The Memphis Grizzlies snapped a three-game skid with a 118-102 win in Toronto on Monday night, and four things stood out, according to a breakdown published by Yahoo Sports.
First, Ty Jerome took over in the third quarter. Every lead change and tie came before halftime, and Memphis never trailed after the break. Jerome scored 10 of his 27 points in the third, including a 30-foot pull-up 3 and a 27-foot step-back right after Toronto cut the lead to 78-74. Jerome entered the game third in the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring, according to team notes.
Second, rookie Cameron Boozer bounced back from a rough week. He had gone 11 of 39 from the field across the three losses, including a 2-of-14 night against Oklahoma City. In Toronto he missed all five of his 3-point attempts but went 9 of 11 inside the arc for 22 points, with eight assists. Six of those assists set up 3-pointers. "That's the type of player that I think he can grow into," coach Tuomas Iisalo said. Boozer also had six turnovers.
Third, Toronto-born center Zach Edey was a plus-11 in about 23 minutes in his hometown, finishing with eight points, nine rebounds and a block. After Quinten Post left in the first quarter, Edey was the only center Memphis used. Iisalo said defenders are so worried about Edey that it opens driving lanes for the guards, an impact "you'll only see in the plus-minus column."
Fourth, a patched-together bench outscored Toronto's reserves 44-27. Jerami Grant scored 17 on 6-of-9 shooting, including two corner 3s in the fourth quarter on skip passes from Boozer, and Taylor Hendricks added nine points after barely playing earlier this season. Iisalo praised Grant's veteran presence on a young team.
Memphis is 7-3 and hosts Denver on Wednesday at 7 p.m. CT.
Sources: Yahoo Sports