The Grizzlies built a 19-point halftime cushion with two commanding quarters and a balanced scoring attack.
On Saturday night, Memphis took a 73-54 halftime lead over Brooklyn, pouring in 38 points in the first quarter and 33 more in the second. The Nets answered with 31 in the second after scoring 23 in the opener, but Memphis still won both quarters and stretched its advantage to 19. Cam Spencer and Javon Small each scored 13 for the Grizzlies, while Cedric Coward added 12 points and seven rebounds; Julius Randle led Brooklyn with 12 points. Memphis entered 8-4 and ranked 10th in the power index, compared with Brooklyn’s 3-8 record and 23rd-place rank, and the Nets need to slow the Grizzlies’ scoring after the break to make this competitive.
Key Performers
Cam Spencer (Memphis): 13 points, 4 assists, 3-for-3 from three Javon Small (Memphis): 13 points, 3-for-4 from three Cedric Coward (Memphis): 12 points, 7 rebounds, 4-for-5 from three