The Memphis Grizzlies and the visiting Detroit Pistons find themselves trending in different directions ahead of Monday’s game.
After starting the season 3-2, the Grizzlies have lost two straight and they suspended star point guard Ja Morant for Sunday’s game in Toronto for conduct detrimental to the team following Friday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Morant is expected to return against the Pistons, who are gathering early-season momentum.
Detroit has won two straight and is benefiting from the developing tandem of big man Jalen Duren and Cade Cunningham. In Saturday night’s 122-110 victory over Dallas in Mexico City, Duren scored a career-high 33 points on 13-of-16 shooting, and Cunningham had 21 points and a career-high-tying 18 assists with three steals.
The last Piston to put together a 20-point, 18-assist, three-steal game was Isiah Thomas in 1986. Seven of Cunningham’s assists went to Duren.
Duren is averaging 17.8 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 63.8%. Cunningham has dished 28 assists with only one turnover during the two-game win streak.
Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff was impressed with the effort he got from Duren, who played college basketball at Memphis under Penny Hardaway.
“(It was) domination,” Bickerstaff said. “He was phenomenal. He was putting pressure on the rim. He ran the floor. He scored in a bunch of different ways, he worked the offensive boards and he dominated the interior.”
Cunningham said Duren was so unstoppable that it made Cunningham’s job “look easy.”
“He’s such a beast, he makes me look good,” Cunningham said. “I always say that running the break with JD is the easiest job in the world.”
As for the injury-depleted Grizzlies, they need a healthy and committed Morant. He was 3-of-14 shooting in the team’s loss to the Lakers on Friday. He also was 0-for-6 from deep and is only 5-of-32 shooting (15.6%) from 3-point range this season.
Memphis coach Tuomas Iisalo would not address a specific reason for Morant’s suspension when he spoke Sunday, although it’s all but certainly due to a postgame locker room spat followed by Morant’s postgame comments after Friday’s game when he repeatedly told media members to “go ask the coaching staff” when asked about his performance issues.
“The organization made the decision that aligns with our standards,” Iisalo said. “We look forward to Ja rejoining the team and moving on.”
Without Morant, the Grizzlies fell 117-104 at Toronto. Morant’s absence, coupled with injuries to Scotty Pippen Jr. and Ty Jerome, left Memphis without any seasoned ball handlers. Cam Spencer started at point guard against the Raptors.
“We (didn’t) have too many primary ball handlers on the court,” Iisalo said.
Not a regular member of the rotation when the Grizzlies are at full strength, Spencer entered the game averaging 7.7 points. He had four points and four assists and was 1-for-7 shooting in 26 minutes at Toronto. It was his longest stint of the young season.
Memphis received an encouraging outing from Vince Williams Jr., who missed the first five games of the season recovering from a right foot injury. Williams finished with 14 points, three rebounds and two steals in 21 minutes.
The Grizzlies lost back-to-back games for the first time this season, despite 20 points and nine rebounds from Jaren Jackson Jr. and 15 points off the bench from Santi Aldama.
