The Memphis Grizzlies head into the last of four consecutive road games on Wednesday when they visit a Miami Heat team looking to pull out of a recent slump.
Bookending a 109-108 heartbreaker vs. Atlanta last Friday — decided on Dejounte Murray’s 3-pointer in the closing seconds — were a pair of blowout losses for Miami. The Heat dropped a 121-97 decision on Jan. 17 at Toronto, which ended a three-game winning streak, and scored a season low in a 105-87 loss at Orlando on Sunday.
“As long as you’re generating the right type of looks, you can’t just be obsessed with the result, even if it’s a little bit frustrating,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said of the team’s offense. “Then you just grind through it and figure out how to play efficient basketball enough to put yourself into position to win.”
Reigning Eastern Conference champion Miami has excelled at grinding when it comes to slowing opposing offenses. The Heat are allowing 110.7 points per game, the NBA’s fifth-lowest yield through Jan. 22.
However, Miami has scored less than its season average of 110.9 points per game in each of the last six. The Heat are 3-3 in that stretch, and 2-2 in the four games in which they failed to reach 100 points.
Miami added some offense Tuesday when it acquired guard Terry Rozier from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for guard Kyle Lowry and a protected 2027 first-round draft pick.
Rozier, 29, is averaging career highs in points (23.2) and assists (6.6) through 30 starts this season.
In Memphis, Miami hosts the league’s second-lowest scoring offense on the season at 107.8 points per game. The Grizzlies faced struggles with former All-NBA honoree Ja Morant serving a 25-game suspension to start the season, a stretch that included a 108-102 loss to the Heat on Nov. 8.
Memphis went on a four-game winning streak upon Morant’s Dec. 19 return to the lineup, a stretch over which it averaged 118 points per game. The Grizzlies went 6-3 overall in nine games played by Morant, but a shoulder injury requiring surgery shut him down for the season since Jan. 7.
In the eight games since Morant was sidelined, Memphis is 4-4 and scoring 109.6 points per game after a 108-100 win on Monday in Toronto.
The victory was the Grizzlies’ first on their current road trip, fueled by Jaren Jackson Jr.’s 27 points and a career-best six steals and Vince Williams Jr.’s first career double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds.
“Our offense is going to be wonky at times,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said following Monday’s win. “It’s going to be beautiful at times.”
Memphis is dealing with a variety of injuries, resulting in makeshift lineups. Along with Morant, Desmond Bane is out with an ankle sprain; Derrick Rose sustained a hamstring injury and has not played since Jan. 2; and Marcus Smart has not played since Jan. 9 due to a finger injury.
Miami, meanwhile, has been without Jaime Jaquez Jr. for four games, and Spoelstra told reporters there is no timetable for the rookie’s return from a groin injury. He is listed as doubtful for Wednesday’s game.
Jaquez broke into the starting lineup on Dec. 20, and started every game since Jan. 1. He scored in double figures every game since the start of the new year and averaged 15.7 points through his last appearance on Jan. 14.
His 14 points per game for the season are Miami’s most behind only the trio of Tyler Herro (22 points per game), Bam Adebayo (21.5) and Jimmy Butler (21.1).
–Field Level Media