Ja Morant wants Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to come to Memphis for a playoff game. Will the point guard have to flip the former wrestler’s NBA allegiance?

The 20-year-old might not be the best at unpacking, but during his journey to adulthood in Memphis, the rookie has transformed into a useful bench weapon for the Grizzlies. 

Jaren Jackson Jr. led with 28 points, and Kyle Anderson provided the big shot, but the Grizzlies lost traction in OT.

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Box score: Jazz 121, Grizzlies 115 (OT)

April 5, 2022: The Utah Jazz defeat the Memphis Grizzlies at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City.

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Grizzlies tie game in heroic fashion, fall in OT to Utah

If the team’s recent good luck and good management hold up, then the Grizzlies’ rock-solid foundation might make “this could be our year” a realistic, recurring mantra for the next decade. 

Ja Morant, Killian Tillie and Tyrell Terry will all miss Tuesday’s game against the Jazz. Dillon Brooks is doubtful. But Steven Adams, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. will all return.

Ja Morant is nearing the end of his evaluation period for his knee injury. “He’s doing well,” said Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins.

The Grizzlies were missing four starters, all their point guards and (by halftime) their head coach. But they beat the best team in the NBA anyway. How did they do it? The same way they’ve won so many games this season. With irrepressible (and irresistible!) joy.

April 1, 2022: The Memphis Grizzlies defeat the Phoenix Suns at FedExForum.

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Villain energy: Grizzlies bench takes down NBA-best Suns in stunner

Dillon Brooks, the only usual starter to play, led the team’s inspired performance, which included a Santi Aldama sequence that sent the Grizzlies into a frenzy.

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Box score: Grizzlies 122, Suns 114

Few if any NBA players have defended both more and better than Jaren Jackson Jr. this season. 

The Grizzlies need three victories to break the franchise record for single-season wins with five games remaining.

The goal now is to be playing the best basketball possible as they wait for Ja Morant to return from injury and look to the playoffs. 

Taylor Jenkins won’t take credit, but his peers and mentors believe everything he has accomplished with the Grizzlies thus far has been “spectacular.”

March 30, 3022: The Memphis Grizzlies defeat the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center in San Antonio.

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Grizzlies survive at buzzer vs. Spurs, clinch No. 2 seed in West

The last shot from San Antonio’s Keldon Johnson went wide, and the Grizzlies win their first Southwest Division title in team history.

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Box score: Grizzlies 112, Spurs 111

Two common observations are that this success is a tribute to the quality of the roster and also that the team has been fortunate Morant’s absences have aligned with weaker stretches of the schedule.

Two years ago, Andre Iguodala declined to report to the Memphis Grizzlies after a trade. Now they have essentially clinched the No. 2 seed in the West. So what did Dillon Brooks have to say to him after the Grizzlies smashed the Warriors? 

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Calkins: Remember the kid Ja stared down? The one in the Warriors jersey? He’s a Grizzlies fan now.

March 28, 2022: The Memphis Grizzlies defeat the Golden State Warriors at FedExForum.

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Grizzlies blast Warriors, close in on No. 2 seed

Golden State came to Memphis and showed what the typical team looks like without its best players. Memphis showed the Warriors that it doesn’t have to be that way. 

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Box score: Grizzlies 123, Warriors 95

After the Grizzlies beat the Warriors in January, Ja Morant stared down a kid in a Golden State jersey. The kid is Maddox Hehn, 8, from Nashville. He was back at FedExForum Monday night. But he sure looked different this time around.

The Grizzlies forward will join star point guard Ja Morant on the bench. The Warriors are missing Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson.

“Not to be a total buzzkill here, but clearly this game isn’t the mega-showdown we thought it was going to be.”

When De’Anthony Melton is hot from 3-point range, the record shows it means great things for the Grizzlies.

The Memphis Grizzlies, one of the youngest NBA teams this season, just beat two of the league’s biggest stars in a span of four days, and with their own best player unavailable both times.