Even without their best player, the Memphis Grizzlies easily demolished the Utah Jazz Tuesday night at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, thanks in large part to their outside shooting.
In fact, the Ja Morant-less Grizzlies set a new NBA record in their 140-103 victory over the host team.
The Grizzlies had nine different players knocking down at least a couple of threes against the Jazz – the most ever by a team in a single game in the history of the league, according to OptaSTATS.
Vince Williams Jr. paced the Grizzlies in 3-point makes, as he went 3-for-5 from deep. The other eight Grizzlies each had two 3-pointers, including all of the team’s starters.
Overall, Memphis went 20-for-45 from behind the arc for an impressive 44.4 percent success rate from downtown, as Morant watched from the bench. Morant missed his fifth consecutive game because of a hamstring issue.
Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells shoots the ball over Jazz guard Isaiah Collier.Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images
Desmond Bane led all Grizzlies scorers with 21 points, while Jaren Jackson Jr. produced 19 points. Memphis’ backups also had a field day offensively, with three bench players contributing 15 points apiece.
It can be a bit surprising to learn that the Grizzlies were the first team ever in the NBA to pull off such a feat, considering that they are just 20th in the league this season both in terms of 3-point attempt rate and percent of points off of shots made from the 3-point region.
But in any case, the Grizzlies will look to keep it going when they lock horns with the mighty Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday.
Related: Grizzlies Make Ja Morant Announcement After 4 Straight Missed Games