And, here I was…thinking the days of “Grit and Grind” were over. After a couple of tense, high-pressure play-in games just to get the #8 seed, the Memphis Grizzlies came out and stunned the Utah Jazz 112-109 in their own building in Game 1 of their best-of-seven with the NBA’s top overall seed. They did it with that physical, gutsy style that we used to see Tony Allen and Zach Randolph win games with. They really threw the Jazz off their rhythm early, and ultimately, by the time they got a little somethin’ somethin’ going, it was too little, too late. Now, it’s obviously worth mentioning that the Jazz were down their All-Star stud Donovan Mitchell, who is still struggling to get back to action after spraining his ankle. And, it helps when the defensive stalwart, Rudy Gobert, fouls out in the 4th quarter. But, let’s be real – even while considering those facts, the young Grizzlies were still a major underdog going into this game. Chief among the reasons the Grizzlies were able to pull off the upset was the play of young stud Dillon Brooks, who absolutely put on a show, made Grizzlies history, and joined some of the all-time Grizzlies greats in the 30+ playoff club.
DILLON BROOKS put on a show in his Playoff debut
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) May 24, 2021
31 PTS, 7 REB, 2 STL, 2 BLK
Franchise record for most PTS in a playoff debut
4th player in franchise history to score 30+ in a playoff game (Z-Bo, Marc Gasol, Mike Conley) pic.twitter.com/rNensi1wCk
It was unbelievable – for a certain stretch of the game, it was as if Brooks could not be stopped. He was intercepting passes, batting ’em down, hitting threes, driving through traffic, and everything he put in the air seemed to fall through the net. For you sports psychologists out there looking for examples of someone getting “in the zone” to study, this is the quintessential case of being in the zone. He was a menace to the Utah Jazz, and that crowd was not happy about it. Ja Morant gets a lot of love from the national media, and rightfully so…I mean, this is his team. But, there are some foundational type pieces there in Memphis, and Dillon Brooks is one of them (along with Jaren Jackson, Jr. and Jonas Valanciunas). Morant had a bit of a slow start to last night’s game, and couldn’t seem to get a shot to fall. But, in the 4th quarter, when it counted most, he dialed up the aggression, sliced and diced that Jazz defense, and put his beautiful floater on display.
Keep in mind that this Grizzlies team is young – they’re the 2nd youngest team in the NBA. If they can keep this core group of guys together, this team is going to be scary good in a couple of years with a few more offseasons to stockpile talent around them, something this regime has shown they’re fully capable of doing well. I thought going into this series that if the Grizzlies were able to steal one game from the Jazz, that I’d be happy with that. That’s a healthy trajectory for this young team. But, now – they’ve stolen the first game in Salt Lake City and have control of the series. Why stop now? We’ll see how this team stacks up against a healthy Donovan Mitchell and a Rudy Gobert that isn’t struggling with foul trouble from the jump. Game 2 tips off Wednesday night at *woof* 9PM CST from Salt Lake City.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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