The Memphis Grizzlies, once seen as “Net killers,” seem to have been declawed. Whether that happened when Dillon Brooks [started poking other bears](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/36241210/grizzlies-dillon-brooks-exchanges-words-lakers-lebron-james-poke-bears), their head coaching change, or when they cashed out on Desmond Bane, they’re no long the ferocious, ursine creatures they resembled in the early 2020s.
Still, they were able to rip the Nets up tonight.
In fairness, Brooklyn dosed themselves in honey and bacon grease by going into this one without Michael Porter Jr. With the Nets beginning a back-to-back sequence in Memphis, they opted to rest their offensive savant in today’s matinee. Unrelated or not, there’s [no shortage of trade smoke](http://TOVs start the offense in the first. Cut the lead to six.) around MPJ this week as well.
Danny Wolf, making his third career start, filled in for him aside the usual opening five, but Porter Jr.’s absence was immediately felt. Brooklyn’s first shot of the game was a Noah Clowney air-ball, which only indicated how the offense would fair minus its leading scorer. Shooting just 9-25 on field goals to begin the game, the Nets trailed by as many as 16 in the opening period.
For Memphis, Cedric Coward was anything but timid, spraying the Nets with 13 first quarter points after shooting 5-6 from the field. The Grizzlies did well dictating the game’s pace early, surely helped by Brooklyn’s bevy of misses which invited the Memphis offense to push against a un-set defense.
To keep things from falling into blowout territory early, the Nets needed a few unlikely heroes to step up, and Nolan Traoré was first to the call. The Brooklyn Bugatti was assertive looking to touch the paint and create for others. He made a big at a “giant slayer” badge to close the first quarter as well.
By all accounts, Traoré and Day’Ron Sharpe were best part of the first half for the Nets. They looked comfortable operating around each other as pick-and-roll dance partners and momentarily slowed the Memphis offense. By halftime, Sharpe pitched in eight points, seven rebounds, a steal, a block, and an assist in eight minutes of play.
But he and Traoré were also joined by Tyrese Martin, who fielded nine first quarter minutes after riding bench all of last week. Martin even the Nets at half with 11 points after going a perfect 3-3 from deep. He also came up with two steals, helping the Nets secure 15 points off turnovers, and get their deficit down to six points early in the second.
Alas, Memphis managed to pump the lead back up to double digits by halftime, still shooting better than Brooklyn from the field and three while also earning a +6 rebounding advantage.
But the Nets would make another bid for the lead early in the third. They did with the same thing that’s gotten them a handful of victories, or at least moral ones, over the past few weeks: their defense.
Brooklyn began the third on 14-6 run which made it a three point game roughly halfway through the period. Rotating with greater precision and poise, the Nets subjected Memphis to a 3-11 start from the field and 0-5 from deep. In the process, Wolf found a second him in the corner, canning two triples from there in the period. His second tied the game up at the 6:20 point of the third.
Wolf also made a few plays at the defensive end, clawing at the ball and making extra efforts to coral rebounds, to slow the once speedy Memphis offense. In the period, he grabbed eight points on 3-6 shooting, along with a steal an three boards.
Jalen Wilson, who also rejoined the rotation with the Nets shorthanded tonight, hit a triple soon after to give the Nets a one point lead with 2:20 to go in the frame, but a scoring recoil in favor of Memphis put them back in front by three entering the fourth.
There, Sharpe and Traoré continued to feed off each other, making effort plays at both ends of the floor…
However, Cam Thomas, who only had two points before it, had the highlight of the period, hitting from near-logo range to maintain pressure. Thomas ended up with seven points in the fourth to give him nine for the game while shooting 4-11 from the field.
A few minutes later, Wilson again gave the Nets the lead, hitting on a catch-and-release three following a cross-court dime from Traoré. The Nets eventually went up 98-90 with around two to play before back-t0-back threes from Cam Spencer and Coward, and a weight-room take from Santi Aldama over Clowney, knotted things up again.
Coward, still fearless, then hit another with the Net defense out of sync following two straight offensive rebounds from Jock Landale.
The Nets had extra shots as well. With the ball and down three, the Nets got two looks for Clowney after Wolf’s offensive rebound, but he failed to connect on either of them. Clowney hoisted a career-high 15 attempts from deep, but probably could have done with at least one less. Not only did he go 4-15 from the game, but during the last one, he also had Danny Wolf open at the top of the key for a better look at a possible equalizer.
Instead, he found the side of the backboard, and on Memphis’ next possession, Landale found the ball before any Nets on the defensive glass, essentially giving his team the win only 11 seconds to play at that point. They closed the game on a 13-0 run.
**Final: Memphis Grizzlies 103, Brooklyn Nets 98**
The Nets will stay on the road to complete their seventh back-to-back season against Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks. While they may have three more wins to their name, including one over Brooklyn already this year, it’s hard to find a team having a rockier season than the Mavs. We’ll see if the Nets can add further insult to injury Monday at 8:30 p.m. EST.