one of the best defensive teams and are top ten in point differential, this is in large part to the energy a guy like Dillon Brooks brings.

Dillon was last seen at a Grizzlies game when the Grizz were in Washinton D.C. taking on the Wizards, he arrived a day earlier than his team to watch his former team end up losing.

Maybe he was doing some scouting, or maybe he still has an affinity for the team that drafted him and made into the player he would be now known as, “Dillon the Villian.”

The Suns are 7-3 in their last 10 games, with wins over the Thunder and Lakers during that stretch. Most notably against the Thunder as Dillon was able to get into the head of SGA.

The Grizzlies are feeling good after last night and he will want to put an end to that. Devon Booker is another guy that likes to beat the Grizz, he has averaged 25.3 pts, 5.3 assists, and 3.7 rebounds in his career against Memphis: 28 pts last February and 32 pts earlier this season.

The Grizzlies won the last contest 114-113 on a Ja Morant shot with about 7 seconds left. He finished with 28 pts, 8 reb, 7 assists in Phoenix. Santi and Cedric added 14 pts, and Jaren had 18.

This was at the beginning of the year and was one of the few times the Grizzlies were above .500 (3-2). They took care of the ball, out rebounded the Suns, and had more points in the paint.

This game will obviously look different, but hopefully the Grizz can get back Ja Morant tonight. This is the second of a 4-game home stretch, and the Thunder are coming into town Friday.

I would like to see him come in tonight, so he is not cold going into that game, but who knows what the medical staff thinks ever.

According to ESPN Cedric Coward and Ja Morant are listed as Game Time Decisions. That would be incredible if Cedric just tweaked his ankle and it wasn’t as bad as I initially thought. Ja listed as GTD is awesome too, get some more guys healthy and stay healthy.

This could be a very pivotal moment for the Grizz, they just proved they can play with a top team and win close, they look to get some guys back soon, and they aren’t fully out of the playoff picture.

Sure, maybe the top of the play-in is more likely, but even then, you’ll have a better shot at making something happen if you do get a top seed in the play-in.

Last night was fun, but the work isn’t done yet and the Grizzlies know that.

Tip-off is at 7 PM CST inside FedEx Forum, go get your tickets now to cheer on the Grizz. Be loud, be proud, and don’t forget to wear the bear.