The Memphis Grizzlies will play their third game during a four-day stretch to start the season when they play their home opener Saturday night against the Orlando Magic.
The Magic also will play for the third time in four days.
Memphis started the season at Salt Lake City on Wednesday and posted a two-point victory over the Utah Jazz. The Grizzlies stayed on the road Friday and dropped a 128-108 decision to the Houston Rockets.
The Grizzlies were without four key rotation players in the first two games, including veteran Jaren Jackson Jr., who is expected to make his debut against the Magic after working his way back from a left hamstring injury he sustained in the team’s initial preseason practice.
After missing most of the 2023-24 season, Ja Morant is off to a strong start for Memphis. The two-time NBA All-Star was limited to nine games last season due to a combination of a suspension and an injury, but he opened this season with 22 points vs. the Jazz and 24 against the Rockets.
Leading 65-59 at halftime, Memphis couldn’t sustain the momentum at Houston. The Grizzlies were outscored 39-18 in the third quarter and did not recover. Being outrebounded 64-43 hampered the Grizzlies.
“Our inability to rebound definitely hurt our ability to get out and get to that pace we played with in that first half,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. “(Houston’s) physicality hurt us. We couldn’t get a rebound.”
The Magic were impressive in their season opener Wednesday at Miami and again at home on Friday in a 116-101 victory over Brooklyn. Orlando led by as many as 32 points in the second half of a 116-97 victory over the Heat. Paolo Banchero had 33 points and 11 rebounds in the convincing win.
In the victory over Brooklyn, Franz Wagner scored 29 points to offset a 4-for-13 shooting performance from the floor by Banchero.
Orlando would like to get consistent contributions from offseason acquisition Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He missed each of his five field-goal attempts (all 3-pointers) at Miami and had one rebound in 25 minutes. He finished with 10 points in 26 minutes against Brooklyn.
The Magic appear to be placing an emphasis on 3-pointers in the early going. They attempted 27 shots from beyond the arc in the opener, a higher-than-average number from a team that ranked last in the league in 3-pointers in 2023-24.
Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley said there’s a method to getting more 3s.
“It’s always going to come down to the process for us,” he said. “We’ve always been a very attacking team. We can find matchups at different places on the floor. It’s about our decision-making.
“So with the guys making the right decision, it tends to fall into guys standing on the perimeter with their feet set (and) open. It’s about our process of getting downhill, attacking early, and playing before the defense gets set. And if you find those 3s, you’ve got to let it fly.”
