NBA LIVE! Memphis Grizzlies vs Atlanta Hawks July 21, 2025 | NBA Showdown Live 2K
with Daniels and it’s Reza Shay in it the small forward and Stan here we’ve got two of the highest scoring teams in the entire NBA yeah Kevin there is firepower everywhere with these two teams so defensively you can’t take away everything but you have to try to take away something limit some things right coach you can’t stop everything on the play not at all you’ve got to pick your poison and decide what you can live with now here’s Jackson. Five on the clock. Here’s Morant. That’s good. And it’s Jackson with the assist that time. And no problem for Morant that close to the hoop. Once he gets inside, he makes it look easy. Young inside, guarded by Mor. It’s deflected outside. Bane down low. Morant looking around. [Applause] The rebound by Young. And now we’ve got some time to check in from the sidelines. You got for us, Da? Well, earlier I spoke with Quinn Snder. Desmond Bane was the topic. Coach was ausive with his praise. He said Bane is a great catch and shoot guy, but they’ll find ways to contribute no matter what. He also said Bane is hard to game plan for, but they’ll do their best not to let him get in rhythm. They will have their hands full tonight, guys. Okay, David, much appreciated. That’s a high percentage look when the D doesn’t fight over the screen. Yeah, it’s certainly worth it to disrupt the offense. Coaches notice that extra effort. Now, here is Young. That one drops for him. Oh, crafty move there by Young finessing his way around the contact. Grizzlies have gone two of three here to start off the game. Outside Bane’s wide open the three-pointer. No good. And here’s Daniels driving inside. Yeah, just solid work on the back end of that play. Yep, you’re right. Finish hard with two hands on that stuff. Now, Morant. And how sweet a play was that? As sweet as it gets. An exquisite pass to set up the powerful alleyoop dunk. Morance against Young. Johnson with a screen on Morance. Young no good. I’m sure he’d like to have that back. That’s a missed opportunity. And with this era of the Atlanta Hawks, Greg, they’ve gone as far as their defense has let them. You look back at their conference finals run in 21, that was the last time they had a top 10 defense. So, scoring’s never been the issue with this core, but defense has been non-existent. Now, here is Young following the miss by John Morant. And timeout is called by Quinn Snider. This will give him a chance to discuss some potential alterations. [Applause] Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] That’s 42. [Applause] Young dishes to Johnson. And it’s Young that time on the assist by Johnson. Nice job capitalizing down there. Young good at probing inside and finding some space. Morant outside in the corner. It’s Bane. Six to shoot. A three-pointer off the mark. And here’s Young. He’ll bring it up for Atlanta. Here’s Reese. The kick out to Young Edy with the rebound. Memphis trailing here. Mor passes to Jackson. Nice fake, but the layup off the mark. Not really what we expected. You know, he wants that one back. It’s stolen. Wells with it. He’s picked up by Reza. It’s Mor in the corner. Come over it. Outside Jackson. Good. And a nice assist from Morant. Oh, quick thinking from Jackson. When he’s rising and firing fast, you know he’s in the zone. Bounce pass Young. Pass to Okongu. Rez with it. A three trains the three-pointer. Both teams running perimeter oriented plays that are working. Well, you know, it’s become a three-point shooting league. Teams shooting a steady diet from outside. Action 59 from the field here in the first. Daniels passes to Johnson offline with his three. Memphis is gone. Just one of four from three-point range here in the first. Up top, Bane. Morant right side. Pass to Jackson, [Music] Bobs it up. Johnson with the block. And there’s the shot clock violation. Couldn’t get the shot off in time. Lever check in for Atlanta. And Memphis also making a switch. Santi Aldamas checked in for Wells. Now here is Young [Music] pass to Okongu [Music] [Applause] and a chance for just a second to check out the scoring breakdown for Atlanta. Well, you know, the analytics guys would tell you a team shouldn’t be taking this many mid-range shots, but clearly they’re shooting them with confidence. Also, they’re getting into the teeth of the defense. Points in the paint, something coaches always love to see. And he knocks down the first one. Both [Applause] free throws good from Okongu. The Grizzlies trail by four. As Diti now here’s Jackson. Memphis moving it around on the Wayne Bane. Overt defending. No good with the triple. The Hawks leading by four. Here is Daniels. Rebounded by Jackson. [Applause] Here’s Elama. He’s covered by Daniels. Moran. That’s for two. It’s in. That’s his third field goal of the game. He’s three for five, guys. That’s just really unstoppable. He poses a ton of matchup problems for whomever he’s facing. Okong Wu kicks to Johnson. Okong Woo with a screen on Jackson. Johnson dishes to Okong Wu. Levert with a wideopen look. The Hawks again can’t hit. The Grizzlies have gone five of 12 from the field since the opening tip. Count that bucket. Great touch there. It’s just so tough to defend a floater like that. Pass to Daniels. Back to Young. Takes it inside. The shots good on the assist by Daniels. Young’s got six points. And on the drive, Young can be so sudden the defense barely gets a chance to react. Outside Bane back to Mor. Down to five on the shot clock. Memphis needs to get off a shot here. Edy can’t hit. And so Young will bring it up for Atlanta. [Music] Back to Levert. [Music] over to the left wing. Now here’s Okong. He’s covered closely. Yeah, you expect him to make those. Good look. Just couldn’t find the mark. Here’s Bane. A beautiful reverse layup. Baines got his second basket of the game. Well, Morance’s acrobatics often get the attention, but his passing is also elite. And you know, Stan, we’ve watched Desmond Bane evolve into a number one option on offense. He’s always been there, but now he really is at the top of the heat. Yeah, he sure is. Look, Kevin, you know, he came into the league as a three-point shooter, and he’s a great one, but he’s developed his game off the dribble, very good mid-range shooter, and he’s strong enough to finish around the rim. Morant passes to Bane. Out to Morant [Applause] outside Jackson. Good. And a nice assist from Morant. Morance got his fourth assist in this one. Highlevel passer even for a point guard. Morant shows the imagination. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snider wants to regroup and go over the strategy. [Music] [Music] Down on the court is your hype spot. Get loud and let them hear you. Who wants a free teaser? You know what to do, right? Yeah. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] [Applause] for the Hawks. Clint Cabella, he’s checked in for Okongu. George Niang comes in for Dyson Daniels. Man subbed in for Young. Brandon Clark, he’s checked in for the Grizzlies. Get open. Get open. Pass to man. [Music] Back to Johnson. Locket six. Nope, not that time. Nothing for two from the field. Memphis leaning. Bane passes to Mor. Inside Clark and it’s Clark with the jam. Quick off the floor and powerful. Clark loves to attack that rim. Levert with it. [Applause] Shooting foul as the whistle blows. He’ll shoot two free throws. Yeah. The defender all over. Guys, what do you think about the offensive approach so far that we’ve seen for the Grizzlies? Well, I have to applaud their ball movement. They’re moving the ball around, finding the best looks they can, and keeping everyone involved. And also, guys, they’re out musling their opponent. The points in the paint are piling up because of that aggressiveness. And the free throw drops for Levert Reza. He’s checked in for Terrence Man. The Grizzlies also making a change. Jackson’s checked in. Levert hits both of them. And the Grizzlies with possession here. And here’s Morant. He’s got six. Memphis moving it around and the layup’s good off the glass. Morance’s got eight. Yeah, I’m amazed at Morance’s ability to take contact and still stay in full control. Capella high post. He’s against Clark. Here’s Rez and it’s good for two. Rez got his second bucket of the night. And guys, they continue to put a lot of pressure on the interior defenders with their work down low to the right side to the inside and it’s Moring. And Levert will bring it up for Atlanta. They trail by one. So they take the lead. Levert’s got his second bucket of the game to go. and got to push Lebert out of that area because he’s very comfortable looking to score from there. Outside Bane. Pass to Aldamo. 56 seconds left to play in the first quarter. Morant passes to Bane. Just two to shoot. Leaps for it. No good from outside. Got the defender off his feet with the pump fake. but couldn’t knock it down with the drive. They get it again. Nang kicks to Levert. Shot clock at six and he gets it to go from the corner. Eight points for him. And how about the playmaking skills of Levert? I like watching this guy break down the D in the pick and roll. Two second difference between shot clock and game clock. Now Morant, he’s got eight on the Wayne B. Good. And a nice assist from Morant. Morance got his sixth assist on the night. Here’s Reese and he was able to put it up in time but doesn’t fall. Harris Lever has been on display for the Hawks. He notched eight points in the quarter and has that terrific basketball instinct on display. We come back right after this. And if you’re just tuning in, it’s been a pretty even game through the first quarter. And what do you guys think about the Hawks here in this one? Yeah, in that first period, they looked to push in transition at every opportunity. Yeah, they gave the other team no time to breathe. Every time they got the ball, they were off to the races. And you see how effective this aggressive mindset can be. So on the floor to begin things for Memphis here in the second quarter. John Jackson is out there with Santi Alama. Then it’s Luke Canar. Then it’s Pippen and it’s Clark in at the five down low. Here’s Reza. It’s good from long rain. Rez got the opening basket here in the second quarter for the Hawks. The Grizzlies trail by three. Pippen outside. Clark sets a screen for Jackson and he can’t answer back. The three-pointer offline shooting at 50% in a decent group. MV in the corner, [Applause] takes a three, but Grizzlies pull it in. Yeah, and he had the D tangled up there with that patented crossover. Just couldn’t convert the finish. Pippen the pass to Canard. Off target from three-point range. The Hawks leading by three. [Music] Porter number two with just over a minute gone. Nang with the ball. No scoring in this one. Rez with it. He’s picked up by Pippet. A nice shot by Levert. And eventually every player GA has to grapple with a realizing they’ve lost a step or two against the young fellas. And sometimes that is a very slow realization. Oh, it it is Kevin. Hopefully by that point it’s less about financial security and more about prolonging the inevitable simply for the love of the game. So it’s Atlanta now following the three from Jiren Jackson. [Applause] And here in the second, two minutes gone by outside. Pippen, puts up a three and it’s Reese with the rebound. Well, you can tell he thinks he should have had that one even harder on him when he’s got a good look like that and it doesn’t go down. And those plays can make a difference in a game like this. Well, you know it’s going to fire up Greg. Everybody on that bench and guys, you cannot allow that in a close game. You have to make it harder than that. Levert with it. He’s picked up by Pippen. [Applause] Now Rez 10 points for him. Inside Jackson on him. Stolen by Jackson. And for those of you just joining us in the second quarter with about three minutes gone by, no good from Clark. And so Levert will bring it up for the Atlanta Hawks in the second quarter. They’ve given up just three points. Now here’s Levert. [Music] Capella with a screen on Pit. Here’s Levert. The shot comes out. Some solid defense there from Jackson. Now Dama passes to Jackson. Here’s Pippen. And another miss by Memphis. The Hawks leading by four. Here’s Levert. And Pippen pulls it down. Memphis has gone one of four from three-point range in the second. Not a whole lot dropping out there for them. Atlanta with the rebound. [Applause] Now here’s Levert. Capella sets a screen for Reese. No good on the triple. The Grizzlies trail by four. And Reza the prototypical size and skill for a wingman. Yeah, he’s got some jelly to his game. handle touch at his size that becomes very tough to contain. Now here’s Levert. Brandon Clark missing his last shot. Capella sets a screen for Reza. Pass the man. It’s Clark with the rebound. When the defense is playing off like that, you want to be able to convert, but that time he just couldn’t get it done. The three Pippen Atlanta with the rebound. Nang’s got his fifth rebound right now in the game to the middle. Here’s Cabela. He trains the turnaround jump shot. Cabela’s got the lead up to six now for the Hawks. And it could have been a foul call on the shot as well. Capella maintains the focus though and finishes. So timeout call here. The first for Memphis. Trying to find some answers offensively. Yeah, they just have to be more patient, less forcing and more passing. All right, fantastic. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Applause] Atlanta making some changes. Aong Woo is checked in for Capella. Young is subbed in for Riza. Then for the Grizzlies. Wells, he’s checked in for Santi Aldama. Bane comes in for Luke Canar. And it’s Morant in for Bippen. [Applause] on the Wayne Bane. Avert defending. Morance against Young. And that one’s good. Morant, if you give him an inch of space, he’s going to make you pay. Atlanta leading by four. Okongu with a screen on Bane. The open shot. Levert. It’s good. That basket. He’s now five for nine. And Levert is playing with such passion on offense. He’s just not afraid to play a big role on that end. Now here’s Morant. He’s got 10. Count that one. And 12 points for John Mor. The Hawks have gone five of 11 from the field since the beginning of the second quarter. Levert against Maine from 20 ft out and it’s going to be out of bounds. The Hawks will retain possession. Johnson, he’s checked in for the Hawks. Daniels comes in for Caris Levert. Santi Aldamas checked in for Memphis. [Applause] Morance against Young. It’s rebounded by Memphis. Wells in the corner. No good on the three. The Hawks leading by four. shot from free throw range and good as it just snugs right down through the net. And I I like the resourcefulness Young brings to the table, taking any shot he can create. Back to Morant. Two free throws coming up and they call the shooting foul. It’s going to go on on Okongu. Memphis shooting their first free throws of this and typically a strength of theirs 79% on the season. That’s good from Morance. Stan, we talk about this every night. So much great young talent coming into the NBA. Is there one player though in particular who right now stands out to you? But I have to say, Kevin, Victor Wimyama, I don’t know that we have ever seen a guy of that size do the things that he does. Now you can say, well, what about Nicola Joic? Well, Nicole Yokovic, first of all, is not Victor Wimbeyan’s size. And then Victor’s handle and his length. The guy’s incredible. He’s going to be the face of the NBA for a long, long time. Here’s Morant following the basket by Trey Young. Outside Jackson pass to Wells. And here is Bane. Six on the shot clock. The Grizzlies with another miss. The Hawks working the ball around. Young with the ball. He’s picked up by Morant. Okong Wu down low. He’s against Clark. The Grizzlies trail by six. Bane finds Jackson. And it’s hard to pick a more electrifying player in the league than John Mor. He explodes off the floor. He’s gone two for two at the line so far. And with a percentage of of 82, he’s been one of their more dependable shooters from the line. That’s good from Morance. And the Hawks making a change here. Rez checked in. [Applause] Both free throws good from Morant. And timeout is called by Quinn Snider. He wants to check in with his team and regroup. [Music] It’s time for you to victory. You know what to do. [Applause] Good. [Music] You need I’m alone. Thank you for all the [Applause] The Hawks leading by four. Pass to Young. [Music] And here is Hoku. Fouled in the act of shooting. Gets the bucket anyway. So a three-point play chance for him. And although he’s smaller, Young willing to battle inside and shows you he can score through contact. We’re talking about Trey Young here, GA. What stands out most about him to you? Well, Kevin, I I’d say just how confident he is, right? He he plays with that unique energy and swagger. You love him if he’s on your team and can’t stand him if he’s playing against you. And that one misses. and Young, a fiery competitor, someone who enjoys getting under the skin of opposing players. Just five to shoot. Loud up there for Justin. Hammers the alleyoop through. Oh, and the lead gets bigger on a ridiculous offensive sequence. That dunk alone would have been spectacular. Never mind it coming at the end of an alleyoop. Now here’s Clark. Steps back. Grant Trey Young grabs the miss. [Applause] Chance there to push it to double digits, but it’s off the mark. Bane kicks to Mor. [Applause] Pass to Clark outside Jackson. [Applause] It’s good. He makes his first shot of the game. And guys, we talk all the time about making the extra pass. Clark there proving how important that concept is. Now, here is Young. 12 points for him. [Applause] It’s rebounded by Memphis. Clark’s got five rebounds tonight. Pass to Mor. [Music] Here’s Clark outside. Bane. Clark sets a screen for Bane and the three off target. And they had some boxed coverage that turned into no coverage. They get the rebound. You know, you can’t be overzealous inside when you guard Young. You got to be better at contesting without fouling. He’s 01 from the line, missing on his first trip in their last contest, guys. He was unconscious from the foul line. That free throw no good. And we’re seeing some big paydays for NBA head coaches these days, Stan. Uh, do you miss it? Do I miss the paychecks? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Payday was always really good in the NBA. No question about that. What about now though? What about now? Well, it’s gone through the roof, but look, the tradeoff is the paydays are big, but there’s not a great deal of job security. Now here’s Morance. 16 points for him. [Applause] The Grizzlies have looked good at the line tonight. They’re perfect in four attempts. Two shots. [Applause] That one is off. And the second free throw. Good. [Applause] And so it’s Atlanta with it. Six-point lead. 149 left in the first half. Reza, misses the three. The Grizzly shooting a lackluster 38% for the game. Struggling so far. And it’s thrown down hard with both hands. Oh, and he went for the two-hander on the slam using some muscle. Some urgency from him there. Sure. Johnson dishes to Young. Edy with the rebound. Ed’s got five rebounds tonight. We’ve got 113 left to play here in the second quarter. And it’s Reza with the rebound. Rez got four rebounds in this game. Here’s Young on the arc. Good on the triple. Young’s got 16. Nice and composed on that three there. Trey giving his fundamentals all of his attention. Here’s Mor number 12 goes in. He’s made seven of 12 now. Well, all of us coaches, we love when you can create looks in close. Young pass to Daniels. to the wing on the left. A wide open look here for Okongu. The shots good on the assist by Daniel. That’s a high percentage look when the D doesn’t fight over the screen. Yeah, it’s certainly worth it to disrupt the offense. Coaches notice that extra effort. Now here’s Wells. Hasn’t made one yet. Trills it from outside. And guys, he’s been a one-man air raid coming at them time and time again. Well, what I love about his three-point shooting is the spacing that he’s adding. It makes things a lot easier for everyone else. Young with the ball. 16 points for him. Okongu with a screen on Morance. And here’s Young from the arc. Trey Young. He’s feeling it tonight and has been the driving force for the Hawks. He got into double digits for the quarter with 10 points total. And now let’s catch up with David Aldridge who’s standing by from the sideline. All right, Dave. Thank you, Kevin. With coach Quinn Snder, Quinn, what has to happen in the second half? Well, we got to keep getting stops and really just make plays. Make plays on the offensive end and be solid defensively. No, no magic. It’s a pretty simple game, right, Coach? Thanks for your time. Back to you, Kevin. Thank you, David. And we’ll be back for the third quarter of action following halftime. director of team to center court and get ready for the man have fun shot. Give me a piece. They’re thinking about the shot. [Applause] One more time. A round of applause for the point. Heat up here. And we’ve got second half action for you. Thus far, a pretty evenly contested game, guys. John Morant has been sensational. His play so far is what fans love about him. He has gone right at the defense time and time again. Yeah, he hasn’t been settling. He’s getting to the rim and that’s him at his best. [Applause] And so Young will bring it up for the Hawks. Four-point game. The front court is Rezush and Johnson. Daniels out there with Young and it’s Okongu in its center. So that’s the lineup for Atlanta. And the great shooters know when they’ve got enough opening to go for the three. I didn’t think it was a bad choice on that possession. Atlanta leading by four to the paint. Here’s Daniels. That’s in coming off the assist from Young. Daniels has got six. Terrific play call to give him a clean look at the rim. That’s how you want to start the second half. Yeah, I like how they’re establishing their interior presence right away. That’s going to collapse the defense and create other opportunities. Now, here’s Morance. High effort play by Moran. He refuses to let the foul stop him from getting the shot. The Grizzlies shooting their seventh and eighth free throw attempts for the game right here. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots [Applause] and the first one drops. Both free throws good from Morant. The Hawks leading by four. And for those of you turning in, we’re about a minute into the second half. [Applause] The Grizzly shooting 40% from the field. [Music] Bane looking around. Lock at six. Pass to Jackson. Over Johnson. Rebound Atlanta. Right around a minute and a half play here in the third quarter. And that one’s good. Reza Shane, that’s inexcusable defense right there. You got to contest the shot better than that. Young against Morant. Now Bane launches a three and again Memphis no good. A bit of pride at stake trying to get that last three ball back but couldn’t get it. And Johnson with the stop. Oh taking it to the rack with power hammering down the two hand slam. They’ve been struggling here on offense. Yeah, bit of a dry spell for sure. Here’s Morance and he uses the glass on the lane. Morance’s got 22. And what a show Morant is putting on. Every time he touches the ball, you feel like he’s going to score. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snider. And coach has decided they need a moment to talk things over. Yo, one heat. Heat. Heat. Yes, [Applause] Just under two and a half minutes into the third quarter now and so Young will bring it up for the Atlanta Hawks. Johnson with a screen on Morant and foul on the shot. So he’ll get a chance at the line. So clever at creating contact. Young looks to shoot it so often which really forces defenders to overcommit at times. He’s off on the first. And he’s good on the second. A touch over two and a half minutes of basketball played here in the third quarter. Morant outside. Atlanta with the rebound. Okcons now got doubledigit rebounds now in the game. And Johnson with the stop. Oh, and the lead gets bigger on a ridiculous offensive sequence. That dunk alone would have been spectacular. Never mind it coming at the end of an alley. Now here’s Wells still without a basket. Payne for three. Score the basket. His fifth of the game. He’s missed six shots against those five makes. Well, those go down for him in his sleep. Just under three and a half minutes played here in the third quarter. As Rezach tried to answer back, but that three is off the mark. The Grizzlies trail by seven. Now Wells. Payton for three. Atlanta with the rebound. Johnson’s got his fourth rebound with that last one here tonight. Here’s Daniels. Solid play in the low block. And that one’s good. Daniels has got eight points. Now here’s Morant. He’s got 22. Out of bounds. It’ll go to the Hawks. The latest now from our sideline reporter, David Aldridge. David, it’s all yours. Take it away, Kevin. Thanks. A move that likely helped the league’s parody has been shortening max contract leagues. Commissioner Silver says, “We used to refer to it as dead money. A star player toward those end years sitting on the bench. We’ve reduced max contracts to 5 years and in some cases six. This way, it moves to more pay for performance.” Kevin, I think DA that’s a pretty good business decision. It’s going to have nice ramifications. And every year, and Greg, we agree, Bane seems to get better and better as a playmaker. Doesn’t overdo anything with his passing. Looks more and more comfortable creating off the drive and kick. He’s become a large part of this offensive engine. And here’s Young following John Mor’s three. And it’s Reese Shay missing. pass to Wells. [Music] And it’s Reza with the rebound. Rez has got five rebounds tonight. Young Pastor Carter and contact on the shot. So he’ll be shooting free throws here. Zack Edi picks one up. Yeah, good job to take it right at the deep. For Atlanta, they have shot 67% from the line going six of nine. And the first one at the line is good. Both free throws good from Okongu. [Applause] The Grizzlies trail by eight. And here’s Morant. 25 points in the game. Outside for Jackson. No good from outside. Atlanta has gone one of four in three-point shots here in the third. Pass to Johnson. Here’s Reese. 13 points in the game from deep. Six to shoot. Atlanta again missing. He just doesn’t look like himself this quarter. Something’s missing. Yeah. And sometimes guys just start pressing. The best thing for him is to just slow it down and concentrate on solid shot selection. Here’s Young after the basket by Jiren Jackson. Pass to Rezache. Wells grabs the miss. The Grizzlies trail by six. Out to the right wing outside. Bane fires the three. Johnson with the rebound. Johnson’s got his fifth rebound right now in the game. [Applause] Pass to Rezach. Traps in the tray. 16 points for Rez and so it’s Memphis with it. They’ve been looking out of sync offensively. Yeah, their offense has ground to a standstill. And that one’s good. Morant not to be outstaged. Morant saying right back at you. The Hawks leading by six. Pass to Okongu. [Music] Back to Young. Uses the glass to finish the layup. Young’s got 19 points. Yeah, he’s in such a great rhythm right now. Makes sense to get him the ball any way you can. Yeah, when you have a guy playing like he has been recently, he’s got to be the first option on every possession. Now, here’s Bane. He’s got 12. And he has been ice cold from beyond the arc here since halftime. And he continues yet to fire away. He has got to tone it down if he wants to help his team. Jackson against Johnson. Young from outside, but Grizzlies pull it in. and close to making the defense pay for the lack coverage that time. Morance outside and he hammers that one down right in the face of Okongu and he can get to the rim with the best of him. Morant always finds a way. Young with the ball. 19 points in the game. Pass to Reza on the wing. Johnson. Here is Daniels. [Applause] Now Reza. Young for three. But Grizzlies pull it in. Jackson’s got his fifth rebound in this one. Outside. Bane lets it go with a three and it’s Reza with the rebound. Reza’s got six rebounds here tonight. Johnson right side. Okongu a screen. Here’s Rez and the rebound by Jiren Jackson. Jackson’s got six rebounds now in the game. Wells kicks to Mor into the lane and Mor throws it down. How about the authority from Moran? The the way he was running. You knew he was aiming to shatter the rim. Here is Daniels. He’s got eight. Now here’s Okonwood. Pass to Young. Five to shoot. What a terrific move that was. Young’s got five points now this quarter. And this game belongs to Young right now. And he is simply making everything. Now Jackson. Good D by Johnson. The Hawks leading by six. To the middle. Here’s Rez. It’s rebounded by Memphis. Wells has got his fourth rebound with that last one here tonight. And a wide open look for Payne. Good. And a nice assist from Morant. Morance got his eighth assist in the game. Young dishes to O Conu. Pass to Daniels. Rez with it. Johnson kicks to Daniels. Young gets Mor shoots. Young’s shot is off. The Grizzlies trail by three. Bane passes to Morant with a tie and they get it back. Jackson finds Morant and three chances on that possession, but they just couldn’t find a way to score. Rez with it now guarded by Wells [Music] and 101 left to play in the third. Acted Daniels. Shot clock at five. Atlanta needs to get off a shot here. The shot by Okong Wu. No good. Excellent coverage defensively making it hard on him. Morant outside. Can’t tie it up as that one misses. And so it’s Young who brings it up for the Atlanta Hawks. They’ve led by as much as 10. [Applause] Lets it go from deep. And the rebound by Jiren Jackson. Jackson’s got his eighth rebound here tonight to the wing right side. Bane kicks to Mor. There’s the triple and he’s good on the three ball. Morance’s got the game tied up here for the Grizzlies. And they have been relentless from deep and you see the defense trying to react but to no avail. Look, when the three is falling like this, there’s not a whole lot you can do defensively. Tie game in Atlanta. And time to step aside quickly, but we’ll be back in no time with the start of the fourth quarter. here. Now, a chance to show you our assist of the game and it’s presented as always by State Farm. And I’m glad this was the pick because I love this pass. Such a great dish. That’s what I call court vision. Yeah, he puts that pass right on the money and made things look easy for his teammates. And it’s been a very competitive game so far as we get rolling here in quarter number four. on the court for Memphis to start the fourth. We’ve got Santi Alama. Pippen is out there with Desmond Bane. Then there’s Wells and it’s Clark in at the center filling out the middle. Aldama inside working on NA. Here’s Buffkin defended by Pippen. [Applause] Pass to man. Capella trying to free himself up. Basket counts. Man has got the fourth quarter going with the first basket of the period here for the Hawks. Memphis trailing here. [Music] And Capella sends it back. Quick off the floor. Has that long reach. Capella there with the intimidation to the inside. Here’s Nang. Got him with the pump fake but couldn’t finish. For Memphis, they’ve gone 0 of three to start the fourth quarter. And it’s Pippen in the corner. Memphis moving that ball around. Pass to Clark. Wells with it. Now here’s Pippen. Sinks the triple. Pippen’s got himself on the board with three there. Game winding down and they just keep changing leads. And guys, no separation yet. And I really don’t think we’re going to see any all the way down. Now here’s Levert. That one a 10 off line to the right but drops in for him and the Hawks lead by one. Grizzlies have gone one of four since the end of the third quarter. Outside Bane at the top of the key. Aldamo Bells passes to Aldama. Just five on the clock inside. Pippen can’t hit. for Atlanta. They’ve gone two or three from the field to get the fourth quarter start. Back to Levert. A three ball looks good. Is good. That’s his seventh basket in 12 tries from range. Levert’s one of those guys you have to respect his shot. He makes enough beyond where you have to honor him. Now here’s Pippen. Clark outside. Back to Pippen. [Applause] Right at the free throw line again. The miss by Pippen. Atlanta leading by four. Pass to Buffkin. [Music] Levertis 39 pit. Here’s Buffkin. Here’s man off target with his three. Nibbon feeling it out a bit. [Music] Over three and a half minutes through the final quarter now. Payne for three. And again, Memphis no good. Yeah, there’s no reason for the defense to get out on him right now. Just let him keep taking that shot until he shows him he’s going to knock it down. The Grizzlies trail by four. Out to the right wing. Outside Pippen. Clark outside. They can use a bucket. Aldana can’t hit. Not quite enough defense that time around. Just lucky he was off. Livert with it. Stolen by Pippen. Oh, and here comes Pippen all alone. And they pick up two. No hesitation. He just takes off and takes it the distance. Well, the best way to attack is in transition. He recognizes that. Here’s Buffkin. Nyang in the corner. Pass to Levert. Shot clock at six. Here’s Buffkin. Over Pippen. Buffkin. No good. Memphis has gotten just one of four three-pointers to go down for them here in the fourth. Outside. Pippen. Clark into the lane. It’s good. This game is all even. looking nimble on the drive there. Once Clark sees an opening in the defense, he’s looking to exploit. [Applause] Now, Levert [Applause] Aldama with the rebound. Aldama’s got his fourth rebound with that last one here tonight. Pass to Pippen. And here is Clark [Applause] and Capella over to help. No good from Clark. The Hawks have gone three of eight here in the fourth quarter. Levert the pass to Niang on the wing man down low. Here’s Capella and foul on the shot. He’ll shoot two at the free throw line. Aggressive move by Capella. His length and athleticism. It’s tough to handle when he gets the ball that deep. [Applause] Two shots. That free throw missing. So Stan the Grizzlies trio of John Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jiren Jackson Jr. from the outside looking in. What a great base going forward. I agree with that, Kevin. Look, not only are those three outstanding individual players, but they complement each other so well. They’re such a great fit with those three guys. That’s a great base for the future. Craig, since making it to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, the Atlanta Hawks haven’t been that good. And it was hard to tell if that was a Cinderella run at the time, but Kevin looking like that might have been the outlier. The Hawks took some risk to get back there, but it just hasn’t worked. Here’s Young. [Music] Pass to Daniel. Now here’s Capella. Young outside. Capella sets a screen for Young. Off the mark and the drop continues. Might be time for a little different approach. His shot hasn’t been fallen here in the second half. The Hawks trailing. [Applause] Here’s Rez outside. Here’s the three. Trains it from beyond the arc. Young’s got 24. And defensively, you have to stay connected to Young at all times. But Grizzly’s called timeout. [Applause] Get loud fans on the court. It’s your hot spot. Who wants a free t-shirt? It’s going to be Heat. [Applause] [Applause] Heat. [Applause] [Applause] The gong is checked in for the Hawks. The Grizzlies also making a change. Wells, he’s checked in for Pippen. And let’s head over to the sideline and catch up with David Aldridge. Hi guys. Well, during the break, I was able to catch what the Grizzlies coach was talking about with his team. Now, he’s not happy with the perimeter defense. He told them, “We have to hustle more out to the three-point line because they look real comfortable out there.” Now, I want you contesting every three they put up. We’ll see if that intensity increases on D, guys. Thank you, David. [Applause] Let’s take a second look at that fantastic block. And that is a huge block. Given how close this game is, a stop like that was right on point. [Applause] And so here’s Memphis. They trail by one. There’s the lob to the hoop and taken away by Johnson. In the corner, Daniels three off the mark. Memphis has gotten just one of four three-pointers to go down for them here in the fourth. That one good for two. And the Grizzlies lead by one. Time running low, guys. And uh somebody has got to win this one. Yeah. Well, who knows? We might need overtime in this one. It’s been that kind of a game. Now, here is Young O’angu down low. The shot will not fall. And Morance’s got the ball here for the Memphis Grizzlies. And there’s Wells. That’s good on the assist by Morant. Morance’s got assist number nine now. Wow, what an effort here tonight. Here’s Young. [Applause] Pass to Okongu. [Applause] Back to Young. Six to shoot. Plenty of space and that one swishes right in. Young’s got 10 points in just the second half. And this is what Young does best. A dynamite offensive player who fills it up in so many ways. The three from Mor. Rebound Atlanta. Here’s Daniels and it is flushed down with a nice jam. Well, when you move the ball, you open up the defense. Great job to make the self-destruct. [Applause] Young against Mor over Young. Okonru grabs the board. Okangu’s now got 13 rebounds in the game seating. And there have been some terrible shot choices here. Kev, that’s not a good look at all. Pass to Mor. [Applause] Fires from deep. And it’s Reza with the rebound. The Hawks leading Young right side over Bane again. The Hawks score. This is why people are just so high on Young because he comes through with big shots in the game. Morant passes to Bane and the free ball is good. Haynes got it all tied up now for the Grizzlies. Yeah. And such a clutch shooter. I mean, he lives with a big shot. And when he’s rolling like this, watch out. Kept to wide. Young no good. Grizzly shooting around 37% in the fourth quarter. The minutes started to wear on them. Now here’s Mor. He’s covered by Daniels. And it’s Moring. Pass to Okongu. Here’s Young going to go that time. Great te that time from Bane. Morant outside. Here’s the drive. Oh, that’s blocked. Here’s Young. Sha Morant with the rebound. The Grizzlies shooting under 40% all in all for the game. [Music] We’ve got 108 left in the game. It’s good and they get the go-ahead bucket. A huge shot from Moran. Wow. You see why they put the ball in his hands in those situations. Now here is Young. It counts. A huge shot to tie it up. Big time basket at a big time moment. Yeah. Don’t you just love to see a player embrace that kind of pressure. Morance against Young and he gets the whistle. Two free throws coming up. It’s going to be on Trey Young. And going up strong inside demonstrates confidence. Mor not afraid to get physical. [Applause] break. [Applause] He knocks down the clutch free throw. [Applause] and Zoey drops them both. It’s a two-point ball game. Yeah, he’s a guy you want at the line and clearly not affected by the moment and we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snder. Pivotal moment in this game. He’s not taking any chances. He’ll call time. Start [Applause] [Applause] here. [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] There’s 48 seconds left in the [Applause] [Music] puts it up from 15. Rebound Atlanta can’t afford any wasted possessions down the stretch. Yeah, they need everything to break their way at this point if they’re going to rally back. Now, here is Young Pass to Johnson. Full timeout. Time out. Guys, you see him starting to heat up and when he turns it on, you got a problem. The Grizzlies called timeout. So, I’m looking at the clock and guys, the situation. What do you think we’re going to see next? This is where great coaching can pay dividends. Well, they’ll likely only get one shot at this. They need to make it count. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] 19 seconds left in the fourth quarter of this one. [Applause] Morant outside. [Applause] It’s good. Well, it doesn’t get any easier than this. They’ll take these shots every time. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snider. The magnitude at this juncture in the game clearly warranting a timeout. Guys, what’s your take on how they maximize their opportunities now? And this is they got down one. They’ve got just enough time to work it around for a good shot. And it better be a good shot because it’s the only shot they have. Keep it going. No heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Young for three. Oh, that shot in a chance, but no good. So, a close game sees Memphis take this one. This win, such a tremendous emotional boost for him. Really an accomplishment and crazy finish to take a road game like this and simply deflate an entire building. And that’ll do it folks with Stan Van Gundy, Greg Anthony, and David Aldridge. This is Kevin Harland saying thanks for watching folks on 2K Sports. But as we go, let’s take a look at our player of the game, John Moran. Monday night broadcast of the NBA here on 2K Sports. In this game, we’ll see the Atlanta Hawks going up against the Memphis Grizzlies. Kevin Arwin here with you. Joining me tonight, Stan Van Gundy and Greg Anthony. Our buddy David Aldridge is on the sideline getting story. Now, a look at Memphis’s starting group. Morant is the point with Bane out in the wing. Wells is out there with Jiren Jackson and it’s Edy in at the pivot manning the middle and for the Hawks in the post it’ll be Johnson and Okongu. Trey Young is out there with Daniels and it’s Reza Shay in it the small forward and Stan here we’ve got two of the highest scoring teams in the entire NBA. Yeah Kevin, there is firepower everywhere with these two teams. So defensively, you can’t take away everything, but you have to try to take away something. Limit some things, right, coach? You can’t stop everything on the play. Not at all. You’ve got to pick your poison and decide what you can live with. Now, here’s Jackson. Five on the clock. Here’s Mor. That’s good. And it’s Jackson with the assist that time. And no problem for Mor that close to the hoop. Once he gets inside, he makes it look easy. Young inside, guarded by Morant. It’s deflected outside. Bane down low. [Applause] Morant looking around. [Applause] The rebound by Young. And now we’ve got some time to check in from the sideline. You got for us DA? Well, earlier I spoke with Quinn Snder. Desmond Bane was the topic. The coach was ausive with his praise. He said Bane is a great catch and shoot guy, but they’ll find ways to contribute no matter what. He also said Bane is hard to game plan for, but they’ll do their best not to let him get in the rhythm. They will have their hands full tonight, guys. Okay, David, much appreciated. Now that’s a high percentage look when the D doesn’t fight over the screen. Yeah, it’s certainly worth it to disrupt the offense. Coaches notice that extra effort. Now here is Young. That one drops for him. Oh, crafty move there by Young finessing his way around the contact. Grizzlies have gone two of three here to start off the game. Outside Bane Bells wide open the three-pointer. No good. And here’s Daniels driving inside. Yeah, just solid work on the back end of that play. Yep, you’re right. Finish hard with two hands on that stuff. Now Morant. And how sweet a play was that? As sweet as it gets. An exquisite pass to set up the powerful alleyoop dunk. Morance against Young. Johnson with a screen on Morance. Young no good. I’m sure he’d like to have that back. That’s a missed opportunity. And with this era of the Atlanta Hawks, Greg, they’ve gone as far as their defense has let them. You look back at their conference finals run in 21, that was the last time they had a top 10 defense. So scoring’s never been the issue with this core, but defense has been non-existent. Now here is Young the miss by John Morant. And timeout is called by Quinn Snider. This will give him a chance to discuss some potential alterations. [Applause] Here they are. Go 4. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] 42. [Applause] Young dishes to Johnson and it’s Young that time on the assist by Johnson. Nice job capitalizing down there. Young good at probing inside and finding some space. Six to shoot. A three-pointer off the mark. And here’s Young. He’ll bring it up for Atlanta. Here’s Rez. The kick out to Young. Edy with the rebound. Memphis trailing here. Mor passes to Jackson. Nice fake, but the layup off the mark. Not really what we expected. You know, he wants that one back. It’s stolen. Wells with it. He’s picked up by Reese. It’s Mor in the corner. Outside Jackson good and a nice assist from Morant. Oh, quick thinking from Jackson. When he’s rising and firing fast, you know he’s in the zone. Bounce pass Young. Pass to Okongu with it. The three trains the three-pointer. Both teams running perimeter oriented plays that are working well. You know, it’s become a three-point shooting league. Teams shooting a steady diet from outside. Jackson’s gone 59 from the field here in the first. Daniels passes to Johnson offline with his three. Memphis is gone. Just one of four from three-point range here in the first. Up top, Bane. Morant right side. Pass to Jackson. [Music] Pops it up. Johnson with the block. And there’s the shot clock violation. Couldn’t get the shot off in time. Lever check in for Atlanta. And Memphis also making a switch. Santi Damas checked in for Wells. Now here is Young [Music] Pass to Okongu. [Music] And a chance for just a second to check out the scoring breakdown for Atlanta. Well, you know, the analytics guys would tell you a team shouldn’t be taking this many mid-range shots, but clearly they’re shooting them with confidence. Also, they’re getting into the teeth of the defense. Points in the paint. Something coaches always love to see. And he knocks down the first one. Both [Applause] free throws good from Okongu. The Grizzlies trail by four pass to Editi. Now here’s Jackson. Memphis moving it around on the Wayne Bane. Levert defending. No good with the triple. The Hawks leading by four. Here is Daniels. Rebounded by Jackson. [Applause] Here’s Elama. He’s covered by Daniels. Moran Bats for two. It’s in. That’s his third field goal of the game. He’s three for five. Guys, that’s just really unstoppable. He poses a ton of matchup problems for whomever he’s facing. Okongu kicks to Johnson. Okongu with a screen on Jackson. Johnson dishes to Okong Wu. Levert with a wideopen look. The Hawks again can’t hit. The Grizzlies have gone five of 12 from the field since the opening chip. Got that bucket. Great touch there. It’s just so tough to defend a floater like that. Pass to Daniels. Back to Young. Takes it inside. The shots good on the assist by Daniel. Young’s got six points. And on the drive, Young can be so sudden the defense barely gets a chance to react. Outside Bane back to Mor. Down to five on the shot clock. Memphis needs to get off a shot here. and he can’t hit and so Young will bring it up for Atlanta. [Music] Back to Levert [Music] over to the left wing. Now here’s Okong. He’s covered closely. Yeah, you expect him to make those. Good look. just couldn’t find the mark. Here’s Bane. A beautiful reverse layup. Baines got his second basket of the game. Well, Morance’s acrobatics often get the attention, but his passing is also elite. And you know, Stan, we’ve watched Desmond Bane evolve into a number one option on offense. He’s always been there, but now he really is at the top of the heat. Yeah, he sure is. Look, Kevin, you know, he came into the league as a three-point shooter, and he’s a great one, but he’s developed his game off the dribble. Very good mid-range shooter, and he’s strong enough to finish around the rim. Morant passes to Bane. Out to Morant, [Applause] outside Jackson. Good. And a nice assist from Morant. Morance got his fourth assist in this one. Highlevel passer even for a point guard. Morant shows the imagination. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snider. Wants to regroup and go over the strategy. [Music] [Music] Down. It’s your hype spot. Get loud and let them hear you. Who wants a free teaser? You know what to do, right? Make some noise. [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] for the Hawks. Clint Cabella. He’s checked in for Okongu. George Niang comes in for Dyson Daniels. Man subbed in for Young. Brandon Clark, he’s checked in for the Grizzlies. Get open. Pass the man. [Music] Back to Johnson. Pocket six. Nope, not that time. Nothing for two from the field. Memphis leading Bane passes to Mor inside. Clark and it’s Clark with the jam. Quick off the floor and powerful. Clark loves to attack that rim. Levert with it. [Applause] Shooting foul as the whistle blows. He’ll shoot two free throws. Yeah, the defender all over. And guys, what do you think about the offensive approach so far that we’ve seen for the Grizzlies? Well, I have to applaud their ball movement. They’re moving the ball around, finding the best looks they can, and keeping everyone involved. And also, guys, they’re out musling their opponent. The points in the paint are piling up because of that aggressiveness. And the free throw drops for Levert Reza. He’s checked in for Terrence Man. The Grizzlies also making a change. Jackson’s checked in. Levert hits both of them and the Grizzlies with possession here And here’s Morant. He’s got six. Memphis moving it around and the layup’s good off the glass. Morance got eight. Yeah, I’m amazed at Morance’s ability to take contact and still stay in full control. Capella on a high post. He’s against Clark. Here’s Reza and it’s good for two. Rez has got his second bucket of the night. And guys, they continue to put a lot of pressure on the interior defenders with their work down low to the right side to the inside and it’s Moring. Enzo Levert will bring it up for Atlanta. They trail by one. So they take the lead. Levert’s got his second bucket of the game to go and got to push Levert out of that area because he’s very comfortable looking to score from there. Outside Bane. Pass to Aldamo. 56 seconds left to play in the first quarter. Morant passes to Bane. Just two to shoot. leaps for it. No good from outside. Got the defender off his feet with the pump fake but couldn’t knock it down with the drive. They get it again. Nang kicks to Levert. Shot clock at six. And he gets it to go from the corner. Eight points for him. And how about the playmaking skills of Levert? I like watching this guy break down the D in the pick and roll. Two second difference between shot clock and game clock. Now Morant, he’s got eight. On the Wayne Bane good and a nice assist from Morant. Morance got his sixth assist on the night. Here’s Rezach and he was able to put it up in time but doesn’t fall. Harris Lever has been on display for the Hawks. He notched eight points in the quarter and has that terrific basketball instinct on display. We come back right after this. And if you’re just tuning in, it’s been a pretty even game through the first quarter. And what do you guys think about the Hawks here in this one? Yeah, in that first period, they looked to push in transition at every opportunity. Yeah, they gave the other team no time to breathe. Every time they got the ball, they were off to the races. And you see how effective this aggressive mindset can be. So on the floor to begin things for Memphis here in the second quarter, John Jackson is out there with Santi Alama. Then it’s Luke Canar. Then it’s Pippen and it’s Clark in at the five down low. Here’s Reese. It’s good from long range. Rez got the opening basket here in the second quarter for the Hawks. The Grizzlies trail by three. [Applause] Pippen outside. Clark sets a screen for Jackson and he can’t answer back. The three-pointer off lot. P shooting at 50% in a decent group. Avert in the corner. [Applause] Takes a three. The Grizzlies pull it in. Yeah, and he had the detangled up there with that patented crossover. just couldn’t convert the finish. Pippen the pass to Canard. Off target from three-point range. The Hawks leading by three. [Music] Porter number two with just over a minute gone. Nang with the ball. No scoring in this one. Rez with it. He’s picked up by Pippen. A nice shot by Levert. And eventually every player GA has to grapple with eight, realizing they’ve lost a step or two against the young fellas. And sometimes that is a very slow realization. Oh, it it is Kevin. Hopefully by that point, it’s less about financial security and more about prolonging the inevitable simply for the love of the game. So, it’s Atlanta now following the three from Jiren Jackson. [Applause] And here in the second, two minutes gone by outside. Pippen puts up a three and it’s Rezach with the rebound. Well, you can tell he thinks he should have had that one. even harder on him when he’s got a good look like that and it doesn’t go down that those plays can make a difference in a game like this. Well, you know it’s going to fire up Greg. Everybody on that bench and guys, you cannot allow that in a close game. You have to make it harder than that. Levert with it. He’s picked up by Pippen. [Applause] Now Reza 10 points for him. inside. Jackson on him. Stolen by Jackson. And for those of you just joining us in the second quarter with about 3 minutes gone by. No good from Clark. And so LeVert will bring it up for the Atlanta Hawks. In the second quarter, they’ve given up just three points. Now here’s Levert. [Music] Capella with a screen on Pit. Here’s Levert. The shot comes out. Some solid defense there from Jackson. Now Dama passes to Jackson. Here’s Pippen. And another miss by Memphis. The Hawks leading by four. Here’s Levert and Pippen pulls it down. Memphis has gone one of four from three-point range in the second. Not a whole lot dropping out there for them. Atlanta with the rebound. [Applause] Now here’s Levert. Capella sets a screen for Reese. No good on the triple. The Grizzlies trail by four. and Reza the prototypical size and skill for a wingman. Yeah, he’s got some jelly to his game. Handle, touch at his size that becomes very tough to contain. Now here is Levert. Brandon Clark missing his last shot. Capella sets a screen for Reza. Pass the man. It’s Clark with the rebound. When the defense is playing off you like that, you want to be able to convert, but that time he just couldn’t get it done. The three Pippen got Atlanta with the rebound. Nang’s got his fifth rebound right now in the game. To the middle. Here’s Capella. He trains the turnaround jump shot. Cabela’s got the lead up to six now for the Hawks. And it could have been a foul call on the shot as well. Capella maintains the focus though and finishes. So, timeout call here. The first for Memphis. Trying to find some answers offensively. Yeah, they just have to be more patient, less forcing and more passing. is heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Atlanta making some changes. Okong Woo checked in for Capella. Young is subbed in for Riza. Then for the Grizzlies Wells, he’s checked in for Santi Aldama. Bane comes in for Luke Canar. And it’s Morant in for Bippen. [Applause] on the Wayne Bane. Avert defending Morance against Young and that one’s good. Morant, if you give him an inch of space, he’s going to make you pay. Atlanta leading by four. Okongu with a screen on Bane. The open shot. Levert. It’s good. That basket. He’s now five for nine. And Levert is playing with such passion on offense. He’s just not afraid to play a big role on that end. Now here’s Mor. He’s got 10. Count that one. And 12 points for John Mor. The Hawks have gone five of 11 from the field since the beginning of the second quarter. Avert against Maine from 20 ft out and it’s going to be out of bounds. The Hawks will retain possession. Johnson, he’s checked in for the Hawks. Daniels comes in for Caris Levert. Santi Aldamas checked in for Memphis. Morance against Young. It’s rebounded by Memphis. Wells in the corner. No good on the three. The Hawks leading by four. Shot from free throw range and good as it just snugs right down through the net. And I I like the resourcefulness Young brings to the table, taking any shot he can create. Back to Morant. Two free throws coming up and they call the shooting foul. It’s going to go on on Okongu. Memphis shooting their first free throws of this and typically a strength of theirs 79% on the season. That’s good from Morance. Stan, we talk about this every night. So much great young talent coming into the NBA. Is there one player though in particular who right now stands out to you? Well, I have to say, Kevin, Victor Wimyama. I don’t know that we have ever seen a guy of that size do the things that he does. Now you can say, well, what about Nicola Joic? Well, Nola Joic, first of all, is not Victor Wiman’s size. And then Victor’s handle and his length, the guy’s incredible. He’s going to be the face of the NBA for a long, long time. Here’s Morant following the basket by Tion outside. Jackson pass to Wells and here is Bane. Six on the shot clock. The Grizzlies with another miss. The Hawks working the ball around. Young with the ball. He’s picked up by Morant. Okang Wu down low. He’s against Clark. The Grizzlies trail by six. Bane finds Jackson. And it’s hard to pick a more electrifying player in the league than John Mor. He explodes off the floor. He’s gone two for two at the line so far. And with a percentage of of 82, he’s been one of their more dependable shooters from the line. That’s good from Morance. And the Hawks making a change here. Rez checked in. Both free throws good from Morant. And timeout is called by Quinn Snider. He wants to check in with his team and regroup. [Music] It’s time for you. You know what to do. [Music] [Applause] [Music] You did it. [Music] You need a man. Heat. Heat. Thank you for all the [Applause] Hawks leading by four. Pass to Young. [Music] And here is Okong Wu fouled in the act of shooting. Gets the bucket anyway. So a three-point play chance for him. And although he’s smaller, Young willing to battle inside and shows you he can score through contact. We’re talking about Trey Young here, GA. What stands out most about him to you? Well, Kevin, I I’d say just how confident he is, right? He he plays with that unique energy and swagger. You love him if he’s on your team and can’t stand him if he’s playing against you. And that one misses. And Young, a fiery competitor, someone who enjoys getting under the skin of opposing players. Just five to shoot. Loud up there for Justin. Hammers the alleyoop through. Oh, and the lead gets bigger on a ridiculous offensive secret. That dunk alone would have been spectacular. Never mind it coming at the end of an alleyoop. Now here’s Clark. Steps back. Grant. Trey Young grabs the miss. [Applause] Chance there to push it to double digits, but it’s off the mark. Bane kicks to Mor. [Applause] Pass to Clark. Outside Jackson. [Applause] It’s good. He makes his first shot of the game. And guys, we talk all the time about making the extra pass. Clark there proving how important that concept is. Now, here is Young. 12 points for him. [Applause] It’s rebounded by Memphis. Clark’s got five rebounds tonight. Pass to Mor. [Music] Here’s Clark outside. Bane. Clark sets a screen for Bane. and the three off target. And they had some boxed coverage that turned into no coverage. They get the rebound. You know, you can’t be overzealous inside when you guard Young. You got to be better at contesting without fouling. He’s 0 of one from the line. Missing on his first trip. In their last contest, guys, he was unconscious from the foul line. That free throw no good. And we’re seeing some big paydays for NBA head coaches these days. Stan, uh, do you miss it? Do I miss the paychecks? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Payday was always really good in the NBA. No question about that. What about though? What about now? Well, it’s gone through the roof, but look, the tradeoff is the paydays are big, but there’s not a great deal of job security. Now, here’s Morance. 16 points for him. [Applause] The Grizzlies have looked good at the line. They’re perfect in four attempts. [Applause] That one is off. And the second free throw. Good. [Applause] And so it’s Atlanta with it. Six-point lead. 149 left in the first half. Reza Jay misses the three. The Grizzly shooting a lackluster 38% for the game. Struggling so far. And it’s thrown down hard with both hands. Oh, and he went for the two-hander on the slam. Using some muscle, some urgency from him there. Sure. Johnson dishes to Young. [Applause] Edy with the rebound. Ed’s got five rebounds tonight. We’ve got 113 left to play here in the second quarter. And it’s Reza with the rebound. Reese’s got four rebounds in this game. Here’s Young from the arc. Good on the triple. Young’s got 16. Nice and composed on that three there. Trey giving his fundamentals all of his attention. Here’s Mor number 12 goes in. He’s made seven of 12 now. Well, all of us coaches, we love when you can create looks in close. Young passes to Daniels to the wing on the left. A wide open look here for Okongu. The shots good on the assist by Daniel. Now that’s a high percentage look when the D doesn’t fight over the screen. Yeah, it’s certainly worth it to disrupt the offense. Coaches notice that extra effort. Now here’s Wells. Hasn’t made one yet. Drills it from outside. And guys, he’s been a one-man air raid coming at them time and time again. Well, what I love about his three-point shooting is the spacing that he’s adding. It makes things a lot easier for everyone else. Young with the ball. 16 points for him. Okongu with a screen on Morance. And here’s Young from the arc. Trey Young. He’s feeling it tonight and has been the driving force for the Hawks. He got into double digits for the quarter with 10 points total. And now let’s catch up with David Aldridge who’s standing by from the sideline. All right, Dave. Thank you, Kevin. With coach Quinn Snyder. when what has to happen in the second half? Well, we got to keep getting stops and really just make plays. Make plays on the offensive end and be solid defensively. No, no magic. It’s a pretty simple game, right, coach? Thanks for your time. Back to you, Kevin. Thank you, David. And we’ll be back for the third quarter of action following halftime. Center and get ready for the half court. They’re thinking about the shot. [Applause] One more time round number. And we’ve got second half action for you. Thus far, a pretty evenly contested game, guys. John Morant has been sensational. His play so far is what fans love about him. He He has gone right at the defense time and time again. Yeah, he hasn’t been settling. He’s getting to the rim and that’s him at his best. [Applause] And so Young will bring it up for the Hawks. Four-point game. The front court is Rezushe and Johnson. Daniels out there with Young and it’s Okongu in it simple. So that’s the lineup for Atlanta. And the great shooters know when they’ve got enough opening to go for the three. I didn’t think it was a bad choice on that possession. Atlanta leading by four. to the paint. Here’s Daniels packed in coming off the assist from Young. Daniels has got six. Terrific play call to give him a clean look at the rim. That’s how you want to start the second half. Yeah, I like how they’re establishing their interior presence right away. That’s going to collapse the defense and create other opportunities. Now, here’s Morance. High effort play by Moran. He refuses to let the foul stop him from getting the shot. The Grizzlies shooting their seventh and eighth free throw attempts for the game right here. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. And the first one drops. Both free throws good from Morant. The Hawks leading by four. And for those of you turning in, we’re about a minute into the second half. Mc Grizzly shooting 40% from the field. [Music] Bane looking around. Lock at six. Pass to Jackson. Over Johnson. Rebound Atlanta right around a minute and a half played here in the third quarter. And that one’s good. Rez. That’s inexcusable defense right there. You got to contest the shot better than that. Young against Mor. Now Bane launches a three and again Memphis no good. A bit of pride at stake trying to get that last three ball back but couldn’t get it and Johnson with the stop. Oh taking it to the rack with power hammering down the two hand slam. They’ve been struggling here on offense. Yeah, bit of a dry spell for sure. Here’s Morance and he uses the glass on the lane. Morance’s got 22. And what a show Morant is putting on. Every time he touches the ball, you feel like he’s going to score. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snder. And coach has decided they need a moment to talk things over. Yo, [Music] heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Just under two and a half minutes into the third quarter now and so Young will bring it up for the Atlanta Hawks. Johnson with a screen on Morant and foul on the shot. So he’ll get a chance at the line. So clever at creating contact. Young looks to shoot it so often which really forces defenders to overcommit at times. He’s off on the first. And he’s good on the second. A touch over two and a half minutes of basketball played here in the third quarter. Morant outside. Atlanta with the rebound. Okonoo’s now got doubledigit rebounds now in the game and Johnson with the stop. Oh, and the lead gets bigger on a ridiculous offensive sequence. That dunk alone would have been spectacular. Never mind it coming at the end of an alleyoop. Now here’s Wells still without a basket. Payton for three. Score of the basket is fifth of the game. He’s missed six shots against those five makes. Well, those go down for him in his sleep. Just under three and a half minutes played here in the third quarter. Pass to Reese tried to answer back, but that three is off the mark. The Grizzlies trail by seven. Now Wells. Payton for three. Atlanta with the rebound. Johnson’s got his fourth rebound with that last one here tonight. Here’s Daniels. Solid play in the low block and that one’s good. Daniels has got eight points. Now here’s Morant. He’s got 22 out of bounds. It’ll go to the Hawks. And the latest now from our sideline reporter, David Aldridge. David, it’s all yours. Take it away, Kevin. Thanks. A move that likely helped the league’s parody has been shortening max contract lengths. Commissioner Silver says, “We used to refer to it as dead money. A star player for those N years sitting on the bench. We’ve reduced max contracts to five years and in some cases six. This way it moves to more pay for performance.” Kevin, I think, Da, that’s a pretty good business decision. It’s going to have nice ramifications. And every year, and Greg, we agree, Bane seems to get better and better as a playmaker. Doesn’t overdo anything with his passing. looks more and more comfortable creating off the drive and kick. He’s become a large part of this offensive engine. And here’s Young following John Mor’s three and it’s Reese missing. Pass to Wells. [Music] And it’s Reese with the rebound. Reza has got five rebounds tonight. Young Pascal Con and contact on the shot. So he’ll be shooting free throws here. Zack picks one up. Yeah, good job to take it right at the D. For Atlanta, they have shot 67% from the line going six of nine. And the first one at the line is good. Both free throws good from Okongu with Grizzlies trail by eight. And here’s Morant. 25 points in the game. Outside for Jackson, no good from outside. Atlanta’s gone one of four in three-point shots here in the third. Pass to Johnson. Here’s Rezach. 13 points in the game. From deep. Six to shoot. Atlanta again missing. He just doesn’t look like himself this quarter. Something’s missing. Yeah. And sometimes guys just start pressing. The best thing for him is to just slow it down and concentrate on solid shot selection. Here’s Young after the basket by Jiren Jackson. Pass to Rezer. Wells grabs the miss. The Grizzlies trail by six. out to the right wing outside. Bane fires the three. Johnson with the rebound. Johnson’s got his fifth rebound right now in the game. [Applause] Pass to Rez. Traps in the train. 16 points for Rez. And so it’s Memphis with it. They’ve been looking out of sync offensively. Yeah, their offense has ground to a standstill. And that one’s good. Morant not to be outstaged. Morant saying right back at you. The Hawks leading by six. Pass to Okongu. [Music] Back to Young. Uses the glass to finish the layup. Young’s got 19 points. Yeah, he’s in such a great rhythm right now. Makes sense to get him the ball any way you can. Yeah, when you have a guy playing like he has been recently, he’s got to be the first option on every possession. Now, here’s Bane. He’s got 12. And he has been ice cold from beyond the arc here since halftime. and he continues yet to fire away. He has got to tone it down if he wants to help his team. Jackson against Johnson. Young from outside, but Grizzlies pull it in. And close to making the defense pay for the lack coverage that time. Morant outside a shake and he hammers that one down right in the face of Okongu and he can get to the rim with the best of him. Morant always finds a way. Young with the ball. 19 points in the game. Pass to Rezach on the wing. Johnson. Here is Daniels [Applause] now. Rez Young for three, but Grizzlies pull it in. Jackson’s got his fifth rebound in this one. Outside, Bane lets it go with the three. And it’s Reza with the rebound. Rez got six rebounds here tonight. Johnson right side. Okongu a screen. Here is Rez and the rebound by Jiren Jackson. Jackson’s got six rebounds now in the game. Wells kicks to Mor into the lane and Mor throws it down. How about the authority from Moran? The the way he was running, you knew he was aiming to shatter at the rim. Here is Daniels. He’s got eight now. Here’s Okonwood. Pass to Young. [Applause] Five to shoot. What a terrific move that was. Young’s got five points now this quarter. And this game belongs to Young right now. And he is simply making everything. Ow. Jackson. Good D by Johnson. The Hawks leading by six. To the middle. Here’s Reese. It’s rebounded by Memphis. Wells has got his fourth rebound with that last one here tonight. And a wideopen look for Payne. Good. And a nice assist from Mor. Morance got his eighth assist in the game. Young dishes duo Kongu pass to Daniels. Rez with it. Johnson kicks to Daniels. Young gets Mor shoots. Young’s shot is off. The Grizzlies trail by three. Bane passes to Morant with a tie and they get it back. Jackson finds Morant and three chances on that possession but they just couldn’t find a way to score. Rez with it now guarded by Wells [Music] and 101 left to play in the third. acted Daniels. Shot clock at five. Atlanta needs to get off a shot here. The shot by Okong Woo. No good. Excellent coverage defensively making it hard on him. Morant outside. Can’t tie it up as that one misses. And so it’s Young who brings it up for the Atlanta Hawks. They’ve led by as much as 10. [Applause] lets it go from deep and the rebound by Jiren Jackson. Jackson’s got his eighth rebound here tonight. To the wing right side. Bane kicks to Mor. There’s the triple and he’s good on the three ball. Morance’s got the game tied up here for the Grizzlies. And they have been relentless from deep and you see the defense trying to react, but to no avail. Look, when the three is falling like this, there’s not a whole lot you can do defensively. Tie game in Atlanta. And time to step aside quickly, but we’ll be back in no time with the start of the fourth quarter. here. Now, a chance to show you our assist of the game and it’s presented as always by State Farm. And and I’m glad this was the pick because I love this pass. Such a great dish. That’s what I call court vision. Yeah, he puts that pass right on the money and made things look easy for his teammates. And it’s been a very competitive game so far as we get rolling here in quarter number four on the court for Memphis to start the fourth. We’ve got Santi Alama. Pippen is out there with Desmond Bane. Then there’s Wells and it’s Clark in at the center filling out the middle. Aldama inside working on Nan. Here’s Buffkin defended by Pippen. [Applause] [Music] Pass to man. Capella trying to free himself up. Basket counts. Man has got the fourth quarter going with the first basket of the period here for the Hawks. Memphis trailing here. [Music] And here’s Pippen. Clark sets a screen for Pippen. And Capella sends it back. Quick off the floor. Has that long reach. Capella there with the intimidation to the inside. Here’s Nang. Got him with the pump fake but couldn’t finish. for Memphis. They’ve gone 0 of three to start the fourth quarter. And it’s Pippen in the corner. Memphis moving that ball around. Pass to Clark. Wells with it. Now here’s Pippen. Sinks the triple. Pippen’s got himself on the board with three there. Game winding down and they just keep changing leads. And guys, no separation yet. And I really don’t think we’re going to see any all the way down. Now here’s Levert. That one a 10 off line to the right, but drops in for him. And the Hawks lead by one. Grizzlies have gone one of four since the end of the third quarter. Outside Bane at the top of the key. Aldama Bells passes to Aldama. Just five on the clock inside. Pippen can’t hit for Atlanta. They’ve gone two or three from the field to get the fourth quarter start. Back to Levert. The three ball looks good. Is good. That’s his seventh basket in 12 tries from range. Lever’s one of those guys you have to respect his shot. He makes enough beyond where you have to honor him. Now here’s Pippen. Clark outside. Back to Pippen. [Applause] Right at the free throw line again. The miss by Pippen. Atlanta leading by four. [Music] Pass to Buffkin. Levertis 39 on P. Here’s Buffkin. Here’s man off target with his three. Bibbon feeling it out a bit. [Music] Over three and a half minutes through the final quarter now. Pay for three. And again, Memphis no good. Yeah, there’s no reason for the defense to get out on him right now. Just let him keep taking that shot until he shows him he’s going to knock it down. The Grizzlies trail by four. Out to the right wing. Outside Pippen. Clark outside. They could use a bucket. Aldama can’t hit. Not quite enough defense that time around. Just lucky he was off. Levert with it. Stolen by Pippen. Oh, and here comes Pippen all alone. And they pick up two. No hesitation. He just takes off and takes it the distance. Well, the best way to attack is in transition. He recognizes that. Here’s Buffett. Nyang in the corner. Pass to Levert. Shot clock at six. Here’s Buffkin over Pippen. Buffkin. No good. Memphis has gotten just one of four three-pointers to go down for them here in the fourth. Outside Pippen Clark into the lane. It’s good. This game is all even. Looking nimble on the drive there. Once Clark sees an opening in the defense, he’s looking to exploit. [Applause] Now Levert. [Applause] Aldama with the rebound. Aldamas got his fourth rebound with that last one here tonight. Pass to Pippen. And here is Clark [Applause] and Cabella over to help. No good from Clark. Hawks have gone three of eight here in the fourth quarter. Levert the pass to Nang. on the wing man down low. Here’s Capella and foul on the shot. He’ll shoot two at the free throw line. Aggressive move by Capella. His length and athleticism. It’s tough to handle when he gets the ball that deep. [Applause] Two shots. That free throw missing. So Stan, the Grizzlies trio of John Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jiren Jackson Jr. from the outside looking in. What a great base going forward. I agree with that, Kevin. Look, not only are those three outstanding individual players, but they complement each other so well. They’re such a great fit with those three guys. That’s a great base for the future. Greg, since making it to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, the Atlanta Hawks haven’t been that good. And it was hard to tell if that was a Cinderella run at the time, but Kevin looking like that might have been the outlier. The Hawks took some risk to get back there, but it just hasn’t worked. Here’s Young pass to Daniel. [Applause] Now here’s Capella. Young outside. Capella sets a screen for Young. Off the mark and the drop continues. Might be time for a little different approach. This shot hasn’t been fallen here in the second half. The Hawks trailing. [Applause] Here’s Rez outside. Here’s the three. Trains it from beyond the arc. Young’s got 24. And defensively, you have to stay connected to Young all times. But Grizzly’s called timeout. [Applause] Get loud on the court. Who wants a free T-shirt? Let me hear you. [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] Okong checked in for the Hawks. The Grizzlies also making a change. Wells, he’s checked in for Pippen. And let’s head over to the sideline and catch up with David Aldridge. Hi guys. Well, during the break, I was able to catch what the Grizzlies coach was talking about with his team. Now, he’s not happy with the perimeter defense. He told him, “We have to hustle more out to the three-point line because they look real comfortable out there.” Now, I want you contesting every three they put up. We’ll see if that intensity increases on D, guys. Thank you, David. [Applause] Let’s take a second look at that fantastic block. And that is a huge block. Given how close this game is, a stop like that was right on point. [Applause] And so here’s Memphis. They trail by one. There’s the lob to the hoop and taken away by Johnson. In the corner, Daniels three off the mark. Memphis has gotten just one of four three-pointers to go down for them here in the fourth. That one good for two and the Grizzlies lead by one. Time running low, guys. And somebody has got to win this one. Yeah. Well, who knows? We might need overtime in this one. It’s been that kind of a game. Now, here is Young. Okong Woo down low. The shot will not fall. And Morance’s got the ball here for the Memphis Grizzlies. And there’s Wells. That’s good on the assist by Morant. Morance’s got assist number nine now. Wow, what an effort here tonight. Here’s Young. [Applause] Pass to Okongu. Back to Young. Six to shoot. Plenty of space and that one swishes right in. Young’s got 10 points in just the second half. And this is what Young does best. A dynamite offensive player who fills it up in so many ways. The three from Morant. Rebound Atlanta. [Applause] Here’s Daniels and it is flush down with a nice jam. Well, when you move the ball, you open up the defense. Great job to make the self a strike. [Applause] Young against Mor over Young. Okangu grabs the board. Okongu has now got 13 rebounds in the game this evening. And there have been some terrible shot choices here. Kev, that’s not a good look at all. Pass to Mor. [Applause] Fires from deep. And it’s Rezach with the rebound. The Hawks leading Young right side over Bane again. The Hawks score. This is why people are just so high on Young because he comes through with big shots in the game. Morant passes to Bane and the free ball is good. Bane’s got it all tied up now for the Grizzlies. And such a clutch shooter. I mean, he lives with a big shot. And when he’s rolling like this, watch out. Kept to line. Young no good. Grizzly shooting around 37% in the fourth quarter. The minute starting to wear on them. Now here’s Morance. He’s covered by Daniels. And it’s Moring. Pass to Okong. Here’s Young going to go that time. Great te that time from Bane. Morant outside. Here’s the drive. Oh, that’s blocked. Here’s Young. J Morant with the rebound. The Grizzly shooting under 40% all in all for the game. [Music] We’ve got 108 left in the game. It’s good and they get the go-ahead bucket. A huge shot from Moran. Wow. You see why they put the ball in his hands in those situations. Now here is Young. It counts. A huge shot to tie it up. Big time basket at a big time moment. Yeah. Don’t you just love to see a player embrace that kind of pressure? Morance against Young and he gets the whistle. Two free throws coming up. It’s going to be on Trey Young and going up strong inside demonstrates confidence. Mor not afraid to get physical. [Applause] [Applause] He knocks down the clutch free throw. [Applause] [Applause] and Zoe drops them both. It’s a two-point ball game. Yeah, he’s a guy you want at the line and clearly not affected by the moment. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snider. Pivotal moment in this game. He’s not taken any chances. He’ll call time. Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] There’s 48 seconds left in fourth. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Puts it up from 15. Rebound Atlanta. Can’t afford any wasted possessions down the stretch. Yeah, they need everything to break their way at this point if they’re going to rally back. Now, here is Young. Pass to Johnson. Full time. Rebound. Rebound. as you see him starting to heat up and when he turns it on, you got a problem. The Grizzlies called timeout. So, I’m looking at the clock and guys, the situation. What do you think we’re going to see next? This is where great coaching can pay dividends. Well, they’ll likely only get one shot at this. They need to make it count. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] 19 seconds left in the fourth quarter of this one. [Applause] Morant outside. [Applause] It’s good. Well, it doesn’t get any easier than this. They’ll take these shots every time. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snider. The magnitude at this juncture in the game clearly warranting a timeout. Guys, what’s your take on how they maximize their opportunities now? And this is it, guys. Down one. They’ve got just enough time to work it around for a good shot. It better be a good shot because it’s the only shot they have. Here we go. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Young for three. Oh, they shot in a chance but no good. So, a close game sees Memphis take this one. this win. Such a tremendous emotional boost for him. Really an accomplishment and crazy finish to take a road game like this and simply deflate an entire building. And that’ll do it folks with Stan Van Gundy, Greg Anthony, and David Aldridge. This is Kevin Harland saying thanks for watching folks on 2K Sports. But as we go, let’s take a look at our player of the game, John Moran. Monday night broadcast of the NBA here on 2K Sports. In this game, we’ll see the Atlanta Hawks going up against the Memphis Grizzlies. Kevin Arwin here with you. Joining me tonight, Stan Van Gundy and Greg Anthony. Our buddy David Aldridge is on the sideline getting story. Now, a look at Memphis’s starting group. Morant is the point with Bane out on the wing. Wells is out there with Jiren Jackson and it’s Edy in at the pivot manning the middle and for the Hawks in the post it’ll be Johnson and Okongu Trey Young is out there with Daniels and it’s Reza Shay in it the small forward and Stan here we’ve got two of the highest scoring teams in the entire NBA. Yeah, Kevin, there is firepower everywhere with these two teams. So, defensively, you can’t take away everything, but you have to try to take away something. Limit some things, right, coach? You can’t stop everything on the play. Not at all. You’ve got to pick your poison and decide what you can live with. Now, here’s Jackson. Five on the clock. Here’s Mor. That’s good. And it’s Jackson with the assist that time. And no problem for Mor that close to the hoop. Once he gets inside, he makes it look easy. Young inside, guarded by Morant. It’s deflected outside. Bane down low. [Applause] Mor looking around. [Applause] The rebound by Young. And now we’ve got some time to check in from the sideline. You got for us DA? Well, earlier I spoke with Quinn Snder. Desmond Bane was the topic and coach was ausive with his praise. He said Bane is a great catch and shoot guy, but he’ll find ways to contribute no matter what. He also said Bane is hard to game plan for, but they’ll do their best not to let him get in the rhythm. They will have their hands full tonight, guys. Okay, David, much appreciated. That’s a high percentage look when the D doesn’t fight over the screen. Yeah, it’s certainly worth it to disrupt the offense. Coaches notice that extra effort. Now, here is Young. That one drops for him. Oh, crafty move there by Young finessing his way around the contact. Grizzlies have gone two of three here to start out the game. Outside Bane. Bells wide open. The three-pointer. No good. And here’s Daniels driving inside. Yeah, just solid work on the back end of that play. Yep, you’re right. Finish hard with two hands on that stuff. Now Morant. And how sweet a play was that? As sweet as it gets. An exquisite pass to set up the powerful alleyoop dunk. Morance against Young. Johnson with a screen on Morance. Young no good. I’m sure he’d like to have that back. That’s a missed opportunity. And with this era of the Atlanta Hawks, Greg, they’ve gone as far as their defense has let them. You look back at their conference finals run in 21, that was the last time they had a top 10 defense. So scoring’s never been the issue with this core, but defense has been non-existent. Now here is Young following the miss by John Morance and timeout is called by Quinn Snider. This will give him a chance to discuss some potential alterations. [Applause] Go. 4. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] 2 [Applause] go. Young dishes to Johnson and it’s Young that time on the assist by Johnson. Nice job capitalizing down there. Young good at probing inside and finding some space. Morance outside in the corner. It’s Bane. Six to shoot. A three-pointer off the mark. And here’s Young. He’ll bring it up for Atlanta. Here’s Rez. The kick out to Young. with the rebound. Memphis trailing here. Morant passes to Jackson. Nice fake, but the layup off the mark. Not really what we expected. You know, he wants that one back. It’s stolen. Wells with it. He’s picked up by Reese. It’s Mor in the corner. outside Jackson. Good. And a nice assist from Morant. Oh, quick thinking from Jackson when he’s rising and firing fast. You know he’s in the zone. Bounce pass. Young pass to Okongu. Reese with it. A three. Trains the three-pointer. Both teams running perimeter oriented plays that are working well. You know, it’s become a three-point shooting league. Teams shooting a steady diet from outside. Jackson’s gone 59 from the field here in the first. Daniels passes to Johnson offline with his three. Memphis is gone. Just one of four from three-point range here in the first. Top top Bane. Morant right side. Pass to Jackson. [Music] Pops it up. Johnson with the block. And there’s the shot clock violation. Couldn’t get the shot off in time. Lever checked in for Atlanta. And Memphis also making a switch. Santias checked in for Wells. Now here is Young [Music] pass to Okongu [Music] [Applause] and a chance for just a second to check out the scoring breakdown for Atlanta. Well, you know, the analytics guys would tell you a team shouldn’t be taking this many mid-range shots, but clearly they’re shooting them with confidence. Also, they’re getting into the teeth of the defense. Points in the paint. Something coaches always love to see. And he knocks down the first one. Both [Applause] free throws good from Okongu. The Grizzlies trail by four. Pass to Editi. Now here’s Jackson. Memphis moving it around on the Wayne Bane. Avert defending. No good with the triple. The Hawks leading by four. Here is Daniels. Rebounded by Jackson. [Applause] Here’s Elama. He’s covered by Daniels. Moran. That’s for two. It’s in. That’s his third field goal of the game. He’s three for five, guys. That’s just really unstoppable. He poses a ton of matchup problems for whomever he’s facing. Okongu kicks to Johnson. Okong Wu with a screen on Jackson. Johnson dishes to Okong Wu. Levert with a wideopen look. The Hawks again can’t hit. The Grizzlies have gone five of 12 from the field since the opening chip. Count that bucket. Great touch there. It’s just so tough to defend a floater like that. Pass to Daniels. Back to Young. Takes it inside. The shots good on the assist by Daniels. Young’s got six points. And on the drive, Young can be so sudden the defense barely gets a chance to react. Outside Bane back to Mor. Down to five on the shot clock. Memphis needs to get off a shot here. Can’t hit and so Young will bring it up for Atlanta. [Music] Back to Levert. [Music] over to the left wing. Now here’s Okong. He’s covered closely. Yeah, you expect him to make those. Good look. Just couldn’t find the mark. Here’s Bane. A beautiful reverse layup. Baines got his second basket of the game. Well, Morance’s acrobatics often get the attention, but his passing is also elite. And you know, Stan, we’ve watched Desmond Bane evolve into a number one option on offense. He’s always been there, but now he really is at the top of the heat. Yeah, he sure is. Look, Kevin, you know, he came into the league as a three-point shooter, and he’s a great one, but he’s developed his game off the dribble, very good mid-range shooter, and he’s strong enough to finish around the rim. Morant passes to Bane. Out to Morant [Applause] outside Jackson. Good. And a nice assist from Morant. Morance got his fourth assist in this one. Highlevel passer even for a point guard. Morant shows the imagination. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snder. Wants to regroup and go over the strategy. [Music] [Music] Down on the court is your hype spot. Get loud and let them hear you. Who wants a free t-shirt? You know what to do, right? Make some noise. Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] for the Hawks. Clint Cabella, he’s checked in for Okongu. George Niang comes in for Dyson Daniels. Man, subbed in for Young. Brandon Clark, he’s checked in for the Grizzlies. Get open. Pass to man. [Music] Back to Johnson. Pocket six. Nope, not that time. Nothing for two from the field. Memphis leading. Bane passes to Mor. Inside Clark and it’s Clark with the jam. Quick off the floor and powerful. Clark loves to attack that rim. Levert with it. [Applause] Shooting foul. As the whistle blows, he’ll shoot two free throws. team. Yeah, the defender all over the guys. What do you think about the offensive approach so far that we’ve seen for the Grizzlies? Well, I have to applaud their ball movement. They’re moving the ball around, finding the best looks they can, and keeping everyone involved. And also, guys, they’re out musling their opponent. The points in the paint are piling up because of that aggressiveness. And the free throw drops for Levert Rez. He’s checked in for Terrence Man. The Grizzlies also making a change. Jackson’s checked in. Levert hits both of them. And the Grizzlies with possession here. And here’s Morant. He’s got six. Memphis moving it around. And the layup’s good off the glass. Morance got eight. And I’m amazed at Morant’s ability to take contact and still stay in full control. Capella high post. He’s against Clark. Here’s Reese and it’s good for two. Rez got his second bucket of the night. And guys, they continue to put a lot of pressure on the interior defenders with their work down low to the right side to the inside and it’s Moring. Anzo Levert will bring it up. Poor Atlanta. They trail by one. So they take the lead. Levert’s got his second bucket of the game to go. and got to push Lebert out of that area because he’s very comfortable looking to score from there. Outside Bane. Pass to Aldamo. 56 seconds left to play in the first quarter. Morant passes to Bane. Just two to shoot. Leaps for it. No good from outside. got the defender off his feet with the pump fake but couldn’t knock it down with the drive. They get it again. Nang kicks to Levert. Shot clock at six and he gets it to go from the corner. Eight points for him. And how about the playmaking skills of Levert? I like watching this guy break down the D in the pick and roll. Two second difference between shot clock and game clock. Now Morant, he’s got eight. On the Wayne Bane good and a nice assist from Morant. Morance got his sixth assist on the night. Here’s Rezach and he was able to put it up in time but doesn’t fall. Harris Lever has been on display for the Hawks. He notched eight points in the quarter and has that terrific basketball instinct on display. We come back right after this. And if you’re just tuning in, it’s been a pretty even game through the first quarter. And what do you guys think about the Hawks here in this one? Yeah, in that first period, they looked to push in transition at every opportunity. Yeah, they gave the other team no time to breathe. Every time they got the ball, they were off to the races. And you see how effective this aggressive mindset can be. So on the floor to begin things for Memphis here in the second quarter, John Jackson is out there with Santi Alama. Then it’s Luke Canar. Then it’s Pippen and it’s Clark in at the five down low. Here’s Reese. It’s good from long range. Rez got the opening basket here in the second quarter for the Hawks. The Grizzlies trail by three. [Applause] Pippen outside. Clark sets a screen for Jackson and he can’t answer back. The three-pointer offline shooting at 50% in a decent group. Avert in the corner. [Applause] Takes a three. The Grizzlies pull it in. Yeah, and he had the detangled up there with that patented crossover. just couldn’t convert the finish. Pippen the pass to Canard off target from three-point range. The Hawks lead by three. [Music] Porter number two with just over a minute gone. Nang with the ball. No scoring in this one. Rez with it. He’s picked up by Pippen. A nice shot by Levert. And eventually every player GA has to grapple with eight, realizing they’ve lost a step or two against the young fellas. And sometimes that is a very slow realization. Oh, it it is Kevin. Hopefully by that point, it’s less about financial security and more about prolonging the inevitable simply for the love of the game. So, it’s Atlanta now following the three from Jiren Jackson. [Applause] And here in the second, two minutes gone by outside. Pippen puts up a three and it’s Rezach with the rebound. Well, you can tell he thinks he should have had that one. even harder on him when he’s got a good look like that and it doesn’t go down. And those plays can make a difference in a game like this. Well, you know it’s going to fire up Greg. Everybody on that bench and guys, you cannot allow that in a close game. You have to make it harder than that. Levert with it. He’s picked up by Pippet. [Applause] Now Reza 10 points for him. inside. Jackson on him. Stolen by Jackson. And for those of you just joining us in the second quarter with about 3 minutes gone by. No good from Clark. And so Levert will bring it up for the Atlanta Hawks in the second quarter. They’ve given up just three points. Now here’s Levert. [Music] Capella with a screen on Pit. Here’s Levert. The shot comes out. Some solid defense there from Jackson. Now Dama passes to Jackson. Here’s Pippen. And another miss by Memphis. The Hawks leading by four. Here’s Levert and Pippen pulls it down. Memphis has gone one of four from three-point range in the second. Not a whole lot dropping out there for them. Atlanta with the rebound. [Applause] Now here’s Levert. Capella sets a screen for Reese. No good on the triple. The Grizzlies trail by four. and Reza the prototypical size and skill for a wingman. Yeah, he’s got some jelly to his game. Handle, touch at his size that becomes very tough to contain. Now here is Levert. Brandon Clark missing his last shot. Capella sets a screen for Reza. Pass the man. It’s Clark with the rebound. When the defense is playing off you like that, you want to be able to convert, but that time he just couldn’t get it done. The three Pippen Atlanta with the rebound. Nang’s got his fifth rebound right now in the game. To the middle. Here’s Capella. He trains the turnaround jump shot. Cabela’s got the lead up to six now for the Hawks. And it could have been a foul call. Caught the shot as well. Capella maintains the focus though and finishes. So, timeout call here. The first for Memphis. Trying to find some answers offensively. Yeah, they just have to be more patient, less forcing and more passing. [Applause] It’s an ATL. Heat. [Applause] Heat. Atlanta making some changes. Okong Woo checked in for Capella. Young is subbed in for Riza. Then for the Grizzlies. Wells is checked in for Santi Aldama. Bane comes in for Luke Canar and it’s Morant in for Pippen [Applause] on the Wayne Bane. Avert defending Morance against Young and that one’s good. Morant. If you give him an inch of space, he’s going to make you pay. Atlanta leading by four. Okongu with a screen on Bane. The open shot. Levert. It’s good. Yeah. Basket. He’s now five for nine. And Levert is playing with such passion on offense. He’s just not afraid to play a big role on that end. Now here’s Morance. He’s got 10. Count that one. and 12 points for John Mor. The Hawks have gone five of 11 from the field since the beginning of the second quarter. Avert against Baine from 20 ft out and it’s going to be out of bounds. The Hawks will retain possession. Johnson, he’s checked in for the Hawks. Daniels comes in for Caris Levert. Santi Aldamas checked in for Memphis. [Applause] Morance against Young. It’s rebounded by Memphis. Wells in the corner. No good on the three. The Hawks leading by four. shot from free throw range and good as it just snugs right down through the net. And how I like the resourcefulness Young brings to the table, taking any shot he can create. Back to Morant. Two free throws coming up and they call the shooting foul. It’s going to go on on Okongu. Memphis shooting their first free throws of this and typically a strength of theirs 79% on the season. That’s good from Morance. Stan, we talk about this every night. So much great young talent coming into the NBA. Is there one player though in particular who right now stands out to you? But I have to say Kevin Victor Wimyama. I don’t know that we have ever seen a guy of that size do the things that he does. Now you can say, well, what about Nicoola Jokic? Well, Nicole Yic, first of all, is not Victor Wimbean’s size and then Victor’s handle and his length. The guy’s incredible. He’s going to be the face of the NBA for a long, long time. Here’s Morant following the basket by Tion. Outside Jackson pass to Wells and here is Bane. Six on the shot clock. The Grizzlies with another miss. The Hawks working the ball around. Young with the ball. He’s picked up by Morant. Okang Wu down low. He’s against Clark. The Grizzlies trail by six. Bane finds Jackson. And it’s hard to pick a more electrifying player in the league than John Moran. He explodes off the floor. He’s gone two for two at the line so far. And with a percentage of 82, he’s been one of their more dependable shooters from the line. That’s good from Morance. And the Hawks making a change here. Rez checked in. Both free throws good from Morant. And timeout is called by Quinn Snider. He wants to check in with his team and regroup. [Music] If you see yourself, you know what to do. [Music] [Applause] Good day. [Music] You need I’m alone. Let’s hear it from all the [Applause] The Hawks leading by four. Pass to Young. [Music] And here is Okongu. Fouled in the act of shooting. Gets the bucket anyway. So, a three-point play chance for him. And although he’s smaller, Young willing to battle inside and shows you he can score through contact. We’re talking about Trey Young here. G. What stands out most about him to you? Well, Kevin, I I’d say just how confident he is, right? He he plays with that unique energy and swagger. You love him if he’s on your team and can’t stand him if he’s playing against you. And that one misses. and Young, a fiery competitor, someone who enjoys getting under the skin of opposing players. Just five to shoot. Loud up there for Justin. Hammers the alleyoop through. Oh, and the lead gets bigger on a ridiculous offensive sequence. That dunk alone would have been spectacular. Never mind it coming at the end of an alleyoop. Now here’s Clark. Steps back. Grant Trey Young grabs the miss. [Applause] Chance there to push it to double digits, but it’s off the mark. Bane kicks to Mor. [Applause] Pass to Clark. Outside Jackson. [Applause] It’s good. He makes his first shot of the game. And guys, we talk all the time about making the extra pass. Clark there proving how important that concept is. Now, here is Young. 12 points for him. [Applause] It’s rebounded by Memphis. Clark’s got five rebounds tonight. Pass to Mor. [Music] Here’s Clark outside. Bane. Clark sets a screen for Bane and the three off target. And they had some boxed coverage that turned into no coverage. They get the rebound. You know, you can’t be overzealous inside when you guard Young. You got to be better at contesting without fouling. He’s 01 from the line, missing on his first trip. In their last contest, guys, he was unconscious from the foul line. That free throw no good. And we’re seeing some big paydays for NBA head coaches these days. Stan, uh, do you miss it? Do I miss the paychecks? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Payday was always really good in the NBA. No question about that. What about now though? What about now? Well, it’s gone through the roof, but look, the tradeoff is the paydays are big, but there’s not a great deal of job security. Now here’s Morance. 16 points for him. [Applause] The Grizzlies have looked good at the line. They’re perfect in four attempts. Two shots. [Applause] That one is off. And the second free throw. Good. [Applause] And so it’s Atlanta with it. Six-point lead. 149 left in the first half. Reza, misses the three. The Grizzly shooting a lackluster 38% for the game. Struggling so far. And it’s thrown down hard with both hands. Oh, and he went for the two-hander on the slam using some muscle. Some urgency from him there. Sure. Johnson dishes to Young. [Applause] Edy with the rebound. Ed’s got five rebounds tonight. We’ve got 113 left to play here in the second quarter. And it’s Reese with the rebound. Brieza’s got four rebounds in this game. Here’s Young on the arc. Good on the triple. Young’s got 16. Nice and composed on that three there. Trey giving his fundamentals all of his attention. Here’s Mor number 12 goes in. He’s made seven of 12 now. Well, all of us coaches, we love when you can create looks in close. Young pass to Daniels. to the wing on the left. A wide open look here for Okongu. The shots good on the assist by Daniel. That’s a high percentage look when the D doesn’t fight over the screen. Yeah, it’s certainly worth it to disrupt the offense. Coaches notice that extra effort. Now here’s Wells. Hasn’t made one yet. Trills it from outside. And guys, he’s been a one-man air raid coming at them time and time again. Well, what I love about his three-point shooting is the spacing that he’s adding. It makes things a lot easier for everyone else. Young with the ball. 16 points for him. Okongu with a screen on Morance. And here’s Young from the arc. Trey Young. He’s feeling it tonight and has been the driving force for the Hawks. He got into double digits for the quarter with 10 points total. And now let’s catch up with David Aldridge who’s standing by from the sideline. All right, Dave. Thank you, Kevin. With coach Quinn Snder, Quinn, what has to happen in the second half? Well, we got to keep getting stops and really just make plays. Make plays on the offensive end and be solid defensively. No, no magic. It’s a pretty simple game, right, Coach? Thanks for your time. Back to you, Kevin. Thank you, David. And we’ll be back for the third quarter of action following halftime. director of team to center court and get ready for the man have fun shot. They’re thinking about the shot. [Applause] One more time for the dip. And we’ve got second half action for you. Thus far, a pretty evenly contested game, guys. John Morant has been sensational. His play so far is what fans love about him. He has gone right at the defense time and time again. Yeah, he hasn’t been settling. He’s getting to the rim. And that’s him at his best. [Applause] And so Young will bring it up for the Hawks. Four-point game. A front court is Rez and Johnson. Daniels out there with Young and it’s Okong in its center. So that’s the lineup for Atlanta. And the great shooters know when they’ve got enough opening to go for the three. I didn’t think it was a bad choice on that possession. Atlanta leading by four. to the paint. Here’s Daniels. Back in coming off the assist from Young. Daniels has got six. Terrific play call to give him a clean look at the rim. That’s how you want to start the second half. Yeah, I like how they’re establishing their interior presence right away. That’s going to collapse the defense and create other opportunities. Now, here’s Morance. High effort play by Moran. He refuses to let the foul stop him from getting the shot. The Grizzlies shooting their seventh and eighth free throw attempts for the game right here. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. And the first one drops. Both free throws good from Morant. The Hawks leading by four. And for those of you turning in, we’re about a minute into the second half. The Grizzly shooting 40% from the field. [Music] Bane looking around. Lock at six. Pass to Jackson. Over Johnson. rebound Atlanta. Right around a minute and a half play here in the third quarter and that one’s good. Rezo Shane, that’s inexcusable defense right there. You got to contest the shot better than that. Young against Morant. Now Bane launches a three and again Memphis no good. A bit of pride at stake trying to get that last three ball back but couldn’t get it. And Johnson with the stop taking it to the rack with power hammering down the two hand slam. They’ve been struggling here on offense. Yeah, a bit of a dry spell for sure. Here’s Mor and he uses the glass on the lane. Morance’s got 22. And what a show Morant is putting on. Every time he touches the ball, you feel like he’s going to score. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snider. And coach has decided they need a moment to talk things over. [Music] Go. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Just under two and a half minutes into the third quarter now. And so Young will bring it up for the Atlanta Hawks. Johnson with a screen on Morant and foul on the shot. So he’ll get a chance at the line. So clever at creating contact. Young looks to shoot it so often which really forces defenders to overcommit at times. He’s off on the first. and he’s good on the second. A touch over two and a half minutes of basketball played here in the third quarter. Morant outside. Atlanta with the rebound. O’ Conro’s now got doubledigit rebounds now in the game and Johnson with the stop. Oh, and the lead gets bigger on a ridiculous offensive sequence. That dunk alone would have been spectacular. Never mind it coming at the end of an alleyoop. Now here’s Wells still without a basket. Payne for three. Score the basket. His fifth of the game. He’s missed six shots against those five makes. Well, those go down for him in his sleep. Just under three and a half minutes played here in the third quarter. As Rez tried to answer back, but that three is off the mark. The Grizzlies trail by seven. Now Wells. Payton for three. Atlanta with the rebound. Johnson’s got his fourth rebound with that last one here tonight. Here’s Daniels. Solid play in the low block and that one’s good. Daniels has got eight points. [Applause] Now here’s Morant. He’s got 22 out of bounds. It’ll go to the Hawks. The latest now from our sideline reporter, David Aldridge. David, it’s all yours. Take it away, Kevin. Thanks. A move that likely helped the league’s parody has been shortening max contract lengths. Commissioner Silver says, “We used to refer to it as dead money. A star player toward those n years sitting on the bench. We’ve reduced max contracts to five years and in some cases six. This way it moves to more pay for performance.” Kevin, I think, DA, that’s a pretty good business decision. It’s going to have nice ramifications. And every year, and Greg, we agree, Bane seems to get better and better as a playmaker. Doesn’t overdo anything with his passing. looks more and more comfortable creating off the drive and kick. He’s become a large part of this offensive engine. And here’s Young following John Morance three. And it’s Reese missing pass to Wells. [Music] And it’s Reese with the rebound. Rez has got five rebounds tonight. Young Pascal Card and contact on the shot. So he’ll be shooting free throws here. Jack picks one up. Yeah, good job to take it right at the deep for Atlanta. They have shot 67% from the line going six of nine. And the first one at the line is good. Both free throws good from Okongu. [Applause] The Grizzlies trail by eight. And here’s Morant. 25 points in the game. Outside for Jackson, no good from outside. Atlanta’s gone one of four in three-point shots here in the third. Pass to Johnson. Here’s Reese. 13 points in the game. From deep. Six to shoot. Atlanta again missing. He just doesn’t look like himself this quarter. Something’s missing. Yeah. And sometimes guys just start pressing. The best thing for him is to just slow it down and concentrate on solid shot selection. Here’s Young after the basket by Jiren Jackson. Pass to Rezer. Wells grabs the miss. The Grizzlies trail by six. out to the right wing outside. Bane fires the three. Johnson with the rebound. Johnson’s got his fifth rebound right now in the game. [Applause] Pass to Rez the train. 16 points for Rez. And so it’s Memphis with it. They’ve been looking out of sync offensively. Yeah, that their offense has ground to a standstill. And that one’s good. Morant not to be outstaged. Morant saying right back at you. The Hawks leading by six. Pass to Omu. [Music] Back to Young. Uses the glass to finish the layup. Young’s got 19 points. Yeah, he’s in such a great rhythm right now. Makes sense to get him the ball any way you can. Yeah, when you have a guy playing like he has been recently, he’s got to be the first option on every possession. Now, here’s Bane. He’s got 12. And he has been ice cold from beyond the arc here since halftime. and he continues yet to fire away. He has got to tone it down if he wants to help his team. Jackson against Johnson. Young from outside, the Grizzlies pull it in. And close to making the defense pay for the lack coverage that time. Morant outside a shape and he hammers that one down right in the face of Okongu and he can get to the rim with the best of him. Morant always finds a way. Young with the ball. 19 points in the game. Pass to Rez on the wing. Johnson. Here is Daniels now. Rez Young for three, but Grizzlies pull it in. Jackson’s got his fifth rebound in this one. Outside Bane lets it go with a three and it’s Reza with the rebound. Reza’s got six rebounds here tonight. Johnson right side Oku with screen. Here is Rez and the rebound by Jiren Jackson. Jackson’s got six rebounds now in the game. Wells kicks to Mor into the lane and Mor throws it down. How about the authority from Moran? The the way he was running, you knew he was aiming to shatter the rim. Here is Daniels. He’s got eight now. Here’s Okonwood. Pass to Young. Five to shoot. What a terrific move that was. Young’s got five points now this quarter. And this game belongs to Young right now. And he is simply making everything. Now Jackson. Good D by Johnson. The Hawks leading by six. To the middle. Here’s Rez. It’s rebounded by Memphis. Wells has got his fourth rebound with that last one here tonight. And a wide open look for Bane. Good. And a nice assist from Morant. Morance got his eighth assist in the game. Young dishes to O Conwood. Pass to Daniels. Rez with it. Johnson kicks to Daniels. Young gets Mor shoots. Young’s shot is off. The Grizzlies trail by three. Bane passes to Morant with a tie and they get it back. Jackson finds Morant and three chances on that possession, but they just couldn’t find a way to score. Reza with it now guarded by Wells [Music] and 101 left to play in the third. acted Daniels. Shot clock at five. Atlanta needs to get off a shot here. A shot by Okong Woo. No good. Excellent coverage defensively making it hard on him. Morant outside. Can’t tie it up as that one misses. And so it’s Young who brings it up for the Atlanta Hawks. They’ve led by as much as 10. [Applause] lets it go from deep and the rebound by Jiren Jackson. Jackson’s got his eighth rebound here tonight. To the wing, right side. Bane kicks to Mor. There’s the triple and he’s good on the three ball. Morance got the game tied up here for the Grizzlies. And they have been relentless from deep and you see the defense trying to react, but to no avail. Look, when the three is falling like this, there’s not a whole lot you can do defensively. Tie game in Atlanta. And time to step aside quickly, but we’ll be back in no time with the start of the fourth quarter. here. Now, a chance to show you our assist of the game and it’s presented as always by State Farm. And I’m glad this was the pick because I love this pass. Such a great dish. That’s what I call court vision. Yeah, he puts that pass right on the money and made things look easy for his teammates. And it’s been a very competitive game so far as we get rolling here in quarter number four on the court for Memphis to start the fourth. We’ve got Santi Alama Pippen is out there with Desmond Bane. Then there’s Wells and it’s Clark and at the center filling out the middle. Aldama inside working on NA. Here’s [Music] Buffkin defended by Pippen. [Applause] [Music] Pass to man. Capella trying to free himself up. Basket counts. Man has got the fourth quarter going with the first basket of the period here for the Hawks. Memphis trailing here. [Music] And here’s Pippen. Clark sets a screen for Pippen. And Capella sends it back. Quick off the floor. Has that long reach. Capella there with the intimidation to the inside. Here’s Nang. Got him with the pump fake but couldn’t finish. for Memphis. They’ve gone 0 of three to start the fourth quarter. And it’s Pippen in the corner. Memphis moving that ball around. Pass to Clark. Wells with it. Now here’s Pippen. Sinks the triple. Pippen’s got himself on the board with three there. Game winding down and they just keep changing leads. And guys, no separation yet. And I really don’t think we’re going to see any all the way down. Now here’s Levert. That one a 10 off line to the right, but drops in for him. And the Hawks lead by one. Grizzlies have gone one of four since the end of the third quarter. Outside Bane at the top of the key. Aldamo. Bells passes to El Dama. Just five on the clock inside. Pippen can’t hit for Atlanta. They’ve gone two or three from the field to get the fourth quarter start. Back to Levert. A three ball. Looks good. Is good. That’s his seventh basket in 12 tries from range. Levert’s one of those guys you have to respect his shot. He makes enough beyond where you have to honor him. Now here’s Pippen. Clark outside. Back to Pippen. [Applause] Right at the free throw line again. The miss by Pippen. Atlanta leading by four. [Music] Pass to Buffkin. [Music] Levertis 39 pip. Here’s Buffkin. Here’s man off target with this three. Nibbon feeling it out a bit. [Music] Over three and a half minutes through the final quarter now. Pay for three. And again, Memphis no good. Yeah, there’s no reason for the defense to get out on him right now. Just let him keep taking that shot until he shows them he’s going to knock it down. The Grizzlies trail by four. Out to the right wing outside. Pippen Clark outside. They can use a bucket. Aldama can’t hit. Not quite enough defense that time around. Just lucky he was off. Levert with it. Stolen by Pippen. Oh, and here comes Pippen all alone. And they pick up two. No hesitation. He just takes off and takes it the distance. Well, the best way to attack is in transition. He recognizes that. Here’s Buffett. Nang in the corner. Pass to Levert. Shot clock at six. Here’s Buffkin. Over Pippen. Buffkin. No good. Memphis has gotten just one of four three-pointers to go down for them here in the fourth. Outside. Pippen. Clark into the lane. It’s good. This game is all even. Looking nimble on the drive there. Once Clark sees an opening in the defense, he’s looking to exploit. [Applause] Now, Levert [Applause] Aldama with the rebound. Aldama’s got his fourth rebound with that last one here tonight. Pass to Pippen. And here is Clark [Applause] and Capella over to help. No good from Clark. Hawks have gone three of eight here in the fourth quarter. Levert the pass to Nang [Applause] on the wing man down low. Here’s Capella and foul on the shot. He’ll shoot two at the free throw line. Aggressive move by Capella. His length and athleticism. It’s tough to handle when he gets the ball that deep. [Applause] Two shots. That free throw missing. So Stan, the Grizzlies trio of Jean Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jiren Jackson Jr. Well, from the outside looking in, what a great base going forward. I agree with that, Kevin. Look, not only are those three outstanding individual players, but they complement each other so well. They’re such a great fit with those three guys. That’s a great base for the future. Greg, since making it to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, the Atlanta Hawks haven’t been that good. And it was hard to tell if that was a Cinderella run at the time, but Kevin looking like that might have been the outlier. The Hawks took some risk to get back there, but it just hasn’t worked. Here’s Young. [Music] Pass to Daniel. [Applause] Now here’s Capella. Young outside. Capella sets a screen for Young. Off the mark and the drop continues. Might be time for a little different approach. His shot hasn’t been falling here in the second half. The Hawks trailing. [Applause] Here’s Rez outside. Here’s the three. Trains it from beyond the arc. Young’s got 24. And defensively, you have to stay connected to Young at all times. But Briley’s called timeout. [Applause] Get loud. On the court is your hot spot. Who want the free T-shirt? [Music] [Applause] [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Applause] Woo! Checked in for the Hawks. The Grizzlies also making a change. Wells, he’s checked in for Pippen. And let’s head over to the sideline and catch up with David Aldridge. Hi guys. Well, during the break, I was able to catch what the Grizzlies coach was talking about with his team. Now, he’s not happy with the perimeter defense. He told them, “We have to hustle more out to the three-point line because they look real comfortable out there.” Now, I want you contesting every three they put up. We’ll see if that intensity increases on D, guys. Thank you, David. [Applause] Let’s take a second look at that fantastic block. And that is a huge block. Given how close this game is, a stop like that was right on point. [Applause] And so here’s Memphis. They trail by one. There’s the lob to the hoop and taken away by Johnson. In the corner, Daniels three off the mark. Memphis has gotten just one of four three-pointers to go down for them here in the fourth. That one good for two. And the Grizzlies lead by one. Time running low, guys. And somebody has got to win this one. Yeah. Well, who knows? We might need overtime in this one. It’s been that kind of a game. Now, here is Young Okong down low. The shot will not fall. And Morance’s got the ball here for the Memphis Grizzlies. And there’s Wells. That’s good on the assist by Morant. Morance’s got assist number nine now. Wow, what an effort here tonight. Here’s Young. Pass to Okongu. Back to Young. Six to shoot. Plenty of space and that one swishes right in. Young’s got 10 points in just the second half. And this is what Young does best. A dynamite offensive player who fills it up in so many ways. The three from Morant. Rebound Atlanta. [Applause] Here’s Daniels and it is flushed down with a nice jam. Well, when you move the ball, you open up the defense. Great job to make the self-destruct. [Applause] Young against Mor over Young. Okongru grabs the board. Okongru’s now got 13 rebounds in the game seating. And there have been some terrible shot choices here. Kev, that’s not a good look at all. Pass to Mor. [Applause] Fires from deep. And it’s Reza with the rebound. The Hawks leading Young right side over Bane again. The Hawks score. This is why people are just so high on Young because he comes through with big shots in the game. Morant passes to Bane and the free ball is good. Haynes got it all tied up now for the Grizzlies. Yeah. And such a clutch shooter. I mean, he lives with a big shot. And when he’s rolling like this, watch out. Kept to wide. Young no good. Grizzly shooting around 37% in the fourth quarter. The minutes started to wear on them. Now here’s Morance. He’s covered by Daniels. And it’s Moring. Pass to Okongu. Here’s Young that time. Great te that time from Bane. Morant outside. Here’s the drive. Oh, that’s blocked. Here’s Young. J Morant with the rebound. The Grizzlies shooting under 40% all in all for the game. [Music] We’ve got 108 left in the game. It’s good and they get the go-ahead bucket. A huge shot from Moran. Wow. You see why they put the ball in his hands in those situations. Now here is Young. It counts. A huge shot to tie it up. Big time basket at a big time moment. Yeah. Don’t you just love to see a player embrace that kind of pressure. Morance against Young and he gets the whistle. Two free throws coming up. It’s going to be on Trey Young. And going up strong inside demonstrates confidence. Mor not afraid to get physical. [Applause] break. [Applause] He knocks down the clutch free throw. [Applause] [Applause] and Zoey drops them both. It’s a two-point ball game. Yeah, he’s a guy you want at the line and clearly not affected by the moment and we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snder. Pivotal moment in this game. He’s not taking any chances. He’ll call time. Starter. [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] There’s 48 seconds left in fourth. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Puts it up from 15. Rebound Atlanta. She can’t afford any wasted possessions down the stretch. Yeah, they need everything to break their way at this point if they’re going to rally back. Now, here is Young. Pass to Johnson. Full time. Guys, you see him starting to heat up and when he turns it on, you got a problem. The Grizzlies called timeout. So, I’m looking at the clock and guys, the situation. What do you think we’re going to see next? This is where great coaching can pay dividends. Well, they’ll likely only get one shot at this. They need to make it count. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat up here. [Applause] 19 seconds left in the fourth quarter of this one. [Applause] Morant outside. [Applause] It’s good. Well, it doesn’t get any easier than this. They’ll take these shots every time. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snider. The magnitude at this juncture in the game clearly warranting a timeout. Guys, what’s your take on how they maximize their opportunities now? And this is it, guys. down one. They’ve got just enough time to work it around for a good shot. And it better be a good shot because it’s the only shot they have. Keep it going. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Young for three. Oh, they shot in a chance but no good. So, a close game sees Memphis take this one. this win. Such a tremendous emotional boost for him. Really an accomplishment and crazy finish to take a road game like this and simply deflate an entire building. And that’ll do it folks with Stan Van Gundy, Greg Anthony, and David Aldridge. This is Kevin Harland saying thanks for watching folks on 2K Sports. But as we go, let’s take a look at our player of the game, John Moran. Monday night broadcast of the NBA here on 2K Sports. In this game, we’ll see the Atlanta Hawks going up against the Memphis Grizzlies. Kevin Arwin here with you. Joining me tonight, Stan Van Gundy and Greg Anthony. Our buddy David Aldridge is on the sideline getting story. Now, a look at Memphis’s starting group. Morant is the point with Bane out on the wing. Wells is out there with Jiren Jackson and it’s Edy in at the pivot manning the middle and for the Hawks in the post it’ll be Johnson and Okongu Trey Young is out there with Daniels and it’s Reza Shay in it the small forward and Stan here we’ve got two of the highest scoring teams in the entire NBA. Yeah, Kevin, there is firepower everywhere with these two teams. So, defensively, you can’t take away everything, but you have to try to take away something. Limit some things, right, coach? You can’t stop everything on the play. Not at all. You’ve got to pick your poison and decide what you can live with. Now, here’s Jackson. Five on the clock. Here’s Mor. That’s good. And it’s Jackson with the assist that time. And no problem for Mor that close to the hoop. Once he gets inside, he makes it look easy. Young inside, guarded by Mor. It’s deflected outside. Bane down low. [Applause] Mor looking around. [Applause] The rebound by Young. And now we’ve got some time to check in from the sideline. You got for us DA? Well, earlier I spoke with Quinn Snider. Desmond Bane was the topic. Coach was ausive with his praise. He said Bane is a great catch and shoot guy, but he’ll find ways to contribute no matter what. He also said Bane is hard to game plan for, but they’ll do their best not to let him get in rhythm. They will have their hands full tonight, guys. Okay, David, much appreciated. That’s a high percentage look when the D doesn’t fight over the screen. Yeah, it’s certainly worth it to disrupt the offense. Coaches notice that extra effort. Now, here is Young. That one drops for him. Oh, crafty move there by Young finessing his way around the contact. Grizzlies have gone two of three here to start out the game. Outside Bane Bells wide open the three-pointer. No good. And here’s Daniels driving inside. Yeah, just solid work on the back end of that play. Yep, you’re right. Finish hard with two hands on that stuff. Now Morant. And how sweet a play was that? As sweet as it gets. An exquisite pass to set up the powerful alleyoop dunk. Morance against Young. Johnson with a screen on Morance. Young no good. I’m sure he’d like to have that back. That’s a missed opportunity. And with this era of the Atlanta Hawks, Greg, they’ve gone as far as their defense has let them. You look back at their conference finals run in 21, that was the last time they had a top 10 defense. So scoring’s never been the issue with this core, but defense has been non-existent. Now here is Young following the miss by John Morant. And timeout is called by Quinn Snider. This will give him a chance to discuss some potential alterations. [Applause] Go 4. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Applause] Yeah. [Applause] Young dishes to Johnson. And it’s Young that time on the assist by Johnson. Nice job capitalizing down there. Young good at probing inside and finding some space. corner. It’s Bane. Six to shoot. A three-pointer off the mark. And here’s Young. He’ll bring it up for Atlanta. Here’s Reese. The kick out to Young. Edy with the rebound. Memphis trailing here. Morant passes to Jackson. Nice fake, but the layup off the mark. Not really what we expected. You know, he wants that one back. It’s stolen. Wells with it. He’s picked up by Rezach. It’s Mor in the corner. Outside Jackson. Good. And a nice assist from Mor. Oh, quick thinking from Jackson. When he’s rising and firing fast, you know he’s in the zone. Bounce pass. Young pass to Okongu with it. A three trains the three-pointer. Both teams running perimeter oriented plays that are working. Well, you know, it’s become a three-point shooting league. Teams shooting a steady diet from outside. Jackson’s gone 59 from the field here in the first. Daniels passes to Johnson. Offline with his three. Memphis is gone. Just one of four from three-point range here in the first. Up top. Bane. Morant right side. Pass to Jackson. [Music] Pops it up. Johnson with the block. And there’s the shot clock violation. Couldn’t get the shot off in time. Levert checked in for Atlanta. And Memphis also making a switch. Santias checked in for Wells. Now here is Young [Music] Pass to Okongu [Music] and a chance for just a second to check out the scoring breakdown for Atlanta. Well, you know, the analytics guys would tell you a team shouldn’t be taking this many mid-range shots, but clearly they’re shooting them with confidence. Also, they’re getting into the teeth of the defense. Points in the paint. Something coaches always love to see. And he knocks down the first one. Both [Applause] free throws good from Okongu. The Grizzlies trail by four. Pass to Editi. Now here’s Jackson. Memphis moving it around on the Wayne Bane. Avert defending. No good with the triple. The Hawks leading by four. Here is Daniels. Rebounded by Jackson. [Applause] Here’s Aldama. He’s covered by Daniels. Moran for two. It’s in. That’s his third field goal of the game. He’s three for five, guys. That’s just really unstoppable. He poses a ton of matchup problems for whomever he’s facing. Okongu kicks to Johnson. Okong Wu with a screen on Jackson. Johnson dishes to Okong Wu. Levert with a wideopen look. The Hawks again can’t hit. The Grizzlies have gone five of 12 from the field since the opening chip. Count that bucket. Great touch there. It’s just so tough to defend a floater like that. Pass to Daniels. Back to Young. Takes it inside. The shots good on the assist by Daniels. Young’s got six points. And on the drive, Young can be so sudden the defense barely gets a chance to react. Outside Bane back to Mor. Down to five on the shot clock. Memphis needs to get off a shot here. Can’t hit and so Young will bring it up for Atlanta. [Music] Back to Levert. [Music] over to the left wing. Now here’s Okong. He’s covered closely. Yeah, you expect him to make those. Good look. Just couldn’t find the mark. Here’s Bane. A beautiful reverse layup. Baines got his second basket of the game. Well, Morance’s acrobatics often get the attention, but his passing is also elite. And you know, Stan, we’ve watched Desmond Bane evolve into a number one option on offense. He’s always been there, but now he really is at the top of the heat. Yeah, he sure is. Look, Kevin, you know, he came into the league as a three-point shooter, and he’s a great one, but he’s developed his game off the dribble, very good mid-range shooter, and he’s strong enough to finish around the rim. Morant passes to Bane. Out to Morant [Applause] outside Jackson. Good. And a nice assist from Morant. Morance got his fourth assist in this one. Highlevel passer even for a point guard. Morant shows the imagination. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snider. Wants to regroup and go over the strategy. [Music] [Music] down the court. It’s your hype spot. Get loud and let them hear you. Who wants a free t-shirt? You know what to do, right? Make some noise. Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] [Applause] for the Hawks. Clint Cabella, he’s checked in for Okongu. George Niang comes in for Dyson Daniels. Man subbed in for Young. Brandon Clark, he’s checked in for the Grizzlies. Pass the man. [Music] Back to Johnson. Pocket six. Nope, not that time. Nothing for two for the field. Memphis leading Bane passes to Mor inside. Clark and it’s Clark with the jam. Quick off the floor and powerful. Clark loves to attack that rim. Levert with it. [Applause] Shooting foul as the whistle blows. He’ll shoot two free throws. Yeah, the defender all over. Guys, what do you think about the offensive approach so far that we’ve seen for the Grizzlies? Well, I have to applaud their ball movement. They’re moving the ball around, finding the best looks they can, and keeping everyone involved. And also, guys, they’re out musling their opponent. The points in the paint are piling up because of that aggressiveness. And the free throw drops for Levert. Rez, he’s checked in for Terrence Man. The Grizzlies also making a change. Jackson’s checked in. Levert hits both of them and the Grizzlies with possession here And here’s Morant. He’s got six. Memphis moving it around and the layup’s good off the glass. Morance got eight. Yeah, I’m amazed at Morance’s ability to take contact and still stay in full control. Capella high post. He’s against Clark. Here’s Reza and it’s good for two. Rez has got his second bucket of the night. And guys, they continue to put a lot of pressure on the interior defenders with their work down low to the right side to the inside and it’s Moring. Anzo Levert will bring it up for Atlanta. They trail by one. So they take the lead. Levert’s got his second bucket of the game to go and got to push Levert out of that area because he’s very comfortable looking to score from there. Outside Bane pass to Elamo. 56 seconds left to play in the first quarter. Morant passes to Bane. Just two to shoot. leaps for it. No good from outside. Got the defender off his feet with the pump fake but couldn’t knock it down with the drive. They get it again. Nang kicks to Levert. Shot clock at six. And he gets it to go from the corner. Eight points for him. And how about the playmaking skills of Levert? I like watching this guy break down the D in the pick and roll. Two second difference between shot clock and game clock. Now Morant, he’s got eight. On the Wayne Bane good and a nice assist from Morant. Morance got his sixth assist on the night. Here’s Rezache and he was able to put it up in time but doesn’t fall. Harris Lever has been on display for the Hawks. He notched eight points in the quarter and has that terrific basketball instinct on display. We come back right after this. And if you’re just tuning in, it’s been a pretty even game through the first quarter. And what do you guys think about the Hawks here in this one? Yeah, in that first period, they looked to push in transition at every opportunity. Yeah, they gave the other team no time to breathe. Every time they got the ball, they were off to the races. And you see how effective this aggressive mindset can be. So on the floor to begin things for Memphis here in the second quarter, Jackson is out there with Santi Alama. Then it’s Luke Canar. Then it’s Pippen and it’s Clark in at the five down low. Here’s Reese. It’s good from long range. Rez got the opening basket here in the second quarter for the Hawks. The Grizzlies trail by three. [Applause] Pippen outside. Clark sets a screen for Jackson and he can’t answer back. The three-pointer offline shooting at 50% in a decent group. Avert in the corner. [Applause] Takes a three. The Grizzlies pull it in. Yeah, and he had the detangled up there with that patented crossover. just couldn’t convert the finish. Pippen, the pass to Can off target from three-point range. The Hawks lead by three. [Music] Porter number two with just over a minute gone. Nang with the ball. No scoring in this one. Rez with it. He’s picked up by Pippen. A nice shot by Levert. And eventually every player GA has to grapple with eight, realizing they’ve lost a step or two against the young fellas. And sometimes that is a very slow realization. Oh, it it is Kevin. Hopefully by that point, it’s less about financial security and more about prolonging the inevitable simply for the love of the game. So, it’s Atlanta now following the three from Jiren Jackson. [Applause] And here in the second, two minutes gone by outside. Pippen puts up a three and it’s Rezach with the rebound. Well, you can tell he thinks he should have had that one. even harder on him when he’s got a good look like that and it doesn’t go down. And those plays can make a difference in a game like this. Well, you know it’s going to fire up Greg. Everybody on that bench and guys, you cannot allow that in a close game. You have to make it harder than that. Levert with it. He’s picked up by Pippet. Now Reza 10 points for him. inside. Jackson on him. Stolen by Jackson. [Applause] And for those of you just joining us in the second quarter with about 3 minutes gone by. No good from Clark. And so Levert will bring it up for the Atlanta Hawks. In the second quarter, they’ve given up just three points. Now here’s Levert. [Music] Capella with a screen on Pit. Here’s Levert. The shot comes out. Some solid defense there from Jackson. Now Dama passes to Jackson. Here’s Pippen. And another miss by Memphis. The Hawks leading by four. Here’s Levert and Pippen pulls it down. Memphis has gone one of four from three-point range in the second. Not a whole lot dropping out there for them. Atlanta with the rebound. [Applause] Now here’s Levert. Capella sets a screen for Reese. No good on the triple. The Grizzlies trail by four. and Reza the prototypical size and skill for a wingman. Yeah, he’s got some jelly to his game. Handle, touch at his size that becomes very tough to contain. Now here is Levert. Brandon Clark missing his last shot. Capella sets a screen for Reza. Pass the man. It’s Clark with the rebound. When the defense is playing off like that, you want to be able to convert, but that time he just couldn’t get it done. The three Pippen Atlanta with the rebound. Nang’s got his fifth rebound right now in the game. To the middle. Here’s Cabella. He trains the turnaround jump shot. Cabela’s got the lead up to six now for the Hawks. And it could have been a foul call on the shot as well. Capella maintains the focus though and finishes. So, timeout call here. The first for Memphis. Trying to find some answers offensively. Yeah, they just have to be more patient, less forcing and more passing. [Applause] All right, I need to make some noise. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Heat. Atlanta making some changes. Okong Woo checked in for Capella. Young is subbed in for Riza. Then for the Grizzlies. Wells is checked in for Santi Aldama. Bane comes in for Luke Canar and it’s Morant in for Pippen [Applause] on the Wayne Bane. Avert defending Morance against Young and that one’s good. Morant. If you give him an inch of space, he’s going to make you pay. Atlanta leading by four. Okongu with a screen on Bane. The open shot. Levert. It’s good. Yeah. Basket. He’s now five for nine. And Levert is playing with such passion on offense. He’s just not afraid to play a big role on that end. Now here’s Morance. He’s got 10. Count that one. and 12 points for John Mor. The Hawks have gone five of 11 from the field since the beginning of the second quarter. Avert against Baine from 20 ft out and it’s going to be out of bounds. The Hawks will retain possession. Johnson, he’s checked in for the Hawks. Daniels comes in for Caris Levert. Santi Aldamas checked in for Memphis. [Applause] Morance against Young. It’s rebounded by Memphis. Wells in the corner. No good on the three. The Hawks leading by four. shot from free throw range and good as it just snugs right down through the net. And how I like the resourcefulness Young brings to the table, taking any shot he can create. Back to Morant. Two free throws coming up and they call the shooting foul. It’s going to go on on Okongu. Memphis shooting their first free throws of this and typically a strength of theirs 79% on the season. That’s good from Morance. Stan, we talk about this every night. So much great young talent coming into the NBA. Is there one player though in particular who right now stands out to you? Well, I have to say, Kevin, Victor Wimyama, I don’t know that we have ever seen a guy of that size do the things that he does. Now, you can say, well, what about Nicola Joic? Well, Nicole Yic, first of all, is not Victor Wimbean’s size and then Victor’s handle and his length. The guy’s incredible. He’s going to be the face of the NBA for a long, long time. Here’s Morant following the basket by Tion. Outside Jackson pass to Wells and here is Bane. Six on the shot clock. The Grizzlies with another miss. The Hawks working the ball around. Young with the ball. He’s picked up by Morant. Okangu down low. He’s against Park. The Grizzlies trail by six. Bane finds Jackson. And it’s hard to pick a more electrifying player in the league than John Moran. He explodes off the floor. He’s gone two for two at the line so far. And with a percentage of 82, he’s been one of their more dependable shooters from the line. That’s good from Morance. And the Hawks making a change here. Rez checked in. Both free throws good from Morant. And timeout is called by Quinn Snider. He wants to check in with his team and regroup. [Music] It’s time for you. You know what to do. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] You Amen. [Music] Heat. Thank you for all the [Applause] heat. [Applause] the Hawks leading by four. Pass to Young. [Music] And here is Okong Wu. Fouled in the act of shooting. Gets the bucket anyway. So, a three-point play chance for him. And although he’s smaller, Young willing to battle inside and shows you he can score through contact. We’re talking about Trey Young here, GA. What stands out most about him to you? Well, Kevin, I I’d say just how confident he is, right? He He plays with that unique energy and swagger. You love him if he’s on your team and can’t stand him if he’s playing against you. And that one misses. and Young, a fiery competitor, someone who enjoys getting under the skin of opposing players. Just five to shoot. Loud up there for Justin. Hammers the alleyoop through. Oh, and the lead gets bigger on a ridiculous offensive secret. That dunk alone would have been spectacular. Never mind it coming at the end of an alley. Now here’s Clark. Steps back. Grant Trey Young grabs the miss. [Applause] Chance there to push it to double digits, but it’s off the mark. Bane kicks to Mor. [Applause] Pass to Clark. Outside Jackson. [Applause] It’s good. He makes his first shot of the game. And guys, we talk all the time about making the extra pass. Clark there proving how important that concept is. Now, here is Young. 12 points for him. [Applause] It’s rebounded by Memphis. Clark’s got five rebounds tonight. Pass to Morant. [Music] Here’s Clark outside. Bane. Clark sets a screen for Bane and the three off target. And they had some boxed coverage that turned into no coverage. They get the rebound. You know, you can’t be overzealous inside when you guard Young. You got to be better at contesting without foul. He’s 01 from the line. Missing on his first trip in their last contest, guys. He was unconscious from the foul line. That free throw no good. And we’re seeing some big paydays for NBA head coaches these days. stand. Uh, do you miss it? Do I miss the paychecks? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Payday was always really good in the NBA. No question about that. What about now though? What about now? Well, it’s gone through the roof, but look, the tradeoff is the paydays are big, but there’s not a great deal of job security. Kevin, now here’s Morance. 16 points for him. down. The Grizzlies have looked good at the line. They’re perfect in four attempts. Two shots. [Applause] That one is off. And the second free throw. Good. [Applause] And so it’s Atlanta with it. Six-point lead. 149 left in the first half. Rez misses the three. The Grizzly shooting a lackluster 38% for the game. Struggling so far. And it’s thrown down hard with both hands. Oh, and he went for the two-hander on the slam using some muscle. Some urgency from him there. Sure. Johnson dishes to Young Edy with the rebound. Ed’s got five rebounds tonight. We’ve got 113 left to play here in the second quarter. And it’s Rez with the rebound. Reese’s got four rebounds in this game. And here’s Young on the arc. Good on the triple. Young’s got 16. Nice and composed on that three there. Trey giving his fundamentals all of his attention. Here’s Mor number 12 goes in. He’s made seven of 12 now. Well, all of us coaches, we love when you can create looks in close. Young passes to Daniels. to the wing on the left. A wide open look here for Okongu. The shots good on the assist by Daniel. That’s a high percentage look when the D doesn’t fight over the screen. Yeah, it’s certainly worth it to disrupt the offense. Coaches notice that extra effort. Now here’s Wells. Hasn’t made one yet. Drills it from outside. And guys, he’s been a one-man air raid coming at them time and time again. Well, what I love about his three-point shooting is the spacing that he’s adding. It makes things a lot easier for everyone else. Young with the ball. 16 points for him. Okongu with a screen on Morance. And here’s Young from the arc. Trey Young. He’s feeling it tonight and has been the driving force for the Hawks. He got into double digits for the quarter with 10 points total. And now let’s catch up with David Aldridge who’s standing by from the sideline. All right, Dave. Thank you, Kevin. With coach Quinn Snder. Quinn, what has to happen in the second half? Well, we got to keep getting stops and really just make plays. Make plays on the offensive end and be solid defensively. No, no magic. It’s a pretty simple game, right, coach? Thanks for your time. Back to you, Kevin. Thank you, David. And we’ll be back for the third quarter of action following halftime. Please direct your attention to center court and get ready for the man have fun shot a piece. They’re thinking about the shot. [Applause] One more time number four. Heat. Heat. And we’ve got second half action for you thus Far a pretty evenly contested game, guys. John Morant has been sensational. His play so far is what fans love about him. He has gone right at the defense time and time again. Yeah, he hasn’t been settling. He’s getting to the rim and that’s him at his best. [Applause] And so Young will bring it up for the Hawks. Four-point game. The front court is Rez and Johnson. Daniels out there with Young and it’s Okong in it simple. So that’s the lineup for Atlanta. And the great shooters know when they’ve got enough opening to go for the three. I didn’t think it was a bad choice on that possession. Atlanta leading by four to the paint. Here’s Daniels packed in coming off the assist from Young. Daniels has got six. Terrific play call to give him a clean look at the rim. That’s how you want to start the second half. Yeah, I like how they’re establishing their interior presence right away. That’s going to collapse the defense and create other opportunities. Now, here’s Morance. High effort play by Moran. He refuses to let the foul stop him from getting the shot. The Grizzlies shooting their seventh and eighth free throw attempts for the game right here. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. [Applause] And the first one drops. Both free throws good from Morant. The Hawks leading by four. And for those of you turning in, we’re about a minute into the second half. The Grizzly shooting 40% from the field. [Music] Bane looking around. Lock at six. Pass to Jackson. Over Johnson. Rebound Atlanta right around a minute and a half played here in the third quarter and that one’s good. Rez inexcusable defense right there. You got to contest the shot better than that. Young against Mor. Now Bane launches a three and again Memphis no good. A bit of pride at stake trying to get that last three ball back but couldn’t get it and Johnson with the stop. Oh taking it to the rack with power hammering down the two hand slam. They’ve been struggling here on offense. Yeah, a bit of a dry spell for sure. Here’s Morance and he uses the glass on the lane. Morance’s got 22. And what a show Morant is putting on. Every time he touches the ball, you feel like he’s going to score. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snider. And coach has decided they need a moment to talk things over. The yellow one. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Just under two and a half minutes into the third quarter now and so Young will bring it up for the Atlanta Hawks. Johnson with a screen on Morant. and foul on the shot. So, he’ll get a chance at the line. So clever at creating contact. Young looks to shoot it so often, which really forces defenders to overcommit at times. He’s off on the first. And he’s good on the second. A touch over two and a half minutes of basketball played here in the third quarter. Morant outside. Atlanta with the rebound. O’ Conro’s now got doubledigit rebounds now in the game and Johnson with the stop. Oh, and the lead gets bigger on a ridiculous offensive sequence. That dunk alone would have been spectacular. Never mind it coming at the end of an alleyoop. Now here’s Wells still without a basket. Payton for three. Score the basket. His fifth of the game. He’s missed six shots against those five makes. Well, those go down for him in his sleep. Just under three and a half minutes played here in the third quarter. As Rezach tried to answer back, but that three is off the mark. The Grizzlies trail by seven. Now Wells. Payton for three. Atlanta with the rebound. Johnson’s got his fourth rebound with that last one here tonight. Here’s Daniels. Solid play in the low block and that one’s good. Daniels has got eight points. Now here’s Morant. He’s got 22 out of bounds. It’ll go to the Hawks. And the latest now from our sideline reporter, David Aldridge. David, it’s all yours. Take it away, Kevin. Thanks. A move that likely helped the league’s parody has been shortening max contract lengths. Commissioner Silver says, “We used to refer to it as dead money. A star player for those n years sitting on the bench. We’ve reduced max contracts to five years and in some cases six. This way it moves to more pay for performance.” Kevin, I think, Da, that’s a pretty good business decision. It’s going to have nice ramifications. And every year, and Greg, we agree, Bane seems to get better and better as a playmaker. Doesn’t overdo anything with his passing. looks more and more comfortable creating off the drive and kick. He’s become a large part of this offensive engine. And here’s Young following John Mor’s three and it’s Reese missing. Pass to Wells. [Music] And it’s Reese with the rebound. Reza has got five rebounds tonight. Young Pastor Oku and contact on the shot. So he’ll be shooting free throws here. Zach Edi picks one up. Yeah, good job to take it right at the D. For Atlanta, they have shot 67% from the line going six of nine. And the first one at the line is good. Both free throws good from Okongu. The Grizzlies trail by eight. And here’s Morant. 25 points in the game. Outside for Jackson, no good from outside. Atlanta’s gone one of four in three-point shots here in the third. Pass to Johnson. Here’s Rezach. 13 points in the game. From deep. Six to shoot. Atlanta again missing. He just doesn’t look like himself this quarter. Something’s missing. Yeah. And sometimes guys just start pressing. The best thing for him is to just slow it down and concentrate on solid shot selection. Here’s Young after the basket by Jiren Jackson. Pass to Rezer. Wells grabs the miss. The Grizzlies trail by six. out to the right wing outside. Bane fires the three. Johnson with the rebound. Johnson’s got his fifth rebound right now in the game. [Applause] Pass to Reza. Traps in the train. 16 points for Rez. And so it’s Memphis with it. They’ve been looking out of sync offensively. Yeah, that their offense has ground to a standstill. And that one’s good. Morant not to be outstaged. Morant saying right back at you. The Hawks leading by six. [Music] Pass to Okong. [Music] Back to Young. Uses the glass to finish the layup. Young’s got 19 points. Yeah, he’s in such a great rhythm right now. Makes sense to get him the ball any way you can. Yeah, when you have a guy playing like he has been recently, he’s got to be the first option on every possession. Now, here’s Bane. He’s got 12. And he has been ice cold from beyond the arc here since halftime. and he continues yet to fire away. He has got to tone it down if he wants to help his team. Jackson against Johnson. Young from outside, but Grizzlies pull it in and close to making the defense pay for the lack coverage that time. Morant outside a shake and he hammers that one down right in the face of Okongu and he can get to the rim with the best of him. Morant always finds a way. Young with the ball. 19 points in the game. Pass to Rezach on the wing. Johnson. Here is Daniels [Applause] now. Rez Young for three, but Grizzlies pull it in. Jackson’s got his fifth rebound in this one. Outside, Bane lets it go with the three and it’s Reese with the rebound. Rez got six rebounds here tonight. Johnson right side. Okongu a screen. Here’s Briez and the rebound by Jiren Jackson. Jackson’s got six rebounds now in the game. Wells kicks to Mor into the lane and Mor throws it down. How about the authority from Moran? The the way he was running, you knew he was aiming to shatter at the rim. Here is Daniels. He’s got eight now. Here’s Okonwood. Pass to Young. Five to shoot. What a terrific move that was. Young’s got five points now this quarter. And this game belongs to Young right now. And he is simply making everything. Al Jackson. Good D by Johnson. The Hawks leading by six. To the middle. Here’s Reese. It’s rebounded by Memphis. Wells has got his fourth rebound with that last one here tonight. And a wideopen look for Bane. Good. And a nice assist from Mor. Morance got his eighth assist in the game. Young dishes do conu pass to Daniels. Rez with it. Johnson kicks to Daniels. Young gets Mor shoots. Young’s shot is off. The Grizzlies trail by three. Bane passes to Morant with a tie and they get it back. Jackson finds Morant and three chances on that possession, but they just couldn’t find a way to score. Rez with it now guarded by Wells. [Music] And 101 left to play in the third. acted Daniels. Shot clock at five. Atlanta needs to get off a shot here. The shot by Okong Woo. No good. Excellent coverage defensively making it hard on him. Morant outside. Can’t tie it up as that one misses. And so it’s Young who brings it up for the Atlanta Hawks. They’ve led by as much as 10. [Applause] lets it go from deep and the rebound by Jiren Jackson. Jackson’s got his eighth rebound here tonight. To the wing right side. Bane kicks to Mor. There’s the triple and he’s good on the three ball. Morance’s got the game tied up here for the Grizzlies. And they have been relentless from deep and you see the defense trying to react, but to no avail. Look, when the three is falling like this, there’s not a whole lot you can do defensively. Tie game in Atlanta. And time to step aside quickly, but we’ll be back in no time with the start of the fourth quarter. here. Now, a chance to show you our assist of the game and it’s presented as always by State Farm. And and I’m glad this was the pick because I love this pass. Such a great dish. That’s what I call court vision. Yeah, he puts that pass right on the money and made things look easy for his teammates. And it’s been a very competitive game so far as we get rolling here in quarter number four on the court for Memphis to start the fourth. We’ve got Santi Alama. Pippen is out there with Desmond Bane. Then there’s Wells and it’s Clark in at the center filling out the middle. Aldama inside working on Nan. Here’s Buffkin defended by Pippen. [Applause] [Music] Pass to man. Capella trying to free himself up. Basket counts. Man has got the fourth quarter going with the first basket of the period here for the Hawks. Memphis trailing here. [Music] And here’s Pippen. Clark sets a screen for Pippen. And Capella sends it back. Quick off the floor. Has that long reach. Capella there with the intimidation to the inside. Here’s Nang. Got him with the pump fake but couldn’t finish. for Memphis. They’ve gone 0 of three to start the fourth quarter. And it’s Bibon in the corner. Memphis moving that ball around. Pass to Clark. Wells with it. Now here’s Pippen. Sinks the triple. Pippen’s got himself on the board with three there. Game winding down and they just keep changing leads. And guys, no separation yet. And I really don’t think we’re going to see any all the way down. Now here’s Levert. That one a 10 off line to the right, but drops in for him. And the Hawks lead by one. Grizzlies have gone one of four since the end of the third quarter. Outside Bane at the top of the key. Aldamo. Bells passes to Elama. Just five on the clock inside. Pippen can’t hit for Atlanta. They’ve gone two or three from the field to get the fourth quarter start. Back to Levert. A three ball looks good. Is good. That’s his seventh basket in 12 tries from range. Levert’s one of those guys you have to respect his shot. He makes it enough beyond where you have to honor him. Now here’s Pippen. Clark outside. Back to Pippen. [Applause] Right at the free throw line again. The miss by Pippen. Atlanta leading by four. [Music] Pass to Buffkin. Levertis Green on P. Here’s Buffkin. Here’s man off target with this three. Bibon feeling it out a bit. [Music] Over three and a half minutes through the final quarter now. Pay for three. And again, Memphis no good. Yeah, there’s no reason for the defense to get out on him right now. Just let him keep taking that shot until he shows him he’s going to knock it down. The Grizzlies trail by four. Out to the right wing outside. Pippen Clark outside. They could use a bucket. Aldama can’t hit. Not quite enough defense that time around. Just lucky he was off. Levert with it. Stolen by Pippen. Oh, and here comes Pippen all alone. And they pick up two. No hesitation. He just takes off and takes it the distance. Well, the best way to attack is in transition. He recognizes that. Here’s Buffett. Nyang in the corner. Pass to Levert. Shot clock at six. Here’s Buffkin over Pippen. Buffkin. No good. Memphis has gotten just one of four three-pointers to go down for them here in the fourth. Outside Pippen Clark into the lane. It’s good. This game is all even. Looking nimble on the drive there. Once Clark sees an opening in the defense, he’s looking to exploit. [Applause] Now Levert. [Applause] Aldama with the rebound. Aldamas got his fourth rebound with that last one here tonight. Pass to Pipp and here is Clark [Applause] and Capella over to help. No good from Clark. Hawks have gone three of eight here in the fourth quarter. Levert the pass to Niang. [Applause] on the wing man down low. Here’s Capella and foul on the shot. He’ll shoot two at the free throw line. Aggressive move by Capella. His length and athleticism. It’s tough to handle when he gets the ball that deep. [Applause] Two shots. That free throw missing. So Stan the Grizzlies trio of John Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jiren Jackson Jr. from the outside looking in. What a great base going forward. I agree with that, Kevin. Look, not only are those three outstanding individual players, but they complement each other so well. They’re such a great fit with those three guys. That’s a great base for the future. Greg, since making it to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, the Atlanta Hawks haven’t been that good. And it was hard to tell if that was a Cinderella run at the time, but Kevin looking like that might have been the outlier. The Hawks took some risk to get back there, but it just hasn’t worked. Here’s Young [Music] pass to Daniel. Now here’s Capella. Young outside. Capella sets a screen for Young. Off the mark and the drop continues. Might be time for a little different approach. This shot hasn’t been fallen here in the second half. The Hawks trailing. [Applause] Here’s Rez outside. Here’s the three. Trains it from beyond the arc. Young’s got 24. And defensively, you have to stay connected to Young at all times. But Grizzly’s called timeout. [Applause] Get loud. On the court is your spot. Who wants the free t-shirt? [Music] [Applause] [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Applause] Okong checked in for the Hawks. The Grizzlies also making a change. Wells, he’s checked in for Pippen. And let’s head over to the sideline and catch up with David Aldridge. Hi guys. Well, during the break, I was able to catch what the Grizzlies coach was talking about with his team. Now, he’s not happy with the perimeter defense. He told him, “We have to hustle more out to the three-point line because they look real comfortable out there.” Now, I want you contesting every three they put up. We’ll see if that intensity increases on D, guys. Thank you, David. [Applause] Let’s take a second look at that fantastic block. And that is a huge block. Given how close this game is, a stop like that was right on point. [Applause] And so here’s Memphis. They trail by one. There’s the lob to the hoop and taken away by Johnson in the corner. Daniels, a three off the mark. Memphis has gotten just one of four three-pointers to go down for them here in the four. That one good for two. And the Grizzlies lead by one. Time running low, guys. And somebody has got to win this one. Yeah. Well, who knows? We might need overtime in this one. It’s been that kind of a game. Now, here is Young Okong Woo down low. The shot will not fall. And Morance’s got the ball here for the Memphis Grizzlies. And there’s Wells. That’s good on the assist by Morant. Morance’s got assist number nine now. Wow, what an effort here tonight. Here’s Young. [Applause] Pass to Okongu. Back to Young. Six to shoot. Plenty of space. And that one swishes right in. Young’s got 10 points in just the second half. And this is what Young does best. A dynamite offensive player who fills it up in so many ways. The three from Morant. Rebound Atlanta. [Applause] Here’s Daniels and it is flushed down with a nice jam. Well, when you move the ball, you open up the defense. Great job to make the unselfish strike. [Applause] Young against Morant over Young. Okangu grabs the board. Okongru’s now got 13 rebounds in the game this evening. And there have been some terrible shot choices here. Kev, that’s not a good look at all. Pass to Mor. [Applause] Fires from deep and it’s Reese with the rebound. The Hawks leading Young right side over Bane again. The Hawks score. This is why people are just so high on Young because he comes through with big shots in the game. Mor passes to Bane and the free ball is good. Baines got it all tied up now for the Grizzlies. And such a clutch shooter. I mean, he lives for the big shot. And when he’s rolling like this, watch out. Kept to line. Young no good. Grizzly shooting around 37% in the fourth quarter. The minutes starting to wear on them. Now here’s Morance. He’s covered by Daniels. And it’s Moring. Pass to Okong. Here’s Young. going to go that time. Great D that time from Bane. Morant outside. There’s the drive. Oh, that’s blocked. Here’s Young. Cha Morant with the rebound. The Grizzly shooting under 40% all in all for the game. [Music] We’ve got 108 left in the game. It’s good and they get the go-ahead bucket. A huge shot from Moran. Wow. You see why they put the ball in his hands in those situations. Now here is Young. It counts. A huge shot to tie it up. Big time basket at a big time moment. Yeah. Don’t you just love to see a player embrace that kind of pressure? Morance against Young and he gets the whistle. Two free throws coming up. It’s going to be on Trey Young and going up strong inside demonstrates confidence. Mor not afraid to get physical. [Applause] [Applause] He knocks down the clutch free throw. [Applause] [Applause] And so he drops them both. It’s a two-point ball game. Yeah, he’s a guy you want at the line and clearly not affected by the moment. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snder. Pivotal moment in this game. He’s not taking any chances. He’ll call time. Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] There’s 48 seconds left in the fourth. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Puts it up from 15. Rebound Atlanta. Can’t afford any wasted possessions down the stretch. Yeah, they need everything to break their way at this point if they’re going to rally back. Now, here is Young Pass to Johnson. Full timeout, guys. You see him starting to heat up and when he turns it on, you got a problem. But Bridley’s called timeout. So, I’m looking at the clock and guys, the situation. What do you think we’re going to see next? This is where great coaching can pay dividends. Well, they’ll likely only get one shot at this. They need to make it count. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] 19 seconds left in the fourth quarter of this one. Morant outside. [Applause] It’s good. Well, it doesn’t get any easier than this. They’ll take these shots every time. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snider. The magnitude at this juncture in the game clearly warranting a timeout. Guys, what’s your take on how they maximize their opportunities now? And this is it, guys. Down one. They’ve got just enough time to work it around for a good shot. And it better be a good shot because it’s the only shot they have. Keep it going. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Young for three. Oh, that shot in a chance, but no good. So a close game sees Memphis take this one. This win such a tremendous emotional boost for him. Really an accomplishment and crazy finish to take a road game like this and simply deflate an entire building. And that’ll do it folks with Stan Van Gundy, Greg Anthony, and David Aldridge. This is Kevin Harland saying thanks for watching folks on 2K Sports. But as we go, let’s take a look at our player of the game, John Moran. Monday night broadcast of the NBA here on 2K Sports. In this game, we’ll see the Atlanta Hawks going up against the Memphis Grizzlies. Kevin Arwin here with you. Joining me tonight, Stan Van Gundy and Greg Anthony. Our buddy David Aldridge is on the sideline getting story. Now, a look at Memphis’s starting group. Morant is the point with Bane out on the wing. Wells is out there with Jiren Jackson and it’s Edy in at the pivot manning the middle and for the Hawks in the post it’ll be Johnson and Okongu Trey Young is out there with Daniels and it’s Reza Shay in it the small forward and Stan here we’ve got two of the highest scoring teams in the entire NBA. Yeah, Kevin, there is firepower everywhere with these two teams. So, defensively, you can’t take away everything, but you have to try to take away something. Limit some things, right, coach? You can’t stop everything on the play. Not at all. You’ve got to pick your poison and decide what you can live with. Now, here’s Jackson. Five on the clock. Here’s Morant. That’s good. And it’s Jackson with the assist that time. And no problem for Morant that close to the hoop. Once he gets inside, he makes it look easy. Young inside, guarded by Morant. It’s deflected. Outside. Bane down low. [Applause] The rebound by Young. And now we’ve got some time to check in from the sidelines. You got for us, DA? Well, earlier I spoke with Quinn Snder. Desmond Bane was the topic. The coach was ausive with his praise. He said Bane is a great catch and shoot guy, but he’ll find ways to contribute no matter what. He also said Bane is hard to game plan for, but they’ll do their best not to let him get in rhythm. They will have their hands full tonight, guys. Okay, David, much appreciate it. That’s a high percentage look when the D doesn’t fight over the screen. Yeah, it’s certainly worth it to disrupt the offense. Coaches notice that extra effort. Now, here is Young. That one drops for him. Oh, crafty move there by Young finessing his way around the contact. Grizzlies have gone two of three here to start off the game. Outside Bane’s wide open the three-pointer. No good. And here’s Daniels driving inside. Yeah, just solid work on the back end of that play. Yep, you’re right. finish hard with two hands on that stuff. Now Morant. And how sweet a play was that? As sweet as it gets. An exquisite pass to set up the powerful alleyoop dunk. Morance against Young. Johnson with a screen on Morance. Young no good. I’m sure he’d like to have that back. That’s a missed opportunity. And with this era of the Atlanta Hawks, Greg, they’ve gone as far as their defense has let them. You look back at their conference finals run in 21, that was the last time they had a top 10 defense. So scoring’s never been the issue with this core, but defense has been non-existent. Now, here is Young following the miss by John Morant. And timeout is called by Quinn Snider. This will give him a chance to discuss some potential alterations. [Applause] Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Get out of here. [Applause] 42 [Applause] knee. Young dishes to Johnson and it’s Young that time on the assist by Johnson. Nice job capitalizing down there. Young good at probing inside and finding some space. Morant outside in the corner. It’s Bane. Six to shoot. A three-pointer off the mark. And here’s Young. He’ll bring it up for Atlanta. Here’s Reese. The kick out to Young. Edy with the rebound. Memphis trailing here. Mor passes to Jackson. Nice fake, but the layup off the mark. Not really what we expected. You know, he wants that one back. It’s stolen. Wells with it. He’s picked up by Reza. It’s Mor in the corner. Outside Jackson. Good. And a nice assist from Morant. Oh, quick thinking from Jackson. When he’s rising and firing fast, you know he’s in the zone. Bounce pass Young. Pass to Okongu. Reza with it. The three trains the three-pointer. Both teams running perimeter oriented plays that are working well. You know, it’s become a three-point shooting league. Teams shooting a steady diet from outside. Action on 59 from the field here in the first. Daniels passes to Johnson offline with his three. Memphis is gone. just one of four from three-point range here in the first. Up top, Bane. Mor right side. Pass to Jackson. [Music] Pops it up. Johnson with the block. And there’s the shot clock violation. Couldn’t get the shot off in time. Lever check in for Atlanta. And Memphis also making a switch. Santi Aldamas checked in for Wells. Now here is Young [Music] Pass to Okongu. [Music] And a chance for just a second to check out the scoring breakdown for Atlanta. Well, you know, the analytics guys would tell you a team shouldn’t be taking this many mid-range shots, but clearly they’re shooting them with confidence. Also, they’re getting into the teeth of the defense. Points in the paint. Something coaches always love to see. And he knocks down the first one. [Applause] Both free throws good from Okongu. The Grizzlies trail by four. Pass to Editi. Now here’s Jackson. Memphis moving it around on the Wayne Bane. Levert defending. No good with the triple. The Hawks leading by four. Here is Daniels. Rebounded by Jackson. [Applause] Here’s Elama. He’s covered by Daniels. Moran for two. It’s in. That’s his third field goal of the game. He’s three for five. Guys, that’s just really unstoppable. He poses a ton of matchup problems for whomever he’s facing. Okong Woo kicks to Johnson. Okong Woo with a screen on Jackson. Johnson dishes to Okongu. Levert with a wideopen look. The Hawks again can’t hit. The Grizzlies have gone five of 12 from the field since the opening chip. Count that bucket. Great touch there. It’s just so tough to defend a floater like that. Pass to Daniels. Back to Young. Takes it inside. The shots good on the assist by Daniels. Young’s got six points. And on the drive, Young can be so sudden, the defense barely gets a chance to react. Outside, Bane. Back to Mor. Down to five on the shot clock. Memphis needs to get off a shot here. Can’t hit and so Young will bring it up. for Atlanta. [Music] Back to Levert [Music] over to the left wing. Now here’s Okong. He’s covered closely. Yeah, you expect him to make those. Good look. Just couldn’t find the mark. Here’s Bane. A beautiful reverse layup. Baines got his second basket of the game. Well, Morance’s acrobatics often get the attention, but his passing is also elite. And you know, Stan, we’ve watched Desmond Bane evolve into a number one option on offense. He’s always been there, but now he really is at the top of the heat. Yeah, he sure is. Look, Kevin, you know, he came into the league as a three-point shooter, and he’s a great one, but he’s developed his game off the dribble. Very good mid-range shooter, and he’s strong enough to finish around the rim. Morant passes to Bane. Out to Mor [Applause] outside, Jackson. Good. And a nice assist from Morant. Morance got his fourth assist in this one. Highlevel passer even for a point guard. Morant shows the imagination. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snider. Wants to regroup and go over the strategy. [Music] Let’s get the big down. It’s your hype spot. Get loud and let them hear you. Who wants a free t-shirt? You know what to do, right? Make some noise. [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] for the Hawks. Clint Cabella, he’s checked in for Okongu. George Niang comes in for Dyson Daniels. Man subbed in for Young. Brandon Clark, he’s checked in for the Grizzlies. Pass to man. [Music] Back to Johnson. Lock at six. Nope, not that time. Nothing for two from the field. Memphis leading. Bane passes to Mor inside. Clark and it’s Clark with the jam. Quick off the floor and powerful. Clark loves to attack that rim. Levert with it. [Applause] Shooting foul as the whistle blows. He’ll shoot two free throws. Yeah, the defender all over it. And guys, what do you think about the offensive approach so far that we’ve seen for the Grizzlies? Well, I have to applaud their ball movement. They’re moving the ball around, finding the best looks they can, and keeping everyone involved. And also, guys, they’re out musling their opponent. The points in the paint are piling up because of that aggressiveness. And the free throw drops for Levert Reza. He’s checked in for Terrence Man. The Grizzlies also making a change. Jackson’s checked in. Levert hits both of them and the Grizzlies with possession here And here’s Morant. He’s got six. Memphis moving it around. And the layup’s good off the glass. Morance’s got eight. Yeah, I’m amazed at Morance’s ability to take contact and still stay in full control. Capel on a high post. He’s against Clark. Here’s Reza and it’s good for two. Reza has got his second bucket of the night. And guys, they continue to put a lot of pressure on the interior defenders with their work down low to the right side to the inside and it’s Moring. And so Levert will bring it up for Atlanta. They trail by one. So they take the lead. Levert’s got his second bucket of the game to go and got to push Levert out of that area because he’s very comfortable looking to score from there. Outside Bane pass to Eldamo. 56 seconds left to play in the first quarter. Morant passes to Bane. Just two to shoot. leaps for it. No good from outside. Got the defender off his feet with the pump fake, but couldn’t knock it down with the drive. They get it again. Nang kicks to Levert. Shot clock at six. And he gets it to go from the corner. Eight points for him. And how about the playmaking skills of Levert? I like watching this guy break down the D in the pick and roll. Two second difference between shot clock and game clock. Now Morance, he’s got eight. On the Wayne Bane good and a nice assist from Morant. Morance got his sixth assist on the night. Here’s Reese and he was able to put it up in time but doesn’t fall. Harris Lever has been on display for the Hawks. He notched eight points in the quarter and has that terrific basketball instinct on display. We come back right after this. And if you’re just tuning in, it’s been a pretty even game through the first quarter. And what do you guys think about the Hawks here in this one? Yeah, in that first period, they looked to push in transition at every opportunity. Yeah, they gave the other team no time to breathe. Every time they got the ball, they were off to the races. And you see how effective this aggressive mindset can be. So on the floor to begin things for Memphis here in the second quarter, John Jackson is out there with Santi Alamo. Then it’s Luke Canar. Then it’s Pippen and it’s Clark in at the five down low. Here’s Rez. It’s good from Juan Reed. Reese’s got the opening basket here in the second quarter for the Hawks. The Grizzlies trail by three. [Applause] Pippen outside. Clark sets a screen for Jackson and he can’t answer back. The three-pointer offline shooting at 50% in a decent group. Lever in the corner. [Applause] Takes a three. The Grizzlies pull it in. Yeah, and he had the D tangled up there with that patented crossover. just couldn’t convert the finish. Pippen the pass to Canard. Off target from three-point range. The Hawks lead by three. [Music] Porter number two with just over a minute gone. Nang with the ball. No scoring in this one. Freeze with it. He’s picked up by Pippet. A nice shot by Levert. And eventually, every player GA has to grapple with aim, realizing they’ve lost a step or two against the Young Phillies. And sometimes that is a very slow realization. Oh, it it is, Kevin. Hopefully by that point, it’s less about financial security and more about prolonging the inevitable simply for the love of the game. So, it’s Atlanta now following the three from Jiren Jackson. [Applause] And here in the second, two minutes gone by outside. Pippen picks up a three and it’s Reese with the rebound. Well, you can tell he thinks he should have had that one. even harder on him when he’s got a good look like that and it doesn’t go down. And those plays can make a difference in a game like this. Well, you know it’s going to fire up Greg. Everybody on that bench and guys, you cannot allow that in a close game. You have to make it harder than that. Levert with it. He’s picked up by Pippen. [Applause] Now Reese 10 points for him. inside. Jackson on him. Stolen by Jackson. And for those of you just joining us in the second quarter with about 3 minutes gone by. No good from Clark. And so Levert will bring it up for the Atlanta Hawks. In the second quarter, they’ve given up just three points. Now here’s Levert. [Music] Capella with a screen on P. Here’s Levert. The shot comes out. Some solid defense there from Jackson. Now Dama passes to Jackson. Here’s Pippen. And another miss by Memphis. The Hawks leading by four. Here’s Levert and Pippen pulls it down. Memphis has gone 104 from three-point range in the second. Not a whole lot dropping out there for them. Atlanta with the rebound. [Applause] Now here’s Levert. Capella sets a screen for Rizay. No good on the triple. The Grizzlies trail by four. and Reza the prototypical size and skill for a wingman. Yeah, he’s got some jelly to his game. Handle, touch at his size that becomes very tough to contain. Now here’s Levert. Brandon Clark missing his last shot. Capella sets a screen for Reese pass to man. It’s Clark with the rebound. When the defense is playing off you like that, you want to be able to convert, but that time he just couldn’t get it done. Three. Pippen. Atlanta with the rebound. Nang’s got his fifth rebound right now in the game to the middle. Here’s Cabella. He trains the turnaround jump shot. Cabela’s got the lead up to six now for the Hawks. And it could have been a foul call on the shot as well. Capella maintains the focus though and finishes. So, timeout call here. The first for Memphis. Trying to find some answers offensively. Yeah, they just have to be more patient, less forcing and more passing. [Applause] the ACL. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Applause] Atlanta making some changes. The Gong Woo checked in for Capella. Young is subbed in for Riza. Then for the Grizzlies. Wells, he’s checked in for Santi Aldama. Bane comes in for Luke Canar. And it’s Morant in for Pippen. [Applause] on the Wayne Bane. Avert defending. Morance against Young and that one’s good. Morant, if you give him an inch of space, he’s going to make you pay. Atlanta leading by four. Okongu with a screen on Bane. The open shot. Levert. It’s good. That basket. He’s now five for nine. And Levert is playing with such passion on offense. He’s just not afraid to play a big role on that end. Now here’s Morance. He’s got 10. Count that one. And 12 points for John Mor. The Hawks have gone five of 11 from the field since the beginning of the second quarter. A vert against Bane from 20 ft out and it’s going to be out of bounds. The Hawks will retain possession. Johnson, he’s checked in for the Hawks. Daniels comes in for Caris Levert. Santi Aldamas checked in for Memphis. [Applause] Morance against Young. It’s rebounded by Memphis. Wells in the corner. No good on the three. The Hawks leading by four. Shot from free throw range and good as it just snugs right down through the net. And I I like the resourcefulness Young brings to the table, taking any shot he can create. Back to Morant. Two free throws coming up and they call the shooting foul. It’s going to go on Okongu. Memphis shooting their first free throws of this and typically a strength of theirs 79% on the season. That’s good from Morance. Stan, we talk about this every night. So much great young talent coming into the NBA. Is there one player though in particular who right now stands out to you? But I have to say, Kevin, Victor Wimyama. I don’t know that we have ever seen a guy of that size do the things that he does. Now you can say, well, what about Nicola Joic? Well, Nicole Joic, first of all, is not Victor Wimbeyama’s size. And then Victor’s handle and his length, the guy’s incredible. He’s going to be the face of the NBA for a long, long time. Here’s Morant following the basket by Trey Young. [Music] Outside Jackson pass to Wells and here is Bane. Six on the shot clock. The Grizzlies with another miss. The Hawks working the ball around. Young with the ball. He’s picked up by Morant. Okangu down low. He’s against Clark. The Grizzlies trail by six. Bane finds Jackson. And it’s hard to pick a more electrifying player in the league than John Mor. He explodes off the floor. He’s gone two for two at the line so far. And with a percentage of 82, he’s been one of their more dependable shooters from the line. That’s good from Morance. And the Hawks making a change here. Rez checked in. Both free throws good from Morant. And timeout is called by Quinn Snder. He wants to check in with his team and regroup. [Music] It’s time for you to know what to do. Tell yourself [Applause] [Music] [Music] again. Hey Thank you for all the [Applause] The Hawks leading by four. Pass to Young. [Music] And here is Okongu. Fouled in the act of shooting. Gets the bucket anyway. So, a three-point play chance for him. And although he’s smaller, Young willing to battle inside and shows you he can score through contact. We’re talking about Trey Young here, GA. What stands out most about him to you? Well, Kevin, I I’d say just how confident he is, right? He He plays with that unique energy and swagger. You love him if he’s on your team and can’t stand him if he’s playing against you. And that one misses. And Young, a fiery competitor, someone who enjoys getting under the skin of opposing players. Just five to shoot. Lobed up there for Justin. Hammers the alleyoop through. Oh, and the lead gets bigger on a ridiculous offensive sequence. That dunk alone would have been spectacular. Never mind it coming at the end of an alleyoop. Now here’s Clark. Steps back. Grant. Trey Young grabs the miss. [Applause] chance there to push it to double digits, but it’s off the mark. Bane kicks to Mor. [Applause] Pass to Clark outside Jackson. [Applause] It’s good. He makes his first shot of the game. And guys, we talk all the time about making the extra pass. clock there proving how important that concept is. Now here is Young. 12 points for him. [Applause] It’s rebounded by Memphis. Clark’s got five rebounds tonight. Pass to Mor. [Music] Here’s Clark outside. Bane. Clark sets a screen for Bane. And the three off target. And they had some boxed coverage that turned into no coverage. They get the rebound. You know, you can’t be overzealous inside when you guard Young. You got to be better at contesting without foul. He’s 01 from the line, missing on his first trip in their last contest, guys. He was unconscious from the foul line. That free throw no good. And we’re seeing some big paydays for NBA head coaches these days. Stan, uh, do you miss it? Do I miss the paychecks? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Payday was always really good in the NBA. No question about that. What about though? What about now? Well, it’s gone through the roof. But look, the tradeoff is the paydays are big, but there’s not a great deal of job security. Now here’s Morance. 16 points for him. [Applause] The Grizzlies have looked good at the line. They’re perfect in four attempts. Two shots. [Applause] That one is off. And the second free throw. Good. [Applause] And so it’s Atlanta with it. Six-point lead. 149 left in the first half. Rez misses the three. The Grizzly shooting a lackluster 38% for the game. Struggling so far. And it’s thrown down hard with both hands. Oh, and he went for the two-hander on the slam using some muscle. Some urgency from him there. Sure. Johnson dishes to Young. [Applause] Edy with the rebound. Ed’s got five rebounds tonight. We’ve got 113 left to play here in the second quarter. And it’s Reese with the rebound. Breezes got four rebounds in this game. Here’s Young on the arc. Good on the triple. Young’s got 16. Nice and composed on that three there. Trey giving his fundamentals all of his attention. Here’s Mor number 12 goes in. He’s made seven of 12 now. Well, all of us coaches, we love when you can create looks in close. Young pass to Daniels to the wing on the left. A wide open look here for Okongu. The shots good on the assist by Daniel. That’s a high percentage look when the D doesn’t fight over the screen. Yeah, it’s certainly worth it to disrupt the offense. Coaches notice that extra effort. Now here’s Wells. Hasn’t made one yet. Drills it from outside. And guys, he’s been a one-man air raid coming at them time and time again. Well, what I love about his three-point shooting is the spacing that he’s adding. It makes things a lot easier for everyone else. Young with the ball. 16 points for him. Okongu with a screen on Morance. And here’s Young from the arc. Trey Young. He’s feeling it tonight and has been the driving force for the Hawks. He got into double digits for the quarter with 10 points total. And now let’s catch up with David Aldridge who’s standing by from the sideline. All right, Dave. Thank you, Kevin. With coach Quinn Snyder. Quinn, what has to happen in the second half? Well, we got to keep getting stops and really just make plays. Make plays on the offensive end and be solid defensively. No, no magic. It’s a pretty simple game, right, coach? Thanks for your time. Back to you, Kevin. Thank you, David. And we’ll be back for the third quarter of action following halftime. Center court and get ready for the bad half shot. Give me a beat. They’re thinking about the shot. [Applause] One more time. Okay. for the boys recip And we’ve got second half action for you. Thus far, a pretty evenly contested game, guys. John Morant has been sensational. His play so far is what fans love about him. He He has gone right at the defense time and time again. Yeah, he hasn’t been settling. He’s getting to the rim, and that’s him at his best. [Applause] And so Young will bring it up for the Hawks. Four-point game. A front court is Rez and Johnson. Daniels out there with Young and it’s Okong in its center. So that’s the lineup for Atlanta. And the great shooters know when they’ve got enough opening to go for the three. I didn’t think it was a bad choice on that possession. Atlanta leading by four to the paint. Here’s Daniels. Back in coming off the assist from Young. Daniels has got six. Terrific play call to give him a clean look at the rim. That’s how you want to start the second half. Yeah, I like how they’re establishing their interior presence right away. That’s going to collapse the defense and create other opportunities. Now, here’s Morance. High effort play by Moran. He refuses to let the foul stop him from getting the shot. The Grizzlies shooting their seventh and eighth free throw attempts for the game right here. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. And the first one drops. [Applause] Both free throws good from Morant. The Hawks leading by four. And for those of you turning in, we’re about a minute into the second half. The Grizzly shooting 40% from the field. [Music] Bane looking around. Lock at six. Pass to Jackson. Over Johnson. rebound Atlanta right around a minute and a half played here in the third quarter and that one’s good. Rezo Shane, that’s inexcusable defense right there. You got to contest the shot better than that. Young against Morant. Now Bane launches a three and again Memphis no good. A bit of pride at stake trying to get that last three ball back but couldn’t get it. And Johnson with the stop taking it to the rack with power hammering down the two hand slam. They’ve been struggling here on offense. Yeah, a bit of a dry spell for sure. Here’s Mor and he uses the glass on the lane. Mor’s got 22. And what a show Morant is putting on. Every time he touches the ball, you feel like he’s going to score. Andrew have a timeout called by Quinn Snider. And coach has decided they need a moment to talk things over. One more [Music] heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Just under two and a half minutes into the third quarter now. And so Young will bring it up for the Atlanta Hawks. Johnson with a screen on Morant and foul on the shot. So he’ll get a chance at the line. So clever at creating contact. Young looks to shoot it so often which really forces defenders to overcommit at times. He’s off on the first. And he’s good on the second. A touch over two and a half minutes of basketball played here in the third quarter. Morant outside. Atlanta with the rebound. Okong now got doubledigit rebounds now in the game and Johnson with the stop. Oh, and the lead gets bigger on a ridiculous offensive sequence. That dunk alone would have been spectacular. Never mind it coming at the end of an alley. Now here’s Wells still without a basket. Payne for three. Score the basket. His fifth of the game. He’s missed six shots against those five makes. Well, those go down for him in his sleep. Just under three and a half minutes played here in the third quarter. As Rez tried to answer back, but that three is off the mark. The Grizzlies trail by seven. Now Wells. Payton for three. Atlanta with the rebound. Johnson’s got his fourth rebound with that last one here tonight. Here’s Daniels. Solid play on the low block and that one’s good. Daniels has got eight points. Now here’s Morant. He’s got 22 out of bounds. It’ll go to the Hawks. And the latest now from our sideline reporter, David Aldridge. David, it’s all yours. Take it away, Kevin. Thanks. A move that likely helped the league’s parody has been shortening max contract lengths. Commissioner Silver says, “We used to refer to it as dead money. A star player toward those ny years sitting on the bench. We’ve reduced max contracts to five years and in some cases six. This way it moves to more pay for performance.” Kevin, I think, DA, that’s a pretty good business decision. It’s going to have nice ramifications. And every year, and Greg, we agree, Bane seems to get better and better as a playmaker. Doesn’t overdo anything with his passing. looks more and more comfortable creating off the drive and kick. He’s become a large part of this offensive engine. And here’s Young following John Mor’s three and it’s Reese missing. Pass to Wells. [Music] And it’s Reese with the rebound. Reza has got five rebounds tonight. Young Pastor Cardinal and contact on the shot. So he’ll be shooting free throws here. Zack 80 picks one up. Yeah, good job to take it right at the deep for Atlanta. They have shot 67% from the line going six of nine. And the first one at the line is good. Both free throws good from Okongu. The Grizzlies trail by eight. And here’s Morant. 25 points in the game. Outside for Jackson, no good from outside. Atlanta’s gone one of four in three-point shots here in the third. Pass to Johnson. Here’s Reese. 13 points in the game. From deep. Six to shoot. Atlanta again missing. He just doesn’t look like himself this quarter. Something’s missing. Yeah. And sometimes guys just start pressing. The best thing for him is to just slow it down and concentrate on solid shot selection. Here’s Young after the basket by Jiren Jackson. Pass to Reese. Wells grabs the miss. The Grizzlies trail by six. out to the right wing outside. Bane fires the three. Johnson with the rebound. Johnson’s got his fifth rebound right now in the game. [Applause] Pass to Reese. Traps in the train. 16 points for Rez. And so it’s Memphis with it. They’ve been looking out of sync offensively. Yeah, that their offense has ground to a standstill. And that one’s good. Morant not to be outstaged. Morant saying right back at you. The Hawks leading by six. Pass to Okongu. [Music] Back to Young. Uses the glass to finish the layup. Young’s got 19 points. Yeah, he’s in such a great rhythm right now. Makes sense to get him the ball any way you can. Yeah, when you have a guy playing like he has been recently, he’s got to be the first option on every possession. Now, here’s Bane. He’s got 12. And he has been ice cold from beyond the arc here since halftime. and he continues yet to fire away. He has got to tone it down if he wants to help his team. Jackson against Johnson. Young from outside, but Grizzlies pull it in. And close to making the defense pay for the lack coverage that time. Morant outside a shake and he hammers that one down right in the face of Okongu and he can get to the rim with the best of him. Morant always finds a way. Young with the ball. 19 points in the game. Pass to Rez on the wing. Johnson Here is Daniels. Now Reza Young for three, but Grizzlies pull it in. Jackson’s got his fifth rebound in this one. Outside Bane lets it go with the three and it’s Reza with the rebound. Rez got six rebounds here tonight. Johnson right side Okongu a screen. Here’s Rez and the rebound by Jiren Jackson. Jackson’s got six rebounds now in the game. Wells kicks to Mor into the lane and Mor throws it down. How about the authority from Moran? The the way he was running, you knew he was aiming to shatter the rim. Here is Daniels. He’s got eight now. Here’s Okonwood. Pass to Young. Five to shoot. What a terrific move that was. Young’s got five points now this quarter. And this game belongs to Young right now. And he is simply making everything. Now Jackson. Good D by Johnson. The Hawks leading by six. To the middle. Here’s Rezer. It’s rebounded by Memphis. Wells has got his fourth rebound with that last one here tonight. And a wide open look for Payne. Good. And a nice assist from Morance. Morance got his eighth assist in the game. Young dishes to O Conu. Pass to Daniels. Rez with it. Johnson kicks to Daniels. Young gets Mor shoots. Young’s shot is off. The Grizzlies trail by three. Bane passes to Morant with a tie and they get it back. Jackson finds Morant. And three chances on that possession, but they just couldn’t find a way to score. Rez with it. Now guarded by Wells [Music] and 101 left to play in the third. Acted Daniels. Shot clock at five. Atlanta needs to get off a shot here. The shot by Okong Woo. No good. Excellent coverage defensively making it hard on him. Morant outside. can’t tie it up as that one misses. And so it’s Young who brings it up for the Atlanta Hawks. They’ve led by as much as 10. [Applause] Lets it go from deep and rebound by Jiren Jackson. Jackson’s got his eighth rebound here tonight. To the wing right side. Bane kicks to Mor. There’s the triple and he’s good on the three ball. Morance got the game tied up here for the Grizzlies and they have been relentless from deep and you see the defense trying to react but to no avail. Look, when the three is falling like this, there’s not a whole lot you can do defensively. Tie game in Atlanta and time to step aside quickly, but we’ll be back in no time with the start of the fourth quarter. here. Now, a chance to show you our assist of the game and it’s presented as always by State Farm. And I’m glad this was the pick because I love this pass. Such a great dish. That’s what I call court vision. Yeah, he puts that pass right on the money and made things look easy for his teammates. And it’s been a very competitive game so far as we get rolling here in quarter number four on the court for Memphis to start the fourth. We’ve got Santi Alama. Pippen is out there with Desmond Bane. Then there’s Wells and it’s Clark and at the center filling out the middle. Aldama inside working on knee. Here’s Buffkin defended by Pippen. [Applause] Pass to man. Capella trying to free himself up. Basket counts. Man has got the fourth quarter going with the first basket of the period here for the Hawks. Memphis trailing here. [Music] And here’s Pippen. Clark sets a screen for Pippen. And Capella sends it back. Quick off the floor. Has that long reach. Capella there with the intimidation to the inside. Here’s Nang. Got him with the pump fake but couldn’t finish. for Memphis. They’ve gone 0 of3 to start the fourth quarter and it’s Pippen in the corner. Memphis moving that ball around. Pass to Clark. Wells with it. Now here’s Pippen. Sinks the triple. Pippen’s got himself on the board with three there. Game winding down and they just keep changing leads. And guys, no separation yet. And I really don’t think we’re going to see any all the way down. Now here’s Levert. That one a 10 off line to the right, but drops in for him. And the Hawks lead by one. Grizzlies have gone one of four since the end of the third quarter. Outside Bane at the top of the key. Aldamo. Bells passes to Aldama. Just five on the clock inside. Pippen can’t hit for Atlanta. They’ve gone two or three from the field to get the fourth quarter start. Back to Levert. A three ball. Looks good. Is good. That’s his seventh basket in 12 tries from range. Levert’s one of those guys you have to respect his shot. He makes enough from beyond where you have to honor him. Now here’s Pippen. Clark outside. Back to Pippen. [Applause] Right at the free throw line again. The miss by Pippen. Atlanta leading by four. [Music] Pass to Buffkin. [Music] Levertis 39 pip. Here’s Buffkin. Here’s man off target with his three. Bibbon feeling it out a bit. [Music] Over three and a half minutes through the final quarter now. Payne for three. And again, Memphis no good. Yeah, there’s no reason for the defense to get out on him right now. Just let him keep taking that shot until he shows them he’s going to knock it down. The Grizzlies trail by four. Out to the right wing outside. Pippen Clark outside. They can use a bucket. Aldama can’t hit. Not quite enough defense that time around. Just lucky he was off. Levert with it. Stolen by Pippen. Oh, and here comes Pippen all alone and they pick up two. No hesitation. He just takes off and takes it the distance. Well, the best way to attack is in transition. He recognizes that. Here’s Buffkin. Nang in the corner. Pass to Levert. Shot clock at six. Here’s Buffkin. Over Pippen. Buffkin. No good. Memphis has gotten just one of four three-pointers to go down for them here in the fourth. Outside Pippen Clark into the lane. It’s good. This game is all even. Looking nimble on the drive there. Once Clark sees an opening in the defense, he’s looking to exploit. [Applause] Now Levert [Applause] Aldama with the rebound. Aldamas got his fourth rebound with that last one here tonight. Pass to Pippen. And here is Clark [Applause] and Capella over to help. No good from Clark. Hawks have gone three of eight here in the fourth quarter. Levert the pass to Nang. on the wing man down low. Here’s Capella and foul on the shot. He’ll shoot two at the free throw line. The aggressive move by Capella. His length and athleticism. It’s tough to handle when he gets the ball that deep. [Applause] Two shots. That free throw missing. So Stan, the Grizzlies trio of John Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jiren Jackson Jr. from the outside looking in. What a great base going forward. I I agree with that, Kevin. Look, not only are those three outstanding individual players, but they complement each other so well. They’re such a great fit with those three guys. That’s a great base for the future, Greg. Since making it to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, the Atlanta Hawks haven’t been that good. And it was hard to tell if that was a Cinderella run at the time, but Kevin looking like that might have been the outlier. The Hawks took some risk to get back there, but it just hasn’t worked. Here’s Young. [Music] Pass to Daniel. Now here’s Capella. Young outside. Capella sets a screen for Young. Off the mark and the drop continues. Might be time for a little different approach. His shot hasn’t been fallen here in the second half. The Hawks trailing. [Applause] Here’s Rez outside. Here’s the three. trains it from beyond the arc. Young’s got 24. And defensively, you have to stay connected to Young at all times. But Briley’s called timeout. [Applause] Get loud. On the court is your hot spot. Who wants a free t-shirt? [Music] Heat. Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] Dong Woo checked in for the Hawks. The Grizzlies also making a change. Wells, he’s checked in for Pippen. And let’s head over to the sideline and catch up with David Aldridge. Hi guys. Well, during the break, I was able to catch what the Grizzlies coach was talking about with his team. Now, he’s not happy with the perimeter defense. He told them, “We have to hustle more out to the three-point line because they look real comfortable out there.” Now, I want you contesting every three they put up. We’ll see if that intensity increases on D, guys. Thank you, David. [Applause] Let’s take a second look at that fantastic block. And that is a huge block. Given how close this game is, a stop like that was right on point. [Applause] And so here’s Memphis. They trail by one. There’s the lob to the hoop and taken away by Johnson. In the corner, Daniels a three off the mark. Memphis has gotten just one of four three-pointers to go down for them here in the fourth. That one good for two. And the Grizzlies lead by one. Time running low, guys. And uh somebody has got to win this one. Yeah. Well, who knows? We might need overtime in this one. It’s been that kind of a game. Now, here is Young Okong down low. The shot will not fall. And Morance’s got the ball here for the Memphis Grizzlies. And there’s Wells. That’s good on the assist by Morant. Morance’s got assist number nine now. Wow, what an effort here tonight. Here’s Young. [Applause] Pass to Okongu. [Applause] Back to Young. Six to shoot. Plenty of space and that one swishes right in. Young’s got 10 points in just the second half. And this is what Young does best. A dynamite offensive player who fills it up in so many ways. The three from Morant. Rebound Atlanta. [Applause] Here’s Daniels and it is flushed down with a nice jam. Well, when you move the ball, you open up the defense. Great job to make the self-esteem. [Applause] Young against Morant over Young. Okangu grabs the board. Okangu has now got 13 rebounds in the game this evening. And there have been some terrible shot choices here. Kev, that’s not a good look at all. Pass to Mor. [Applause] Fires from deep. And it’s Reza with the rebound. The Hawks leading Young right side over Bane again. The Hawks score. This is why people are just so high on Young because he comes through with big shots in the game. Mor passes to Bane and the free ball is good. Baines got it all tied up now for the Grizzlies. And such a clutch shooter. I mean, he lives with a big shot. And when he’s thrown in like this, watch out. Kept to wide. Young no good. Grizzly shooting around 37% in the fourth quarter. The minutes started to wear on them. Now here’s Mor. He’s covered by Daniels. And it’s Morant missing. Pass to Okong. Here’s Young going to go that time. Great D that time from Bane. Morant outside. There’s the drive. Oh, that’s blocked. Here’s Young. Cha Morant with the rebound. The Grizzly shooting under 40% all in all for the game. [Music] We’ve got 108 left in the game. It’s good and they get the go-ahead bucket. A huge shot from Moran. Wow. You see why they put the ball in his hands in those situations. Now here is Young. It counts. A huge shot to tie it up. Big time basket at a big time moment. Yeah. Don’t you just love to see a player embrace that kind of pressure? Morance against Young and he gets the whistle. Two free throws coming up. It’s going to be on Trey Young and going up strong inside demonstrates confidence. Mor not afraid to get physical. [Applause] [Applause] He knocks down the clutch free throw. [Applause] and Zoro drops them both. It’s a two-point ball game. Yeah, he’s a guy you want at the line and clearly not affected by the moment. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snider. Pivotal moment in this game. He’s not taking any chances. He’ll call time. [Applause] [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Applause] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] There’s 48 seconds left in the fourth. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Puts it up from 15. Rebound Atlanta. Can’t afford any wasted possessions down the stretch. Yeah, they need everything to break their way at this point if they’re going to rally back. Now, here is Young. Pass to Johnson. Full time. Guys, you see him starting to heat up and when he turns it on, you got a problem. But Grizzlies called timeout. So, I’m looking at the clock and guys, the situation. What do you think we’re going to see next? This is where great coaching can pay dividends. Well, they’ll likely only get one shot at this. They need to make it count. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Applause] 19 seconds left in the fourth quarter of this one. [Applause] Morant outside. [Applause] It’s good. Well, it doesn’t get any easier than this. They’ll take these shots every time. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snider. The magnitude at this juncture in the game clearly warranting a timeout. Guys, what’s your take on how they maximize their opportunities now? And this is it, guys. Down one. They’ve got just enough time to work it around for a good shot. And it better be a good shot because it’s the only shot they have. Keep it going. No heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Young for three. Oh, they shot in a chance, but no good. So, a close game sees Memphis take this one. This win, such a tremendous emotional boost for him. Really an accomplishment and crazy finish to take a road game like this and simply deflate an entire building. And that’ll do it folks with Stan Van Gundy, Greg Anthony, and David Aldridge. This is Kevin Harland saying thanks for watching folks on 2K Sports. But as we go, let’s take a look at our player of the game, Sha Moran. Monday night broadcast of the NBA here on 2K Sports. In this game, we’ll see the Atlanta Hawks going up against the Memphis Grizzlies. Kevin Arwin here with you. Joining me tonight, Stan Van Gundy and Greg Anthony. Our buddy David Aldridge is on the sideline getting story. Now, a look at Memphis’s starting group. Morant is the point with Bane out on the wing. Wells is out there with Jiren Jackson and it’s Edy in at the pivot manning the middle and for the Hawks in the post it’ll be Johnson and Okong Woo. Trey Young is out there with Daniels and it’s Reza Shay in it the small forward and Stan here we’ve got two of the highest scoring teams in the entire NBA. Yeah Kevin, there is firepower everywhere with these two teams. So defensively, you can’t take away everything, but you have to try to take away something. Limit some things, right, coach? You can’t stop everything on the play. Not at all. You’ve got to pick your poison and decide what you can live with. Now here’s Jackson. Five on the clock. Here’s Morant. That’s good. And it’s Jackson with the assist that time. And no problem for Morant that close to the hoop. Once he gets inside, he makes it look easy. Young inside guarded by Morance. It’s deflected outside. Bane down low. [Applause] Mor looking around. [Applause] The rebound by Young. And now we’ve got some time to check in from the sideline. You got for us, DA? Well, earlier I spoke with Quinn Snder. Desmond Bane was the topic. Coach was ausive with his praise. He said Bane is a great catch and shoot guy, but he’ll find ways to contribute no matter what. He also said Bane is hard to game plan for, but they’ll do their best not to let him get in the rhythm. They will have their hands full tonight, guys. Okay, David, much appreciated. And that’s a high percentage look when the D doesn’t fight over the screen. Yeah, it’s certainly worth it to disrupt the offense. Coaches notice that extra effort. Now here is Young. That one drops for him. Oh, crafty move there by Young finessing his way around the contact. Grizzlies have gone two of three here to start off the game. Outside Bane Bells wide open the three-pointer. No good. And here’s Daniels driving inside. Yeah, just solid work on the back end of that play. Yep, you’re right. Finish hard with two hands on that stuff. Now Mor. And how sweet a play was that? As sweet as it gets. An exquisite pass to set up the powerful alleyoop dunk. Morance against Young Johnson with a screen on Morance. Young no good. I’m sure he’d like to have that back. That’s a missed opportunity. And with this era of the Atlanta Hawks, Greg, they’ve gone as far as their defense has let them. You look back at their conference finals run in 21, that was the last time they had a top 10 defense. So scoring’s never been the issue with this core, but defense has been non-existent. Now here is Young following the miss by John Morant. And timeout is called by Quinn Snider. This will give him a chance to discuss some potential alterations. [Applause] Go 4. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] 42 [Applause] Young dishes to Johnson and it’s Young that time on the assist by Johnson. Nice job capitalizing down there. Young good at probing inside and finding some space. Morant outside in the corner. It’s Bane. Six to shoot. A three-pointer off the mark. And here’s Young. He’ll bring it up for Atlanta. Here’s Rez. The kick out to Young. Edy with the rebound. Memphis trailing here. Morant passes to Jackson. Nice fake, but the layup off the mark. Not really what we expected. You know, he wants that one back. It’s stolen. Wells with it. He’s picked up by Reza. It’s Mor in the corner. Outside Jackson. Good. And a nice assist from Morant. Oh, quick thinking from Jackson. When he’s rising and firing fast, you know he’s in the zone. Bounce pass. Young. Pass to Okongu. Rez with it. A three. Trains the three-pointer. Both teams running perimeter oriented plays that are working well. You know, it’s become a three-point shooting league. Teams shooting a steady diet from outside. Gone 59 from the field here in the first. Daniels passes to Johnson offline with his three. Memphis is gone. Just one of four from three-point range here in the first. up top. Bane Morant right side. Pass to Jackson. [Music] Pops it up. Johnson with the block. And there’s the shot clock violation. Couldn’t get the shot off in time. Levert checked in for Atlanta. And Memphis also making a switch. Santias checked in for Wells. Now here is Young [Music] pass to Okongu [Music] and a chance for just a second to check out the scoring breakdown for Atlanta. Well, you know, the analytics guys would tell you a team shouldn’t be taking this many mid-range shots, but clearly they’re shooting them with confidence. Also, they’re getting into the teeth of the defense. Points in the paint. Something coaches always love to see. And he knocks down the first one. Both [Applause] free throws good from Okongu. The Grizzlies trail by four. As Diti now here’s Jackson. Memphis moving it around on the Wayne Bane. Overt defending. No good with the triple. The Hawks leading by four. Here is Daniels. Rebounded by Jackson. [Applause] Here’s Elama. He’s covered by Daniels. Moran. That’s for two. It’s in. That’s his third field goal of the game. He’s three for five, guys. That’s just really unstoppable. He poses a ton of matchup problems for whomever he’s facing. Okong Woo kicks to Johnson. Okong Woo with a screen on Jackson. Johnson dishes to Okong Wu. Levert with a wideopen look. The Hawks again can’t hit. The Grizzlies have gone five of 12 from the field since the opening chip. Count that bucket. Great touch there. It’s just so tough to defend a floater like that. Pass to Daniels. Back to Young. Takes it inside. The shots good on the assist by Daniels. Young’s got six points. And on the drive, Young can be so sudden the defense barely gets a chance to react. Outside Bane back to Mor. Down to five on the shot clock. Memphis needs to get off a shot here. Can’t hit and so Young will bring it up for Atlanta. [Music] Back to Levert. [Music] over to the left wing. Now here’s Okong. He’s covered closely. Yeah, you expect him to make those. Good look. Just couldn’t find the mark. Here’s Bane. A beautiful reverse layup. Baines got his second basket of the game. Well, Morance’s acrobatics often get the attention, but his passing is also elite. And you know, Stan, we’ve watched Desmond Bane evolve into a number one option on offense. He’s always been there, but now he really is at the top of the heat. Yeah, he sure is. Look, Kevin, you know, he came into the league as a three-point shooter, and he’s a great one, but he’s developed his game off the dribble, very good mid-range shooter, and he’s strong enough to finish around the rim. Morant passes to Bane. Out to Morant [Applause] outside Jackson. Good. And a nice assist from Morant. Morance got his fourth assist in this one. Highlevel passer even for a point guard. Morant shows the imagination. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snider. Wants to regroup and go over the strategy. [Music] [Music] down the court is your hype spot. Get loud and let them hear you. Who wants a free teaser? You know what to do, right? Make some go. Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] for the Hawks. Clint Capella, he’s checked in for Okongu. George Niang comes in for Dyson Daniels. Man subbed in for Young. Brandon Clark, he’s checked in for the Grizzlies. Pass the man. [Music] Back to Johnson. Pocket six. Nope, not that time. Nothing for two from the field. Memphis leaning Bane passes to Mor inside. Clark and it’s Clark with the jam. Quick off the floor and powerful. Clark loves to attack that rim. Levert with it. [Applause] Shooting foul as the whistle blows. He’ll shoot two free throws. Yeah, the defender all over. And guys, what do you think about the offensive approach so far that we’ve seen for the Grizzlies? Well, I have to applaud their ball movement. They’re moving the ball around, finding the best looks they can, and keeping everyone involved. And also, guys, they’re out musling their opponent. The points in the paint are piling up because of that aggressiveness. And the free throw drops for Levert Reza. He’s checked in for Terrence Man. The Grizzlies also making a change. Jackson’s checked in. Levert hits both of them and the Grizzlies with possession here And here’s Morant. He’s got six. Memphis moving it around and the layup’s good off the glass. Morance got eight. Yeah, I’m amazed at Morance’s ability to take contact and still stay in full control. Capella on a high post. He’s against Clark. Here’s Reza and it’s good for two. Reza has got his second bucket of the night. And guys, they continue to put a lot of pressure on the interior defenders with their work down low to the right side to the inside and it’s Moring. Anzo Levert will bring it up for Atlanta. They trail by one. So they take the lead. Levert’s got his second bucket of the game to go and got to push Levert out of that area because he’s very comfortable looking to score from there. Outside Bane pass to Aldamo. 56 seconds left to play in the first quarter. Morant passes to Bane. Just two to shoot. leaps for it. No good from outside. Got the defender off his feet with the pump fake but couldn’t knock it down with the drive. They get it again. Nang kicks to Levert. Shot clock at six. And he gets it to go from the corner. Eight points for him. And how about the playmaking skills of Levert? I like watching this guy break down the D in the pick and roll. Two second difference between shot clock and game clock. Now Morant, he’s got eight. On the Wayne Bane good and a nice assist from Morant. Morance got his sixth assist on the night. Here’s Rezache and he was able to put it up in time but doesn’t fall. Harris Lever has been on display for the Hawks. He notched eight points in the quarter and has that terrific basketball instinct on display. We come back right after this. And if you’re just tuning in, it’s been a pretty even game through the first quarter. And what do you guys think about the Hawks here in this one? Yeah, in that first period, they looked to push in transition at every opportunity. Yeah, they gave the other team no time to breathe. Every time they got the ball, they were off to the races. And you see how effective this aggressive mindset can be. So on the floor to begin things for Memphis here in the second quarter, John Jackson is out there with Santiama. Then it’s Luke Canar. Then it’s Pippen and it’s Clark in at the five down low. Here’s Reese. It’s good from Juan Reed. Rez got the opening basket here in the second quarter for the Hawks. The Grizzlies trail by three. [Applause] Pippen outside. Clark sets a screen for Jackson and he can’t answer back. The three-pointer offline shooting at 50% in a decent group. Avert in the corner. [Applause] Takes a three. The Grizzlies pull it in. Yeah, and he had the detangled up there with that patented crossover. just couldn’t convert the finish. Pippen the pass to Canard. Off target from three-point range. The Hawks lead by three. [Music] Porter number two with just over a minute gone. Nang with the ball. No scoring in this one. Rez with it. He’s picked up by Pippet. A nice shot by Levert. And eventually, every player GA has to grapple with aim, realizing they’ve lost a step or two against the young fellas. And sometimes that is a very slow realization. Oh, it it is, Deb. Hopefully by that point, it’s less about financial security and more about prolonging the inevitable simply for the love of the game. So, it’s Atlanta now following the three from Jiren Jackson. [Applause] And here in the second, two minutes gone by outside. Pippen puts up a three and it’s Reese with the rebound. Well, you can tell he thinks he should have had that one. even harder on him when he’s got a good look like that and it doesn’t go down. And those plays can make a difference in a game like this. Well, you know it’s going to fire up, Greg. Everybody on that bench and guys, you cannot allow that in a close game. You have to make it harder than that. Levert with it. He’s picked up by Pippen. [Applause] Now Reza 10 points for him. inside. Jackson on him. Stolen by Jackson. And for those of you just joining us in the second quarter with about 3 minutes gone by. No good from Clark. And so Levert will bring it up for the Atlanta Hawks. In the second quarter, they’ve given up just three points. Now here’s Levert. [Music] Capella with a screen on Pit. Here’s Levert. The shot comes out. Some solid defense there from Jackson. Now Dama passes to Jackson. Here’s Pippen. And another miss by Memphis. The Hawks leading by four. Here’s Levert and Pippen pulls it down. Memphis has gone one of four from three-point range in the second. Not a whole lot dropping out there for them. Atlanta with the rebound. [Applause] Now here’s Levert. Capella sets a screen for Reese. No good on the triple. The Grizzlies trail by four. And Reza, the prototypical size and skill for a wingman. Yeah, he’s got some jelly to his game. Handle, touch at his size that becomes very tough to contain. Now here is Levert. Brandon Clark missing his last shot. Capella sets a screen for Reese. Pass the man. It’s Clark with the rebound. When the defense is playing off like that, you want to be able to convert, but that time he just couldn’t get it done. The three Pippen Atlanta with the rebound. Nang’s got his fifth rebound right now in the game. To the middle. Here’s Capella. He trains the turnaround jump shot. Cabela’s got the lead up to six now for the Hawks. And it could have been a foul call. Caught the shot as well. Capella maintains the focus though and finishes. So, timeout call here. The first for Memphis. Trying to find some answers offensively. Yeah, they just have to be more patient, less forcing and more passing. [Applause] is heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Atlanta making some changes. Aong Woo checked in for Capella. Young is subbed in Perez. Then for the Grizzlies. Wells. He’s checked in for Santi Aldama. Bane comes in for Luke Canar. And it’s Morant in for Pippen [Applause] on the Wayne. Bane. Avert defending. Morance against Young. And that one’s good. Morant. If you give him an inch of space, he’s going to make you pay. Atlanta leading by four. Okongu with a screen on Bane. The open shot. Levert. It’s good. That basket. He’s now five for nine. And Levert is playing with such passion on offense. He’s just not afraid to play a big role on that end. Now here’s Morance. He’s got 10. Count that one. And 12 points for John Mor. The Hawks have gone five of 11 from the field since the beginning of the second quarter. Avert against Baine from 20 ft out and it’s going to be out of bounds. The Hawks will retain possession. Johnson, he’s checked in for the Hawks. Daniels comes in for Caris Levert. Santi Alamas checked in for Memphis. [Applause] Morance against Young. It’s rebounded by Memphis. Wells in the corner. No good on the three. The Hawks leading by four. shot from free throw range and good as it just snugs right down through the net. And I I like the resourcefulness Young brings to the table, taking any shot he can create. Back to Morant. Two free throws coming up and they call the shooting foul. It’s going to go on on Okongu. Memphis shooting their first free throws of this and typically a strength of theirs 79% on the season. That’s good from Morance. Stan, we talk about this every night. So much great young talent coming into the NBA. Is there one player though in particular who right now stands out to you? But I have to say, Kevin, Victor Wimyama, I don’t know that we have ever seen a guy of that size do the things that he does. Now, you can say, well, what about Nicola Joic? Well, Nicole Joic first of all is not Victor Wimbeyan’s size and then Victor’s handle and his length. The guy’s incredible. He’s going to be the face of the NBA for a long, long time. Here’s Morant following the basket by Trey Young. Outside Jackson pass to Wells and here is Bane. Six on the shot clock. The Grizzlies with another miss. The Hawks working the ball around. Young with the ball. He’s picked up by Morant. Okang Wu down low. He’s against Park. The Grizzlies trail by six. Bane finds Jackson. And it’s hard to pick a more electrifying player in the league than John Mor. He explodes off the floor. He’s gone two for two at the line so far. And with a percentage of 82, he’s been one of their more dependable shooters from the line. That’s good from Morance. And the Hawks making a change here. Rez checked in. Both free throws good from Morant. And timeout is called by Quinn Snider. He wants to check in with his team and regroup. [Music] It’s time for you to victory. You know what to do. [Music] [Applause] Great. Good. [Music] [Music] A man. Heat. Thank you for all the [Applause] The Hawks leading by four. Pass to Young. [Music] And here is Okongu. Fouled in the act of shooting. Gets the bucket anyway. So, a three-point play chance for him. And although he’s smaller, Young willing to battle inside and shows you he can score through contact. We’re talking about Trey Young here, GA. What stands out most about him to you? Well, Kevin, I I’d say just how confident he is, right? He He plays with that unique energy and swagger. You love him if he’s on your team and can’t stand him if he’s playing against you. And that one misses. And Young, a fiery competitor, someone who enjoys getting under the skin of opposing players. Just five to shoot. Loud up there for Justin. Hammers the alleyoop through. Oh, and the lead gets bigger on a ridiculous offensive sequence. That dunk alone would have been spectacular. Never mind it coming at the end of an alleyoop. Now here’s Clark. Steps back. [Applause] Trey Young grabs the miss. [Applause] chance there to push it to double digits, but it’s off the mark. Bane kicks to Mor. [Applause] Pass to Clark outside Jackson. [Applause] It’s good. He makes his first shot of the game. And guys, we talk all the time about making the extra pass. Clark there proving how important that concept is. Now here is Young. 12 points for him. [Applause] It’s rebounded by Memphis. Clark’s got five rebounds tonight. Pass to Mor. [Music] Here’s Clark outside. Bane. Clark sets a screen for Bane. And the three off target. And they had some boxed coverage that turned into no coverage. They get the rebound. You know, you can’t be overzealous inside when you guard Young. You got to be better at contesting without foul. He’s 0 of one from the line, missing on his first trip in their last contest, guys. He was unconscious from the foul line. That free throw no good. And we’re seeing some big paydays for NBA head coaches these days. Stan, uh, do you miss it? Do I miss the paychecks? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Payday was always really good in the NBA. No question about that. What about now, though? What about now? Well, it’s gone through the roof, but look, the tradeoff is the paydays are big, but there’s not a great deal of job security. Now here’s Morance. 16 points for him. [Applause] The Grizzlies have looked good at the line tonight. They’re perfect in four attempts. Two shots. [Applause] That one is off. And the second free throw. Good. [Applause] And so it’s Atlanta with it. Six-point lead. 149 left in the first half. Reza Jay, misses the three. The Grizzly shooting a lackluster 38% for the game. Struggling so far. And it’s thrown down hard with both hands. Oh, and he went for the two-hander on the slam using some muscle. Some urgency from him there. Sure. Johnson dishes to Young. Edy with the rebound. Ed’s got five rebounds tonight. We’ve got 113 left to play here in the second quarter. And it’s Rez with the rebound. Reese’s got four rebounds in this game. Here’s Young on the arc. Good on the triple. Young’s got 16. Nice and composed on that three there. Trey giving his fundamentals all of his attention. Here’s Mor number 12 goes in. He’s made seven of 12 now. Well, all of us coaches, we love when you can create looks in close. Young passes to Daniels. to the wing on the left. A wide open look here for Okongu. The shots good on the assist by Daniel. That’s a high percentage look when the D doesn’t fight over the screen. Yeah, it’s certainly worth it to disrupt the offense. Coaches notice that extra effort. Now here’s Wells. Hasn’t made one yet. Trills it from outside. And guys, he’s been a one-man air raid coming at them time and time again. Well, what I love about his three-point shooting is the spacing that he’s adding. It makes things a lot easier for everyone else. Young with the ball. 16 points for him. Okongu with a screen on Morance. And here’s Young from the arc. Trey Young. He’s feeling it tonight and has been the driving force for the Hawks. He got into double digits for the quarter with 10 points total. And now let’s catch up with David Aldridge who’s standing by from the sideline. All right, Dave. Thank you, Kevin. With coach Quinn Snder Quinn, what has to happen in the second half? Well, we got to keep getting stops and really just make plays. Make plays on the offensive end and be solid defensively. No, no magic. It’s a pretty simple game, right, coach? Thanks for your time. Back to you, Kevin. Thank you, David. And we’ll be back for the third quarter of action following halftime. Please direct your attention to center court and get ready for the man have fun shot a beast. They’re thinking about the shot. [Applause] One more time for the participant. Heat. Heat. And we’ve got second half action for you. Thus far, a pretty evenly contested game, guys. John Morant has been sensational. His play so far is what fans love about him. He has gone right at the defense time and time again. Yeah, he hasn’t been settling. He’s getting to the rim and that’s him at his best. [Applause] And so Young will bring it up for the Hawks. Four-point game. The front court is Rez and Johnson. Daniels out there with Young and it’s Okong in its center. So that’s the lineup for Atlanta. And the great shooters know when they’ve got enough opening to go for the three. I didn’t think it was a bad choice on that possession. Atlanta leading by four. To the paint. Here’s Daniels. Back in coming off the assist from Young. Daniels has got six. Terrific play call to give him a clean look at the rim. That’s how you want to start the second half. Yeah, I like how they’re establishing their interior presence right away. That’s going to collapse the defense and create other opportunities. Now here is Mor. High effort play by Mor. He refuses to let the foul stop him from getting the shot. The Grizzlies shooting their seventh and eighth free throw attempts for the game right here. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots and the first one drops. Both free throws good from Morant. The Hawks leading by four. And for those of you turning in, we’re about a minute into the second half. The Grizzlies shooting 40% from the field. [Music] Bane looking around. Lock at six. Pass to Jackson. over Johnson. Rebound Atlanta right around a minute and a half played here in the third quarter. And that one’s good. Reza Shane, that’s inexcusable defense right there. You got to contest the shot better than that. Young against Morant. Now Bane. launches a three and again Memphis no good. A bit of pride at stake trying to get that last three ball back but couldn’t get it and Johnson with the stop. Oh taking it to the rack with power hammering down the two hand slam. They’ve been struggling here on offense. Yeah, a bit of a dry spell for sure. Here’s Morance and he uses the glass on the lane. Mor’s got 22. And what a show Morant is putting on. Every time he touches the ball, you feel like he’s going to score. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snider. And coach has decided they need a moment to talk things over. [Music] Heat. Heat. Yeah, heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Just under two and a half minutes into the third quarter now. And so Young will bring it up for the Atlanta Hawks. Johnson with a screen on Morant and foul on the shot. So he’ll get a chance at the line. So clever at creating contact. Young looks to shoot it so often which really forces defenders to overcommit at times. He’s off on the first. and he’s good on the second. A touch over two and a half minutes of basketball played here in the third quarter. Morant outside. Atlanta with the rebound. Okconors now got doubledigit rebounds now in the game. And Johnson with the stop. Oh, and the lead gets bigger on a ridiculous offensive sequence. That dunk alone would have been spectacular. Never mind it coming at the end of an alley. Now here’s Wells still without a basket. Payne for three. Score the basket. His fifth of the game. He’s missed six shots against those five makes. Well, those go down for him in his sleep. Just under three and a half minutes played here in the third quarter. As Rezach tried to answer back, but that three is off the mark. The Grizzlies trail by seven. Now Wells. Payton for three. Atlanta with the rebound. Johnson’s got his fourth rebound with that last one here tonight. Here’s Daniels. Solid play on the low block. And that one’s good. Daniels has got eight points. Now here’s Morant. He’s got 22. Out of bounds. It’ll go to the Hawks. And the latest now from our sideline reporter, David Aldridge. David, it’s all yours. Take it away, Kevin. Thanks. A move that likely helped the league’s parody has been shortening max contract lengths. Commissioner Silver says, “We used to refer to it as dead money. A star player to those end years sitting on the bench. We’ve reduced max contracts to 5 years and in some cases six. This way, it moves to more pay for performance.” Kevin, I think DA that’s a pretty good business decision. It’s going to have nice ramifications. And every year, and Greg, we agree, Bane seems to get better and better as a playmaker. Doesn’t overdo anything with his passing. Looks more and more comfortable creating off the drive and kick. He’s become a large part of this offensive engine. And here’s Young following John Morance’s three. And it’s Reese Shay missing. Pass to Wells. [Music] And it’s Reza with the rebound. Reza has got five rebounds tonight. Young Pascal Card and contact on the shot. So he’ll be shooting free throws here. Jack Edi picks one up. Yeah, good job to take it right at the deep. For Atlanta, they have shot 67% from the line going six of nine. And the first one at the line is good. Both free throws good from Okongu. The Grizzlies trail by eight. And here’s Morant. 25 points in the game. Outside for Jackson. No good from outside. Atlanta has gone one of four in three-point shots here in the third. Pass to Johnson. Here’s Reese. 13 points in the game from deep. Six to shoot. Atlanta again missing. He just doesn’t look like himself this quarter. Something’s missing. Yeah. And sometimes guys just start pressing. And the best thing for him is to just slow it down and concentrate on solid shot selection. Here’s Young after the basket by Jiren Jackson. Pass to Rezer. Wells grabs the miss. The Grizzlies trail by six. Out to the right wing outside. Bane fires the three. Johnson with the rebound. Johnson’s got his fifth rebound right now in the game. [Applause] Pass to Rez in the tray. 16 points for Rez. And so it’s Memphis with it. They’ve been looking out of sync offensively. Yeah, their offense has ground to a standstill and that one’s good. Morant not to be outstaged. Morant saying right back at you. The Hawks leading by six. Pass to Okonoo. [Music] Back to Young. Uses the glass to finish the layup. Young’s got 19 points. Yeah, he’s in such a great rhythm right now. Makes sense to get him the ball any way you can. Yeah, when you have a guy playing like he has been recently, he’s got to be the first option on every possession. Now, here’s Bane. He’s got 12. And he has been ice cold from beyond the arc here since halftime. And he continues yet to fire away. He has got to tone it down if he wants to help his team. Jackson against Johnson. Young from outside. But Grizzlies pull it in and close to making the defense pay for the lack coverage that time. Morant outside and he hammers that one down right in the face of Okongu and he can get to the rim with the best of him. Morant always finds a way. Young with the ball. 19 points in the game. Pass to Reza on the wing. Johnson. Here is Daniels. [Applause] Now Reza Young for three, but Grizzlies pull it in. Jackson’s got his fifth rebound in this one. Okay, outside Bane lets it go with a three and it’s Reese with the rebound. Rez got six rebounds here tonight. Johnson right side Okongu a screen here is and the rebound by Jiren Jackson. Jackson’s got six rebounds now in the game. Wells kicks to Mor into the lane and Mor throws it down. How about the authority from Moran? The the way he was running. You knew he was aiming to shatter at the rim. Here is Daniels. He’s got eight. Now here’s Okonwood. Pass to Young. [Applause] Five to shoot. What a terrific move that was. Young’s got five points now this quarter. And this game belongs to Young right now. And he is simply making everything. Now Jackson. Good D by Johnson. The Hawks leading by six. To the middle. Here’s Rez. It’s rebounded by Memphis. Wells has got his fourth rebound with that last one here tonight. And a wide open look for Payne. Good. And a nice assist from Morant. Morance got his eighth assist in the game. Young dishes to O Conu. Pass to Daniels. Rez with it. Johnson kicks to Daniels. Young gets Mor shoots. Young’s shot is off. The Grizzlies trail by three. Bane passes to Morant with a tie and they get it back. Jackson finds Morant and three chances on that possession, but they just couldn’t find a way to score. Rez with it now guarded by Wells [Music] and 101 left to play in the third. Actton Daniels shot clock at five. Atlanta needs to get off a shot here. The shot by Okongu. No good. Excellent coverage defensively making it hard on him. Morant outside. Can’t tie it up as that one misses and so it’s Young who brings it up for the Atlanta Hawks. They’ve led by as much as 10. [Applause] Lets it go from deep. And the rebound by Jiren Jackson. Jackson’s got his eighth rebound here tonight to the wing right side. Bane kicks to Mor. There’s the triple and he’s good on the three ball. Morance’s got the game tied up here for the Grizzlies. And they have been relentless from deep and you see the defense trying to react but to no avail. Look, when the three is falling like this, there’s not a whole lot you can do defensively. Tie game in Atlanta. And time to step aside quickly, but we’ll be back in no time with the start of the fourth quarter. here. Now, a chance to show you our assist of the game and it’s presented as always by State Farm. And I’m glad this was the pick because I love this pass. Such a great dish. That’s what I call court vision. Yeah, he puts that pass right on the money and made things look easy for his teammates. And it’s been a very competitive game so far as we get rolling here in quarter number four. On the court for Memphis to start the fourth, we’ve got Santi Alama. Pippen is out there with Desmond Bane. Then there’s Wells and it’s Clark and at the center filling out the middle. Aldama inside working on Ne. Here’s Buffkin defended by Pippen. [Applause] [Music] Pass to man. Capella trying to free himself up. Basket counts. Man has got the fourth quarter going with the first basket of the period here for the Hawks. Memphis trailing here. [Music] And here’s Pippen. Clark hits a screen for Pippen. And Capella sends it back. Quick off the floor. Has that long reach. Capella there with the intimidation to the inside. Here’s Nang. Got him with the pump fake but couldn’t finish for Memphis. They’ve gone 0 of three to start the fourth quarter. And it’s Pippen in the corner. Memphis moving that ball around. Pass to Clark. Wells with it. Now here’s Pippen. Sinks the triple. Pippen’s got himself on the board with three there. Game winding down and they just keep changing leads. And guys, no separation yet. And I really don’t think we’re going to see any all the way down. Now here’s Levert. That one a 10 off line to the right, but drops in for him. And the Hawks lead by one. Grizzlies have gone one of four since the end of the third quarter. Outside Bane at the top of the key. Aldamo. Wells passes to Aldama. Just five on the clock. Inside. Pippen can’t hit. For Atlanta. They’ve gone two or three from the field to get the fourth quarter started. Back to Levert. A three ball looks good. Is good. That’s his seventh basket in 12 tries. From range’s one of those guys you have to respect his shot. He makes enough beyond where you have to honor. Now here’s Pippen. Clark outside. [Applause] Back to Pippen [Applause] right at the free throw line again. The miss by Pippen. Atlanta leading by four. [Music] Pass to Buffkin. [Music] Levert three on P. Here’s Buffkin. Here’s man off target with this three. Nibbon feeling it out a bit. [Music] Over three and a half minutes through the final quarter now. Payne for three. And again, Memphis no good. Yeah, there’s no reason for the defense to get out on him right now. Just let him keep taking that shot until he shows him he’s going to knock it down. The Grizzlies trail by four. Out to the right wing. Outside Pippen. Clark outside. They can use a bucket. Aldama can’t hit. Not quite enough defense that time around. Just lucky he was off. Levert with it. Stolen by Pippen. Oh, and here comes Pippen all alone. And they pick up two. No hesitation. He just takes off and takes it the distance. Well, the best way to attack is in transition. He recognizes that. Here’s Buffett. Nang in the corner. Pass to Levert. Shot clock at six. Here’s Buffkin. Over Pippen. Buffkin. No good. Memphis has gotten just one of four three-pointers to go down for them here in the fourth. Outside Pippen. Clark into the lane. It’s good. This game is all even. Looking nimble on the drive there. Once Clark sees an opening in the defense, he’s looking to exploit. [Applause] Now Levert. [Applause] Aldama with the rebound. Aldama’s got his fourth rebound with that last one here tonight. Pass to Pippen. And here is Clark. [Applause] and Capella over to help. No good from Clark. Hawks have gone three of eight here in the fourth quarter. Levert the pass to Nang on the wing man down low. Here’s Capella and foul on the shot. He’ll shoot 2x the free throw line. Aggressive move by Capella. His length and athleticism. It’s tough to handle when he gets the ball that deep. [Applause] Two shots. That free throw missing. So stand the Grizzlies trio of John Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jiren Jackson Jr. from the outside looking in. What a great base going forward. I agree with that, Kevin. Look, not only are those three outstanding individual players, but they complement each other so well. They’re such a great fit with those three guys. That’s a great base for the future. Greg, since making it to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, the Atlanta Hawks haven’t been that good. And it was hard to tell if that was a Cinderella run at the time, but Kevin looking like that might have been the outlier. The Hawks took some risk to get back there, but it just hasn’t worked. Here’s Young. [Music] Pass to Daniel. Now here’s Capella. Young outside. Capella sets a screen for Young. Off the mark and the drop continues. Might be time for a little different approach. This shot hasn’t been fallen here in the second half. The Hawks trailing. [Applause] Here’s Rez outside. Here’s the three. Trains it from beyond the arc. Young’s got 24. And defensively, you have to stay connected to Young at all times. But Grizzly’s called timeout. [Applause] Get loud fans on the court. It’s your hot spot. Who wants to be tied? [Music] Heat. [Applause] [Applause] Heat. [Applause] [Applause] Okong checked in for the Hawks. The Grizzlies also making a change. Wells, he’s checked in for Pippen. And let’s head over to the sideline and catch up with David Aldridge. Hi guys. Well, during the break, I was able to catch what the Grizzlies coach was talking about with his team. Now, he’s not happy with the perimeter defense. He told him, “We have to hustle more out to the three-point line because they look real comfortable out there.” Now, I want you contesting every three they put up. We’ll see if that intensity increases on D, guys. Thank you, David. [Applause] Let’s take a second look at that fantastic block. And that is a huge block. Given how close this game is, a stop like that was right on point. [Applause] And so here’s Memphis. They trail by one. There’s the lob to the hoop and taken away by Johnson in the corner. Daniels up three off the mark. Memphis has gotten just one of four three-pointers to go down for them here in the four. That one good for two and the Grizzlies lead by one. Time running low, guys. And somebody has got to win this one. Yeah, well, who knows? We might need overtime in this one. It’s been that kind of a game. Now, here is Young Okong Woo down low. The shot will not fall. And Mor’s got the ball here for the Memphis Grizzlies. And there’s Wells. That’s good on the assist by Morant. Morance’s got assist number nine now. Wow, what an effort here tonight. Here’s Young. [Applause] Pass to Okongu. Back to Young. Six to shoot. Plenty of space. And that one swishes right in. Young’s got 10 points in just the second half. And this is what Young does best. A dynamite offensive player who fills it up in so many ways. The three from Morant. Rebound Atlanta. [Applause] Here’s Daniels and it is flushed down with a nice jam. Well, when you move the ball, you open up the defense. Great job to make the unselfish play. [Applause] Young against Morant over Young. Okangu grabs the board. Okongru’s now got 13 rebounds in the game this season. And there have been some terrible shot choices here. Kev, that’s not a good look at all. Pass to Mor. [Applause] fires from deep and it’s Reese with the rebound. The Hawks leading Young right side over Bane again. The Hawks score. This is why people are just so high on Young because he comes through with big shots in the game. Mor passes to Bane and the free ball is good. Haynes got it all tied up now for the Grizzlies. Yeah. And such a clutch shooter. I mean, he lives with a big shot. And when he’s rolling like this, watch out. Kept alive. Young no good. Grizzly shooting around 37% in the fourth quarter. The minutes started to wear on them. Now here’s Mor. He’s covered by Daniels. And it’s Moring. Pass to Okongu. Here’s Young going to go that time. Great te that time from Bane. Morant outside. Here’s the drive. Oh, that’s blocked. Here’s Young. Cha Morant with the rebound. The Grizzly shooting under 40% all in all for the game. [Music] We’ve got 108 left in the game. It’s good and they get the go-ahead bucket. A huge shot from Moran. Wow. You see why they put the ball in his hands in those situations. Now here is Young. It counts. A huge shot to tie it up. Big time basket at a big time moment. Yeah. Don’t you just love to see a player embrace that kind of pressure. Morance against Young and he gets the whistle. Two free throws coming up. It’s going to be on Trey Young. And going up strong inside demonstrates confidence. Mor not afraid to get physical. [Applause] break. [Applause] He knocks down the clutch free throw. [Applause] [Applause] and Zoey drops them both. It’s a two-point ball game. Yeah, he’s a guy you want at the line and clearly not affected by the moment. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snder. Pivotal moment in this game. He’s not taken any chances. He’ll call time. Stop teaser. [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Applause] There’s 48. 8 seconds left in the fourth. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Puts it up from 15. Rebound Atlanta. Can’t afford any wasted possessions down the stretch. Yeah, they need everything to break their way at this point if they’re going to rally back. Now, here is Young. Pass to Johnson. Full time. Timeout, guys. You see him starting to heat up and when he turns it on, you got a problem. But Grizzlies called timeout. So, I’m looking at the clock and guys, the situation. What do you think we’re going to see next? This is where great coaching can pay dividends. Well, they’ll likely only get one shot at this. They need to make it count. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] 19 seconds left in the fourth quarter of this one. [Applause] Morant outside. [Applause] It’s good. Well, it doesn’t get any easier than this. They’ll take these shots every time. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snider. The magnitude at this juncture in the game clearly warranting a timeout. Guys, what’s your take on how they maximize their opportunities now? And this is it, guys. Down one. They’ve got just enough time to work it around for a good shot. It better be a good shot because it’s the only shot they have. Here we go. No heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Young for three. Oh, they shot in a change but no good. So, a close game sees Memphis take this one. This win, such a tremendous emotional boost for him. Really an accomplishment and crazy finish to take a road game like this and simply deflate an entire building. And that’ll do it folks with Stan Van Gundy, Greg Anthony, and David Aldridge. This is Kevin Harland saying thanks for watching folks on 2K Sports. But as we go, let’s take a look at our player of the game, Sha Morant. Monday night broadcast of the NBA here on 2K Sports. In this game, we’ll see the Atlanta Hawks going up against the Memphis Grizzlies. Kevin Arwin here with you. Joining me tonight, Stan Van Gundy and Greg Anthony. Our buddy David Aldridge is on the sideline getting story. Now, a look at Memphis’s starting group. Morant is the point with Bane out on the wing. Wells is out there with Jiren Jackson and it’s Edy in at the pivot manning the middle and for the Hawks in the post it’ll be Johnson and Okongu Trey Young is out there with Daniels and it’s Reza Shay in it the small forward and Stan here we’ve got two of the highest scoring teams in the entire NBA. Yeah, Kevin, there is firepower everywhere with these two teams. So, defensively, you can’t take away everything, but you have to try to take away something. Limit some things, right, coach? You can’t stop everything on the play. Not at all. You’ve got to pick your poison and decide what you can live with. Now, here’s Jackson. Five on the clock. Here’s Morant. That’s good. And it’s Jackson with the assist that time. And no problem for Morant that close to the hoop. Once he gets inside, he makes it look easy. Young inside, guarded by Morant. It’s deflected. Outside Bane down low. [Applause] The rebound by Young. And now we’ve got some time to check in from the sideline. You got for us DA? Well, earlier I spoke with Quinn Snider. Desmond Bane was the topic. Coach was ausive with his praise. He said Bane is a great catch and shoot guy, but he’ll find ways to contribute no matter what. He also said Bane is hard to game plan for, but they’ll do their best not to let him get in the rhythm. They will have their hands full tonight, guys. Okay, David, much appreciate it. That’s a high percentage look when the D doesn’t fight over the screen. Yeah, it’s certainly worth it to disrupt the offense. Coaches notice that extra effort. Now, here is Young. That one drops for him. Oh, crafty move there by Young finessing his way around the contact. Grizzlies have gone two of three here to start off the game. Outside Bane’s wide open the three-pointer. No good. And here’s Daniels driving inside. Yeah, just solid work on the back end of that play. Yep, you’re right. finish hard with two hands on that stuff. Now Morant. And how sweet a play was that? As sweet as it gets. An exquisite pass to set up the powerful alleyoop dunk. Morance against Young. Johnson with a screen on Morance. Young no good. I’m sure he’d like to have that back. That’s a missed opportunity. And with this era of the Atlanta Hawks break, they’ve gone as far as their defense has let them. You look back at their conference finals run in 21, that was the last time they had a top 10 defense. So scoring’s never been the issue with this core, but defense has been non-existent. Now, here is Young following the miss by Job Morant. And timeout is called by Quinn Snider. This will give him a chance to discuss some potential alterations. [Applause] Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Applause] 4 [Applause] Young dishes to Johnson and it’s Young that time on the assist by Johnson. Nice job capitalizing down there. Young good at probing inside and finding some space. Morant outside in the corner. It’s Bane. Six to shoot. A three-pointer off the mark. And here’s Young. He’ll bring it up for Atlanta. Here’s Rezer. The kick out to Young. Edy with the rebound. Memphis trailing here. Mor passes to Jackson. Nice fake, but the layup off the mark. Not really what we expected. You know, he wants that one back. It’s stolen. Wells with it. He’s picked up by Reza. It’s Mor in the corner. outside Jackson. Good. And a nice assist from Morant. Oh, quick thinking from Jackson. When he’s rising and firing fast, you know he’s in the zone. Bounce pass Young. Pass to Okongu. Rez with it. The three trains the three-pointer. Both teams running perimeter oriented plays that are working well. You know, it’s become a three-point shooting league. Teams shooting a steady diet from outside. Action on 59 from the field here in the first. Daniels passes to Johnson offline with his three. Memphis is gone. just one of four from three-point range here in the first. Up top, Bane. Morant right side. Pass to Jackson, [Music] Bobs it up. Johnson with the block. And there’s the shot clock violation. Couldn’t get the shot off in time. Reverse check in for Atlanta. And Memphis also making a switch. Santi Damas checked in for Wells. Now here is Young [Music] Pass to Okongu. [Music] [Applause] And a chance for just a second to check out the scoring breakdown for Atlanta. Well, you know, the analytics guys would tell you a team shouldn’t be taking this many mid-range shots, but clearly they’re shooting them with confidence. Also, they’re getting into the teeth of the defense. Points in the paint. Something coaches always love to see. And he knocks down the first one. Both [Applause] free throws good from Okongu. The Grizzlies trail by four. As Diti now here’s Jackson. Memphis moving it around on the Wayne. Bane avert defending. No good with the triple. The Hawks leading by four. Here is Daniels. Rebounded by Jackson. [Applause] Here is Elama. He’s covered by Daniels. Moran bats for two. It’s in. That’s his third field goal of the game. He’s three for five. Guys, that’s just really unstoppable. He poses a ton of matchup problems for whomever he’s facing. Okongu kicks to Johnson. Okongu with a screen on Jackson. Johnson dishes to Okongu. Levert with a wideopen look. The Hawks again can’t hit. The Grizzlies have gone five of 12 from the field since the opening chip. Count that bucket. Great touch there. It’s just so tough to defend a floater like that. Pass to Daniels. Back to Young. Takes it inside. The shots good on the assist by Daniels. Young’s got six points. And on the drive, Young can be so sudden the defense barely gets a chance to react. Outside Bane back to Mor. Down to five on the shot clock. Memphis needs to get off a shot here. He can’t hit and so Young will bring it up for Atlanta. [Music] Back to Levert [Music] over to the left wing. Now here’s Okong. He’s covered closely. Yeah, you expect him to make those. Good look. just couldn’t find the bark. Here’s Bane. A beautiful reverse layup. Bane’s got his second basket of the game. Well, Morance’s acrobatics often get the attention, but his passing is also elite. And you know, Stan, we’ve watched Desmond Bane evolve into a number one option on offense. He’s always been there, but now he really is at the top of the heat. Yeah, he sure is. Look, Kevin, you know, he came into the league as a three-point shooter, and he’s a great one, but he’s developed his game off the dribble. Very good mid-range shooter, and he’s strong enough to finish around the rim. Morant passes to Bane. Out to Morant, [Applause] outside Jackson. Good. And a nice assist from Morant. Morance got his fourth assist in this one. Highlevel passer even for a point guard. Morant shows the imagination. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snider. He wants to regroup and go over the strategy. [Music] [Music] Down in the court is your hype spot. Get loud and let them hear you. Who wants a free teaser? You know what to do, right? Make some noise. [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] for the Hawks. Clint Capella, he’s checked in for Okongu. George Niang comes in for Dyson Daniels. Man subbed in for Young. Brandon Clark. He’s checked in for the Grizzlies. Get open. Get open. Pass to man. [Music] Back to Johnson. Lock at six. Nope, not that time. Nothing for two for the field. Memphis leaning. Bane passes to Mor inside Clark. And it’s Clark with the jam. Quick off the floor and powerful. Clark loves to attack that rim. Levert with it. [Applause] Shooting foul. As the whistle blows, he’ll shoot two free throws. Yeah, the defender all over it. And guys, what do you think about the offensive approach so far that we’ve seen for the Grizzlies? Well, I have to applaud their ball movement. They’re moving the ball around, finding the best looks they can, and keeping everyone involved. And also, guys, they’re out musling their opponent. The points in the paint are piling up because of that aggressiveness. And the free throw drops for Levert Reza. He’s checked in for Terrence Man. The Grizzlies also making a change. Jackson’s checked in. Levert hits both of them. And the Grizzlies with possession here. And here’s Morant. He’s got six. Memphis moving it around. And the layup’s good off the glass. Morance’s got eight. And I’m amazed at Morance’s ability to take contact and still stay in full control. Capella high post. He’s against Clark. Here’s Reese. And it’s good for two. Rez got his second bucket of the night. And guys, they continue to put a lot of pressure on the interior defenders with their work down low to the right side to the inside and it’s Morant missing. And so Levert will bring it up for Atlanta. They trail by one so they take the lead. Levert’s got his second bucket of the game to go. And got to push Levert out of that area because he’s very comfortable looking to score from there. Outside Bane. Pass to Eldamo. 56 seconds left to play in the first quarter. Morant passes to Bane. Just two to shoot. Leaps for it. No good from outside. Got the defender off his feet with the pump fake, but couldn’t knock it down. If the drive, they get it again. Nang kicks to Levert. Shot clock at six. And he gets it to go from the corner. Eight points for him. And how about the playmaking skills of Levert? I like watching this guy break down the D in the pick and roll. Two second difference between shot clock and game clock. Now Morant, he’s got eight. On the Wayne Bane good and a nice assist from Mor. Morance got his sixth assist on the night. Here’s Rizay and he was able to put it up in time but doesn’t fall. Caris Levert has been on display for the Hawks. He notched eight points in the corner and has that terrific basketball instinct on display. We come back right after this. And if you’re just tuning in, it’s been a pretty even game through the first quarter. And what do you guys think about the Hawks here in this one? Yeah, in that first period, they looked to push in transition at every opportunity. Yeah, they gave the other team no time to breathe. Every time they got the ball, they were off to the races. And you see how effective this aggressive mindset can be. So on the floor to begin things for Memphis here in the second quarter, John Jackson is out there with Santi Alama. Then it’s Luke Canard. Then it’s Pippen and it’s Clark in at the five down low. Here’s Reza. It’s good from Juan Reed. Rez got the opening basket here in the second quarter for the Hawks. The Grizzlies trail by three. [Applause] Pippen outside. Clark sets a screen for Jackson and he can’t answer back. The three-pointer offline. Hawk shooting at 50% in a decent group. Lever in the corner. Takes a three. The Grizzlies pull it in. Yeah, and he had the detangled up there with that patented crossover. just couldn’t convert the finish. Pippen the pass to Canard. Off target from three-point range. The Hawks leading by three. [Music] Porter number two with just over a minute gone. Nang with the ball. No scoring in this one. Reush with it. He’s picked up by Pippen. A nice shot by Levert. And eventually, every player GA has to grapple with a realizing they’ve lost a step or two against the Young Phillies. And sometimes that is a very slow realization. Oh, it it is, Kevin. Hopefully by that point, it’s less about financial security and more about prolonging the inevitable simply for the love of the game. So, it’s Atlanta now following the three from Jiren Jackson. [Applause] And here in the second, two minutes gone by outside. Pippen puts up a three and it’s Rez with the rebound. Well, you can tell he thinks he should have had that one. even harder on him when he’s got a good look like that and it doesn’t go down. And those plays can make a difference in a game like this. Well, you know it’s going to fire up, Greg. Everybody on that bench. And guys, you cannot allow that in a close game. You have to make it harder than that. Levert with it. He’s picked up by Pippen. [Applause] Now Reese 10 points for him. inside. Jackson on him. Stolen by Jackson. And for those of you just joining us in the second quarter with about 3 minutes gone by. No good from Clark. And so Levert will bring it up for the Atlanta Hawks. In the second quarter, they’ve given up just three points. Now here’s Levert. [Music] Capella with a screen on Pit. Here’s Levert. The shot comes out. Some solid defense there from Jackson. Now Dama passes to Jackson. Here’s Pippen. And another miss by Memphis. The Hawks leading by four. Here’s Levert and Pippen pulls it down. Memphis has gone one of four from three-point range in the second. Not a whole lot dropping out there for them. Atlanta with the rebound. [Applause] Now here’s Levert. Capella sets a screen for Rez. No good on the triple. The Grizzlies trail by four. and Reza the prototypical size and skill for a wingman. Yeah, he’s got some jelly to his game. Handle, touch at his size that becomes very tough to contain. Now here’s Levert. Brandon Clark missing his last shot. Capella sets a screen for Reese. Pass the man. It’s Clark with the rebound. When the defense is playing off like that, you want to be able to convert, but that time he just couldn’t get it done. The three Pippen Atlanta with the rebound. Nang’s got his fifth rebound right now in the game. To the middle. Here’s Cabela. He trains the turnaround jump shot. Cabela’s got the lead up to six now for the Hawks. And it could have been a foul call on the shot as well. Capella maintains the focus though and finishes. So, timeout call here. But first for Memphis. Trying to find some answers offensively. Yeah, they just have to be more patient, less forcing and more passing. All right, look who it is. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Applause] Atlanta making some changes. Aong Woos checked in for Capella. Young is subbed in Parizay. Then for the Grizzlies, Wells, he’s checked in for Santi Aldama. Bane comes in for Luke Canar. And it’s Morant in for Pippen [Applause] on the Wayne. Bane. Avert defending. Morance against Young and that one’s good. Morance, if you give him an inch of space, he’s going to make you pay. Atlanta leading by four. Okongu with a screen on Bane. The open shot. Levert. It’s good. That basket. He’s now five for nine. And Levert is playing with such passion on offense. He’s just not afraid to play a big role on that end. Now here’s Morance. He’s got 10. Count that one. And 12 points for John Mor. The Hawks have gone five of 11 from the field since the beginning of the second quarter. Avert against Bane from 20 ft out. And it’s going to be out of bounds. The Hawks will retain possession. Johnson. He’s checked in for the Hawks. Daniels comes in for Caris Levert. Santi Damas checked in for Memphis. [Applause] Moranch against Young. It’s rebounded by Memphis. Wells in the corner. No good on the three. The Hawks leading by four. Shot from free throw range and good as it just snugs right down through the net. And I I like the resourcefulness Young brings to the table, taking any shot he can create. Back to Morant. Two free throws coming up and they call the shooting foul. It’s going to go on on Okongu. Memphis shooting their first free throws of this and typically a strength of theirs 79% on the season. That’s good from Morance. Stan, we talk about this every night. So much great young talent coming into the NBA. Is there one player though in particular who right now stands out to you? Well, I have to say Kevin, Victor Wimyama. I don’t know that we have ever seen a guy of that size do the things that he does. Now, you can say, well, what about Nicola Joic? Well, Nicole Yokovic, first of all, is not Victor Wimbean’s size. And then Victor’s handle and his length. The guy’s incredible. He’s going to be the face of the NBA for a long, long time. Here’s Morant following the basket by Tion. Outside Jackson pass to Wells. And here is Bane. Six on the shot clock. The Grizzlies with another miss. Mohawks working the ball around. Young with the ball. He’s picked up by Morant. Okongu down low. He’s against Park. The Grizzlies trail by six. Bane finds Jackson. And it’s hard to pick a more electrifying player in the league than John Mor. He explodes off the floor. He’s gone two for two at the line so far. And with a percentage of 82, he’s been one of their more dependable shooters from the line. That’s good from Morance. And the Hawks making a change here. Rez checked in. Both free throws good from Morant. And timeout is called by Quinn Snder. He wants to check in with his team and and regroup. [Music] It’s time to do what to do. [Music] [Applause] [Music] You need something. Amen. [Music] Amen. Let’s hear it from all the [Applause] Hawks leading by four. Pass to Young. [Music] And here is Okong Wu. Fouled in the act of shooting. Gets the bucket anyway. So, a three-point play chance for him. And although he’s smaller, Young willing to battle inside and shows you he can score through contact. We’re talking about Trey Young here, GA. What stands out most about him to you? Well, Kevin, I I’d say just how confident he is, right? He he plays with that unique energy and swagger. You love him if he’s on your team and can’t stand him if he’s playing against you. And that one misses. And Young, a fiery competitor, someone who enjoys getting under the skin of opposing players. Just five to shoot. Lobed up there for Justin. Hammers the alleyoop through. Oh, and the lead gets bigger on a ridiculous offensive secret. That dunk alone would have been spectacular. Never mind it coming at the end of an alleyoop. Now here’s Clark. Steps back. Grant. Trey Young grabs the miss. [Applause] Chance there to push it to double digits, but it’s off the mark. Bane kicks to Morant. [Applause] Pass to Clark outside Jackson. [Applause] It’s good. He makes his first shot of the game. And guys, we talk all the time about making the extra pass. Clark there proving how important that concept is. Now here is Young. 12 points for him. [Applause] It’s rebounded by Memphis. Clark’s got five rebounds tonight. Pass to Mor. [Music] Here’s Clark outside. Bane. Clark sets a screen for Bane and the three off target. And they had some boxed coverage that turned into no coverage. They get the rebound. You know, you can’t be overzealous inside when you guard Young. You got to be better at contesting without foul. He’s 01 from the line. Missing on his first trip in their last contest, guys. He was unconscious from the foul line. That free throw no good. And we’re seeing some big paydays for NBA head coaches these days. Stan, uh, do you miss it? Do I miss the paychecks? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Payday was always really good in the NBA. No question about that. What about now though? What about now? Well, it’s gone through the roof, but look, the tradeoff is the paydays are big, but there’s not a great deal of job security. Now here’s Morance. 16 points for him. [Applause] The Grizzlies have looked good at the line. They’re perfect in four attempts. Two shots. [Applause] That one is off. And the second free throw. Good. [Applause] And so it’s Atlanta with it. Six-point lead. 149 left in the first half. Reza, misses the three. The Grizzly shooting a lackluster 38% for the game. Struggling so far. And it’s thrown down hard with both hands. Oh, and he went for the two-hander on the slam. Using some muscle, some urgency from him there. Sure. Johnson dishes to Young. [Applause] Edy with the rebound. Ed’s got five rebounds tonight. We’ve got 113 left to play here in the second quarter. And it’s Reza with the rebound. Rez got four rebounds in this game. And here’s Young on the arc. Good on the triple. Young’s got 16. Nice and composed on that three there. Trey giving his fundamentals all of his attention. Here’s Morant at number 12 goes in. He’s made seven of 12 now. Well, all of us coaches, we love when you can create looks in close. Young passes to Daniels. to the wing on the left. A wide open look here for Okongu. The shots good on the assist by Daniel. That’s a high percentage look when the D doesn’t fight over the screen. Yeah, it’s certainly worth it to disrupt the offense. Coaches notice that extra effort. Now here’s Wells. Hasn’t made one yet. Drills it from outside. And guys, he’s been a one-man air raid coming at them time and time again. Well, what I love about his three-point shooting is the spacing that he’s adding. It makes things a lot easier for everyone else. Young with the ball. 16 points for him. Okongu with a screen on Morance. And here’s Young from the arc. Trey Young. He’s feeling it tonight and has been the driving force for the Hawks. He got into double digits for the quarter with 10 points total. And now let’s catch up with David Aldridge who’s standing by from the sideline. All right, Dave. Thank you, Kevin. With coach Quinn Snyder. Quinn, what has to happen in the second half? Well, we got to keep getting stops and really just make plays. Make plays on the offensive end and be solid defensively. No, no magic. It’s a pretty simple game, right, coach? Thanks for your time. Back to you, Kevin. Thank you, David. And we’ll be back for the third quarter of action following halftime. Center and get ready for the bad half shot. Give me a beat. They’re thinking about the shot. [Applause] One more time. Okay. for the boys recip And we’ve got second half action for you. Thus far, a pretty evenly contested game, guys. John Morant has been sensational. His play so far is what fans love about him. He He has gone right at the defense time and time again. Yeah, he hasn’t been settling. He’s getting to the rim, and that’s him at his best. [Applause] And so Young will bring it up for the Hawks. Four-point game. The front court is Rez and Johnson. Daniels out there with Young and it’s Okong in it simple. So that’s the lineup for Atlanta. And the great shooters know when they’ve got enough opening to go for the three. I didn’t think it was a bad choice on that possession. Atlanta leading by four to the paint. Here’s Daniels. Patton coming off the assist from Young. Daniels has got six. Terrific play call to give him a clean look at the rim. That’s how you want to start the second half. Yeah, I like how they’re establishing their interior presence right away. That’s going to collapse the defense and create other opportunities. Now, here’s Morance. High effort play by Moran. He refuses to let the foul stop him from getting the shot. The Grizzlies shooting their seventh and eighth free throw attempts for the game right here. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots and the first one drops. [Applause] Both free throws good from Morant. The Hawks leading by four. And for those of you turning in, we’re about a minute into the second half. The Grizzly shooting 40% from the field. [Music] Bane looking around. Lock at six. Pass to Jackson. Over Johnson. Rebound Atlanta right around a minute and a half play here in the third quarter. And that one’s good. Rez, that’s inexcusable defense right there. You got to contest the shot better than that. Young against Morant. Now Bane launches a three and again Memphis no good. A bit of pride at stake trying to get that last three ball back but couldn’t get his f and Johnson with the stop. Oh taking it to the rack with power hammering down the two hand slam. David struggling here on offense. Yeah, bit of a dry spell for sure. Here’s Mor and he uses the glass on the lane. Morance’s got 22. And what a show Morant is putting on. Every time he touches the ball, you feel like he’s going to score. Andrew have a timeout called by Quinn Snider. And coach has decided they need a moment to talk things over. Yeah. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Just under two and a half minutes into the third quarter now and so Young will bring it up for the Atlanta Hawks. Johnson with a screen on Morant and foul on the shot. So he’ll get a chance at the line. So clever at creating contact. Young looks to shoot it so often which really forces defenders to overcommit at times. He’s off on the first. And he’s good on the second. A touch over two and a half minutes of basketball played here in the third quarter. Morant outside. Atlanta with the rebound. Okong now. got double digit rebounds now in the game and Johnson with the stop. Oh, and the lead gets bigger on a ridiculous offensive sequence. That dunk alone would have been spectacular. Never mind it coming at the end of an alleyoop. Now here’s Wells still without a basket. Payne for three. Score the basket. His fifth of the game. He’s missed six shots against those five makes. Well, those go down for him in his sleep. Just under three and a half minutes played here in the third quarter. Pass to Rez tried to answer back, but that three is off the mark. The Grizzlies trail by seven. Now Wells. Payton for three. Atlanta with the rebound. Johnson’s got his fourth rebound with that last one here tonight. Here’s Daniels. Solid play on the low block and that one’s good. Daniels has got eight points. Now here’s Morance. He’s got 22 out of bounds. It’ll go to the Hawks. And the latest now from our sideline reporter, David Aldridge. David, it’s all yours. Take it away, Kevin. Thanks. A move that likely helped the league’s parody has been shortening max contract lengths. Commissioner Silver says, “We used to refer to it as dead money. A star player toward those ny years sitting on the bench. We’ve reduced max contracts to five years and in some cases six. This way it moves to more pay for performance.” Kevin, I think, DA, that’s a pretty good business decision. It’s going to have nice ramifications. And every year, and Greg, we agree, Bane seems to get better and better as a playmaker. Doesn’t overdo anything with his passing. looks more and more comfortable creating off the drive and kick. He’s become a large part of this offensive engine. And here’s Young following John Mor’s three. And it’s Reese missing. That’s to Wells. [Music] And it’s Reza with the rebound. Reese has got five rebounds tonight. Young Pastro Card and contact on the shot. So he’ll be shooting free throws here. Backy picks one up. Yeah, good job to take him right at the deep for Atlanta. They have shot 67% from the line going six of nine. And the first one at the line is good. Both free throws good from Okongu. The Grizzlies trail by eight. And here’s Morant. 25 points in the game. Outside for Jackson, no good from outside. Atlanta’s gone one of four in three-point shots here in the third. Pass to Johnson. Here’s Rez. 13 points in the game. From deep. Six to shoot. Atlanta again missing. He just doesn’t look like himself this quarter. Something’s missing. Yeah. And sometimes guys just start pressing. The best thing for him is to just slow it down and concentrate on solid shot selection. Here’s Young after the basket by Jiren Jackson. Pass to Reese. Wells grabs the miss. The Grizzlies trail by six. Out to the right wing outside. Bane fires the three. Johnson with the rebound. Johnson’s got his fifth rebound right now in the game. [Applause] Pass to Reese. Traps in the tray. 16 points for Reza and so it’s Memphis with it. They’ve been looking out of sync offensively. Yeah, that their offense has ground to a standill and that one’s good. Morant not to be outstaged. Morant saying right back at you. The Hawks leading by six. Pass to Okongu. [Music] Back to Young. Uses the glass to finish the layup. Young’s got 19 points. Yeah, he’s in such a great rhythm right now. Makes sense to get him the ball any way you can. Yeah, when you have a guy playing like he has been recently, he’s got to be the first option on every possession. Now, here’s Bane. He’s got 12. And he has been ice cold from beyond the arc here since halftime. And he continues yet to fire away. He has got to tone it down if he wants to help his team. Jackson against Johnson. Young from outside, but Grizzlies pull it in. And close to making the defense pay for the lack coverage that time. Morant outside a hammers that one down right in the face of Okongu. and he can get to the rim with the best of him. Morant always finds a way. Young with the ball. 19 points in the game. Pass to Rezach on the wing. Johnson. Here is Daniels. Now Reza Young for three. But Grizzlies pull it in. Jackson’s got his fifth rebound in this one. Outside Bane lets it go with the three and it’s Rez with the rebound. Reza’s got six rebounds here tonight. Johnson right side. Okongu a screen. Here’s Reese and the rebound by Jiren Jackson. Jackson’s got six rebounds now in the game. Bells kicks to Morto and Mor throws it down. How about the authority from Moran? The the way he was running. You knew he was aiming to shatter the rim. Here is Daniels. He’s got eight now. Here’s Okongu. Pass to Young. Five to shoot. What a terrific move that was. Young’s got five points now this quarter. And this game belongs to Young right now. And he is simply making everything. Now Jackson, good D by Johnson. The Hawks leading by six. To the middle. Here’s Rez. It’s rebounded by Memphis. Wells has got his fourth rebound with that last one here tonight. And a wide open look for Payne. Good. And a nice assist from Mor. Morance got his eighth assist in the game. Young dishes to O Conu. Pass to Daniels. Rezo Jay with it. Johnson kicks to Daniels. Young gets Mor. Shoots. Young’s shot is off. The Grizzlies trail by three. Bane passes to Morance for a tie. And they put it back. Jackson finds Morant and three chances on that possession, but they just couldn’t find a way to score. Reza with it now guarded by Wells [Music] and 101 left to play in the third. Acted Daniels. Shot clock at five. Atlanta needs to get off a shot here. A shot by Okong Woo. No good. Excellent coverage defensively making it hard on him. Morant outside. Can’t tie it up as that one misses. And so it’s Young who brings it up for the Atlanta Hawks. They’ve led by as much as 10. [Applause] lets it go from deep and the rebound by Jiren Jackson. Jackson’s got his eighth rebound here tonight to the wing right side. Bane kicks to Mor. There’s the triple and he’s good on the three ball. Morance got the game tied up here for the Grizzlies. And they have been relentless from deep and you see the defense trying to react, but to no avail. Look, when the three is falling like this, there’s not a whole lot you can do defensively. Tie game in Atlanta. And time to step aside quickly, but we’ll be back in no time with the start of the fourth quarter. here. Now, a chance to show you our assist of the game and it’s presented as always by State Farm. And and I’m glad this was the pick because I love this pass. Such a great dish. That’s what I call court vision. Yeah, he puts that pass right on the money and made things look easy for his teammates. And it’s been a very competitive game so far as we get rolling here in quarter number four on the court for Memphis to start the fourth. We’ve got Santi Alama. Pippen is out there with Desmond Bane. Then there’s Wells and it’s Clark in at the center filling out the middle. Aldama inside working on Nan. Here’s [Music] Buffkin defended by Pippen. [Applause] [Music] Pass to man. Capella trying to free himself up. Basket counts. Man has got the fourth quarter going with the first basket of the period here for the Hawks. Memphis trailing here. [Music] And here’s Pippen. Clark sets a screen for Pippen. And Capella sends it back. Quick off the floor. Has that long reach. Capella there with the intimidation to the inside. Here’s Nang. Got him with the pump fake but couldn’t finish. for Memphis. They’ve gone 0 of three to start the fourth quarter and it’s Pippen in the corner. Memphis moving that ball around. Pass to Clark. Wells with it. Now here’s Pippen. Sinks the triple. Pippen’s got himself on the board with three there. Game winding down and they just keep changing leads. And guys, no separation yet. And I really don’t think we’re going to see any all the way down. Now here’s Levert. That one a 10 off line to the right, but drops in for him and the Hawks lead by one. The Grizzlies have gone one of four since the end of the third quarter. Outside Bane at the top of the key. Elmo. Bells passes to El Dammo. Just five on the clock inside. Pippen can’t hit for Atlanta. They’ve gone two of three from the field to get the fourth quarter start. Back to Levert. A three ball looks good. Is good. That’s his seventh basket in 12 tries from range. Levert’s one of those guys you have to respect his shot. He makes enough beyond where you have to honor him. Now here’s Pippen. Clark outside. Back to Pippen. [Applause] Right at the free throw line again. The miss by Pippen. Atlanta leading by four. [Music] Pass to Buffkin. [Music] Levertis 39 P. Here’s Buffkin. Here’s man off target with his three. Bibbon feeling it out a bit. [Music] Over three and a half minutes through the final quarter now. Payne for three. And again, Memphis no good. Yeah, there’s no reason for the defense to get out on him right now. Just let him keep taking that shot until he shows them he’s going to knock it down. The Grizzlies trail by four. Out to the right wing. Outside Pippen. Clark outside. They could use a bucket. Aldama can’t hit. Not quite enough defense that time around. Just lucky he was off. Levert with it. Stolen by Pippen. Oh, and here comes Pippen all alone. And they pick up two. No hesitation. He just takes off and takes it the distance. Well, the best way to attack is in transition. He recognizes that. Here’s Buffkin. Nang in the corner. Pass to Levert. Shot clock at six. Here’s Buffkin. Over Pippen. Buffkin. No good. Memphis has gotten just one of four three-pointers to go down for them here in the fourth. Outside Pippen Clark into the lane. It’s good. This game is all even. Looking nimble on the drive there. Once Clark sees an opening in the defense, he’s looking to exploit. [Applause] Now Levert. [Applause] Aldama with the rebound. Aldamas got his fourth rebound with that last one here tonight. Pass to Pippen. And here is Clark [Applause] and Capella over to help. No good from Clark. The Hawks have gone three of eight here in the fourth quarter. Levert the pass to Nang. on the wing man down low. Here’s Capella and foul on the shot. He’ll shoot two at the free throw line. Aggressive move by Capella. His length and athleticism. It’s tough to handle when he gets the ball that deep. [Applause] Two shots. That free throw missing. So stand the Grizzlies trio of John Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jiren Jackson Jr. from the outside looking in. What a great base going forward. I I agree with that, Kevin. Look, not only are those three outstanding individual players, but they complement each other so well. They’re such a great fit with those three guys. That’s a great base for the future. Greg, since making it to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, the Atlanta Hawks haven’t been that good. And it was hard to tell if that was a Cinderella run at the time, but Kevin looking like that might have been the outlier. The Hawks took some risk to get back there, but it just hasn’t worked. Here’s Young. [Music] Pass to Daniel. Now here’s Capella. Young outside. Capella sets a screen for Young. Off the mark and the drop continues. Might be time for a little different approach. This shot hasn’t been fallen here in the second half. The Hawks trailing. [Applause] Here’s Rez outside. Here’s the three. Trains it from beyond the arc. Young’s got 24. And defensively, you have to stay connected to Young at all times. But Bridley’s called timeout. [Applause] Get loud. On the court. Who wants a free T-shirt? What are they eating? [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] checked in for the Hawks. The Grizzlies also making a change. Wells, he’s checked in for Pippen. And let’s head over to the sideline and catch up with David Aldridge. Hi guys. Well, during the break, I was able to catch what the Grizzlies coach was talking about with his team. Now, he’s not happy with the perimeter defense. He told them, “We have to hustle more out to the three-point line because they look real comfortable out there.” Now, I want you contesting every three they put up. We’ll see if that intensity increases on D, guys. Thank you, David. [Applause] Let’s take a second look at that fantastic block. And that is a huge block. Given how close this game is, a stop like that was right on point. [Applause] And so here’s Memphis. They trail by one. Here’s the lob to the hoop and taken away by Johnson. In the corner, Daniels. [Applause] A three off the mark. Memphis has gotten just one of four three-pointers to go down for them here in the fourth. That one good for two. And the Grizzlies lead by one. Time running low, guys. And somebody has got to win this one. Yeah. Well, who knows? We might need overtime in this one. It’s been that kind of a game. Now, here is Young Okongu down low. The shot will not fall. And Morance’s got the ball here for the Memphis Grizzlies. And there’s Wells. That’s good on the assist by Morant. Morance’s got assist number nine now. Wow, what an effort here tonight. Here’s Young. [Applause] Pass to Okongu. Back to Young. Six to shoot. plenty of space and that one swishes right in. Young’s got 10 points in just the second half. And this is what Young does best. A dynamite offensive player who fills it up in so many ways. The three from Morbound Atlanta. [Applause] Here’s Daniels and it is flushed down with a nice jam. Well, when you move the ball, you open up the defense. Great job to make the self-destruct. [Applause] Young against Morant over Young. Okangu grabs the board. Okongu has now got 13 rebounds in the game seating. And there have been some terrible shot choices here. Kev, that’s not a good look at all. Pass to Mor. [Applause] Fires from deep. And it’s Reza with the rebound. The Hawks leading Young right side over Bane again. The Hawks score. This is why people are just so high on Young because he comes through with big shots in the game. Mor passes to Bane and the free ball is good. Haynes got it all tied up now for the Grizzlies. And such a clutch shooter. I mean, he lives with a big shot. And when he’s thrown like this, watch out. Kept to line. Young no good. Grizzly shooting around 37% in the fourth quarter. The minutes starting to wear on them. Now here’s Morant. He’s covered by Daniels. And it’s Moring. Pass to Okongu. Here’s Young. Going to go that time. Great D that time from Bane. Morant outside. There’s the drive. Oh, that’s blocked. Here’s Young. Cha Morant with the rebound. The Grizzlies shooting under 40% all in all for the game. [Music] We’ve got 108 left in the game. It’s good and they get the go-ahead bucket. A huge shot from Moran. Wow. You see why they put the ball in his hands in those situations. Now here is Young. It counts. A huge shot to tie it up. Big time basket at a big time moment. Yeah. Don’t you just love to see a player embrace that kind of pressure? Morance against Young and he gets the whistle. Two free throws coming up. It’s going to be on Trey Young. And going up strong inside demonstrates confidence. Mor not afraid to get physical. [Applause] He knocks down the clutch free throw. [Applause] [Applause] And so he drops them both. It’s a two-point ball game. Yeah, he’s a guy you want at the line and clearly not affected by the moment. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snder. Pivotal moment in this game. He’s not taking any chances. He’ll call time. Stop teaser. [Applause] [Applause] Yeah. [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Applause] Heat. [Applause] There’s 48. 8 seconds left in the fourth. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Puts it up from 15. Rebound Atlanta. Can’t afford any wasted possessions down the stretch. Yeah, they need everything to break their way at this point if they’re going to rally back. Now, here is Young. Pass to Johnson. Full timeout. Time out. Guys, you see him starting to heat up and when he turns it on, you got a problem. But Bridley’s called timeout. So, I’m looking at the clock and guys, the situation. What do you think we’re going to see next? This is where great coaching can pay dividends. Well, they’ll likely only get one shot at this. They need to make it count. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat up here. [Applause] 19 seconds left in the fourth quarter of this one. Morant outside. [Applause] It’s good. Well, it doesn’t get any easier than this. They’ll take these shots every time. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snider. The magnitude at this juncture in the game clearly warranting a timeout. Guys, what’s your take on how they maximize their opportunities now? And this is it, guys. Down one. They’ve got just enough time to work it around for a good shot. And it better be a good shot because it’s the only shot they have. Keep it going. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Young for three. Oh, that shot in a chance, but no good. So, a close game sees Memphis take this one. this win. Such a tremendous emotional boost for him. Really an accomplishment and crazy finish to take a road game like this and simply deflate an entire building. And that’ll do it folks with Stan Van Gundy, Greg Anthony, and David Aldridge. This is Kevin Harland saying thanks for watching folks on 2K Sports. But as we go, let’s take a look at our player of the game, John Moran. Monday night broadcast of the NBA here on 2K Sports. In this game, we’ll see the Atlanta Hawks going up against the Memphis Grizzlies. Kevin Arwin here with you. Joining me tonight, Stan Van Gundy and Greg Anthony. Our buddy David Aldridge is on the sideline getting story. Now, a look at Memphis’s starting group. Morant is the point with Bane out on the wing. Wells is out there with Jiren Jackson. And it’s Edy in at the pivot manning the middle. And for the Hawks in the post, it’ll be Johnson and Okongu. Trey Young is out there with Daniels. And it’s Reza Shay in it, the small forward. And Stan, here we’ve got two of the highest scoring teams in the entire NBA. Yeah, Kevin, there is firepower everywhere with these two teams. So, defensively, you can’t take away everything, but you have to try to take away something. limit some things, right, coach? You can’t stop everything on the play. Not at all. You’ve got to pick your poison and decide what you can live with. Now, here’s Jackson. Five on the clock. Here’s Morant. That’s good. And it’s Jackson with the assist that time. And no problem for Morant that close to the hoop. Once he gets inside, he makes it look easy. Young inside, guarded by Morant. It’s deflected [Applause] outside. Bane down low. [Applause] Morant looking around. [Applause] The rebound by Young. And now we’ve got some time to check in from the sidelines. You got for us, Da? Well, earlier I spoke with Quinn Snder. Desmond Bane was the topic. I think coach was ausive with his praise. He said Bane is a great catch and shoot guy, but he’ll find ways to contribute no matter what. He also said Bane is hard to game plan for, but they’ll do their best not to let him get in rhythm. They will have their hands full tonight, guys. Okay, David, much appreciated. That’s a high percentage look when the D doesn’t fight over the screen. Yeah, it’s certainly worth it to disrupt the offense. Coaches notice that extra effort. Now, here is Young. That one drops for him. Oh, crafty move there by Young finessing his way around the contact. Grizzlies have gone two of three here to start off the game. Outside Bane. Bells wide open the three-pointer. No good. And here’s Daniels driving inside. Yeah, just solid work on the back end of that play. Yep, you’re right. Finish hard with two hands on that stuff. Now Mor. And how sweet a play was that? As sweet as it gets. An exquisite pass to set up the powerful alleyoop dunk. Morance against Young. Johnson with a screen on Morance. Young no good. I’m sure he’d like to have that back. That’s a missed opportunity. And with this era of the Atlanta Hawks, Greg, they’ve gone as far as their defense has let them. You look back at their conference finals run in 21, that was the last time they had a top 10 defense. So scoring’s never been the issue with this core, but defense has been non-existent. Now here is Young following the miss by John Morant. And timeout is called by Quinn Snider. This will give him a chance to discuss some potential alterations. [Applause] Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] 42. [Applause] Young dishes to Johnson and it’s Young that time on the assist by Johnson. Nice job capitalizing down there. Young good at probing inside and finding some space. Six to shoot. A three-pointer off the mark. And here’s Young. He’ll bring it up for Atlanta. Here’s Rez. The kick out to Young. Edy with the rebound. Memphis trailing here. Mor passes to Jackson. Nice fake, but the layup off the mark. Not really what we expected. You know, he wants that one back. It’s stolen. Wells with it. He’s picked up by Reza. It’s Mor in the corner. Outside Jackson. Good. And a nice assist from Morant. Oh, quick thinking from Jackson. When he’s rising and firing fast, you know he’s in the zone. Bounce pass Young. Pass to Okongu. Reza with it. The three trains the three-pointer. Both teams running perimeter oriented plays that are working well. You know, it’s become a three-point shooting league. Teams shooting a steady diet from outside. Action on five of nine from the field here in the first. Daniels passes to Johnson offline with his three. Memphis is gone. just one of four from three-point range here in the first. Up top, Bane. Morant right side. Pass to Jackson. [Music] Pops it up. Johnson with the block. And there’s the shot clock violation. Couldn’t get the shot off in time. Lever check in for Atlanta. And Memphis also making a switch. Santi Aldamas checked in for Wells. Now here is Young [Music] Pass to Okongu. [Music] [Applause] And a chance for just a second to check out the scoring breakdown for Atlanta. Well, you know, the analytics guys would tell you a team shouldn’t be taking this many mid-range shots, but clearly they’re shooting them with confidence. Also, they’re getting into the teeth of the defense. Points in the paint. Something coaches always love to see. And he knocks down the first one. Both [Applause] free throws good from Okongu. The Grizzlies trail by four. As Diti now here’s Jackson. Memphis moving it around on the Wayne. Bane avert defending. No good with the triple. The Hawks leading by four. Here is Daniels. Rebounded by Jackson. [Applause] Here’s Elama. He’s covered by Daniels. Moran back for two. It’s in. That’s his third field goal of the game. He’s three for five. Guys, that’s just really unstoppable. He poses a ton of matchup problems for whomever he’s facing. Okong Woo kicks to Johnson. Okong Woo with a screen on Jackson. Johnson dishes to Okongu. Levert with a wideopen look. The Hawks again can’t hit. The Grizzlies have gone five of 12 from the field since the opening chip. Count that bucket. Great touch there. It’s just so tough to defend a floater like that. Pass to Daniels. Back to Young. Takes it inside. The shots good on the assist by Daniels. Young’s got six points. And on the drive, Young can be so sudden, the defense barely gets a chance to react. Outside Bane back to Mor. Down to five on the shot clock. Memphis needs to get off a shot here. Can’t hit and so Young will bring it up. Poor Atlanta. [Music] Back to Levert [Music] over to the left wing. Now here’s Okong. He’s covered closely. Yeah, you expect him to make those. Good look. Just couldn’t find the mark. Here’s Bane. A beautiful reverse layup. Baines got his second basket of the game. Well, Morance’s acrobatics often get the attention, but his passing is also elite. And you know, Stan, we’ve watched Desmond Bane evolve into a number one option on offense. He’s always been there, but now he really is at the top of the heat. Yeah, he sure is. Look, Kevin, you know, he came into the league as a three-point shooter, and he’s a great one, but he’s developed his game off the dribble. Very good mid-range shooter, and he’s strong enough to finish around the rim. Morant passes to Bane. Out to Mor [Applause] outside, Jackson. Good. And a nice assist from Morant. Morance got his fourth assist in this one. Highlevel passer even for a point guard. Morant shows the imagination. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snider who wants to regroup and go over the strategy. [Music] [Music] Down in the court, it’s your hype spot. Get loud and let them hear you. Who wants a free teaser? You know what to do, right? Make some noise. [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] for the Hawks. Clint Cabella, he’s checked in for Okongu. George Niang comes in for Dyson Daniels. Man subbed in for Young. Brandon Clark, he’s checked in for the Grizzlies. Get open. Get pass to man. [Music] Back to Johnson. Lock at six. Nope, not that time. Nothing for two from the field. Memphis leaning. Bane passes to Mor. Inside Clark and it’s Clark with the jam. Quick off the floor and powerful. Clark loves to attack that rim. Levert with it. [Applause] Shooting foul. As the whistle blows, he’ll shoot two free throws. Yeah. The defender all over. There’s the guys. What do you think about the offensive approach so far that we’ve seen for the Grizzlies? Well, I have to applaud their ball movement. They’re moving the ball around, finding the best looks they can, and keeping everyone involved. And also, guys, they’re out musling their opponent. The points in the paint are piling up because of that aggressiveness. And the free throw drops for Levert Reza. He’s checked in for Terrence Man. The Grizzlies also making a change. Jackson’s checked in. Levert hits both of them. And the Grizzlies with possession here. And here’s Morant. He’s got six. Memphis moving it around and the layup’s good off the glass. Morance got eight. Yeah, I’m amazed at Morance’s ability to take contact and still stay in full control. Capella high post. He’s against Clark. Here’s Rez and it’s good for two. Rez got his second bucket of the night. And guys, they continue to put a lot of pressure on the interior defenders with their work down low to the right side to the inside and it’s Moring. And so Levert will bring it up for Atlanta. They trail by one. So they take the lead. Levert’s got his second bucket of the game to go. and got to push Lebert out of that area because he’s very comfortable looking to score from there. Outside Bane. Pass to Eldamo. 56 seconds left to play in the first quarter. Morant passes to Bane. Just two to shoot. Leaps for it. No good from outside. got the defender off his feet with the pump fake but couldn’t knock it down with the drive. They get it again. Nang kicks to Levert. Shot clock at six and he gets it to go from the corner. Eight points for him. And how about the playmaking skills of Levert? I like watching this guy break down the D in the pick and roll. Two second difference between shot clock and game clock. Now Morance, he’s got eight. On the Wayne Bane good and a nice assist from Morant. Morance got his sixth assist on the night. Here’s Reese and he was able to put it up in time but doesn’t fall. Harris Lever has been on display for the Hawks. He notched eight points in the quarter and has that terrific basketball instinct on display. We come back right after this. And if you’re just tuning in, it’s been a pretty even game through the first quarter. And what do you guys think about the Hawks here in this one? Yeah, in that first period, they looked to push in transition at every opportunity. Yeah, they gave the other team no time to breathe. Every time they got the ball, they were off to the races. And you see how effective this aggressive mindset can be. So on the floor to begin things for Memphis here in the second quarter, John Jackson is out there with Santi Alama. Then it’s Luke Canon. Then it’s Pippen and it’s Clark in at the five down low. Here’s Rez. It’s good from Juan Reed. Reese has got the opening basket here in the second quarter for the Hawks. The Grizzlies trail by three. [Applause] Pippen outside. Clark sets a screen for Jackson and he can’t answer back. The three-pointer off lot shooting at 50% in a decent group. Lever in the corner. [Applause] Takes a three. The Grizzlies pull it in. Yeah, and he had the D tangled up there with that patented crossover. just couldn’t convert the finish. Pippen the pass to Canard. Off target from three-point range. The Hawks lead by three. [Music] Porter number two with just over a minute gone. Yang with the ball. No scoring in this one. Freez with it. He’s picked up by Pippet. A nice shot by Levert. And eventually, every player GA has to grapple with aim, realizing they’ve lost a step or two against the Young Phillips. And sometimes that is a very slow realization. Oh, it it is, Kevin. Hopefully by that point, it’s less about financial security and more about prolonging the inevitable simply for the love of the game. So, it’s Atlanta now following the three from Jiren Jackson. [Applause] And here in the second, two minutes gone by outside. Pippen picks up a three and it’s Reese with the rebound. Well, you can tell he thinks he should have had that one. even harder on him when he’s got a good look like that and it doesn’t go down. And those plays can make a difference in a game like this. Well, you know it’s going to fire up Greg. Everybody on that bench and guys, you cannot allow that in a close game. You have to make it harder than that. Levert with it. He’s picked up by Pippen. Now Reese 10 points for him. inside. Jackson on him. Stolen by Jackson. And for those of you just joining us in the second quarter with about 3 minutes gone by. No good from Clark. And so Levert will bring it up for the Atlanta Hawks. In the second quarter, they’ve given up just three points. Now here’s Levert. [Music] Capella with a screen on P. Here’s Levert. The shot comes out. Some solid defense there from Jackson. Now Dama passes to Jackson. Here’s Pippen. And another miss by Memphis. The Hawks leading by four. Here’s Levert and Pippen pulls it down. Memphis has gone one of four from three-point range in the second. Not a whole lot dropping out there for them. Atlanta with the rebound. [Applause] Now here’s Levert. Capella sets a screen for Reza. No good on the triple. The Grizzlies trail by four and Reza the prototypical size and skill for a wingman. Yeah, he’s got some jelly to his game. Handle, touch at his size that becomes very tough to contain. Now here’s Levert. Brandon Clark missing his last shot. Capella sets a screen for Reese. Pass to man. It’s Clark with the rebound. When the defense is playing off you like that, you want to be able to convert, but that time he just couldn’t get it done. The three Pippen Atlanta with the rebound. Nang’s got his fifth rebound right now in the game. To the middle. Here’s Cabela. He trains the turnaround jump shot. Cabela’s got the lead up to six now for the Hawks. And it could have been a foul call on the shot as well. Capella maintains the focus though and finishes. So timeout call here. The first for Memphis trying to find some answers offensively. Yeah, they just have to be more patient. Less forcing and more passing. [Applause] All right. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Applause] Heat. Heat. Atlanta making some changes. Gong Woo checked in for Capella. Young is subbed in for Riza. Then for the Grizzlies. Wells, he’s checked in for Santi Aldama. Bane comes in for Luke Canar. And it’s Morant in for Pippen. [Applause] on the Wayne Bane. Avert defending Morance against Young and that one’s good. Morant, if you give him an inch of space, he’s going to make you pay. Atlanta leading by four. Okong Woo with a screen on Bane. The open shot. Levert. It’s good. That basket. He’s now five for nine. And Levert is playing with such passion on offense. He’s just not afraid to play a big role on that end. Now here’s Morance. He’s got 10. Count that one. And 12 points for John Mor. The Hawks have gone five of 11 from the field since the beginning of the second quarter. Avert against Baine from 20 ft out and it’s going to be out of bounds. The Hawks will retain possession. Johnson, he’s checked in for the Hawks. Daniels comes in for Caris Levert. Santi Aldamas checked in for Memphis. Morance against Young. It’s rebounded by Memphis. Wells in the corner. No good on the three. The Hawks leading by four. Shot from free throw range and good as it just snugs right down through the net. And I I like the resourcefulness Young brings to the table, taking any shot he can create. Back to Morant. Two free throws coming up and they call the shooting foul. It’s going to go on Okongu. Memphis shooting their first free throws of this and typically a strength of theirs 79% on the season. That’s good from Morance. Stan, we talk about this every night. So much great young talent coming into the NBA. Is there one player though in particular who right now stands out to you? Well, I have to say, Kevin, Victor Wimyama. I don’t know that we have ever seen a guy of that size do the things that he does. Now you can say, well, what about Nicola Joic? Well, Nicole Joic, first of all, is not Victor Wimbean’s size. And then Victor’s handle and his length, the guy’s incredible. He’s going to be the face of the NBA for a long, long time. Here’s Morant following the basket by Trey Young. Outside Jackson pass to Wells and here is Bane. Six on the shot clock. The Grizzlies with another miss. The Hawks working the ball around. Young with the ball. He’s picked up by Morant. Okangu down low. He’s against Clark. The Grizzlies trail by six. Bane finds Jackson. And it’s hard to pick a more electrifying player in the league than John Mor. He explodes off the floor. He’s gone two for two at the line so far. And with a percentage of 82, he’s been one of their more dependable shooters from the line. That’s good from Morant. And the Hawks making a change here. Brieza checked in. Both free throws good from Morant. And timeout is called by Quinn Snder. He wants to check in with his team and regroup. [Music] It’s time for you to You know what to do. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh, good. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Thank you for all the [Applause] The Hawks leading by four. Pass to Young. [Music] And here is Hoku. Fouled in the act of shooting. Gets the bucket anyway. So, a three-point play chance for him. And although he’s smaller, Young willing to battle inside and shows you he can score through contact. We’re talking about Trey Young here, GA. What stands out most about him to you? Well, Kevin, I I’d say just how confident he is, right? He He plays with that unique energy and swagger. You love him if he’s on your team and can’t stand him if he’s playing against you. And that one misses. and Young, a fiery competitor, someone who enjoys getting under the skin of opposing players. Just five to shoot. Lobed up there for Justin. Hammers the alleyoop through. Oh, and the lead gets bigger on a ridiculous offensive sequence. That dunk alone would have been spectacular. Never mind it coming at the end of an alleyoop. Now here’s Clark steps back. Grant Trey Young grabs the miss. [Applause] Chance there to push it to double digits, but it’s off the mark. Bane kicks to Mor. [Applause] Pass to Clark. Outside Jackson. [Applause] It’s good. He makes his first shot of the game. And guys, we talk all the time about making the extra pass. Clark there proving how important that concept is. Now, here is Young. 12 points for him. [Applause] It’s rebounded by Memphis. Clark’s got five rebounds tonight. Pass to Mor. [Music] Here’s Clark outside. Bane. Clark sets a screen for Bane and the three off target. And they had some boxed coverage that turned into no coverage. They get the rebound. You know, you can’t be overzealous inside when you guard Young. You got to be better at contesting without fouling. He’s 01 from the line, missing on his first trip in their last contest, guys. He was unconscious from the foul line. That free throw no good. And we’re seeing some big paydays for NBA head coaches these days. stand. Uh, do you miss it? Do I miss the paychecks? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Payday was always really good in the NBA. No question about that. What about now though? What about now? Well, it’s gone through the roof. But look, the tradeoff is the paydays are big, but there’s not a great deal of job security. Kevin, now here’s Morance. 16 points for him. [Applause] The Grizzlies have looked good at the line. They’re perfect in four attempts. [Applause] That one is off. and the second free throw. Good. [Applause] And so it’s Atlanta with it. Six-point lead. 149 left in the first half. Reza misses the three. The Grizzly shooting a lackluster 38% for the game. Struggling so far. And it’s thrown down hard with both hands. Oh, and he went for the two-hander on the slam. Using some muscle, some urgency from him there. Sure. Johnson dishes to Young. Edy with the rebound. Edy’s got five rebounds tonight. We’ve got 113 left to play here in the second quarter. And it’s Reese with the rebound. Brieza’s got four rebounds in this game. And here’s Young on the arc. Good on the triple. Young’s got 16. Nice and composed on that three there. Trey giving his fundamentals all of his attention. Here’s Mor number 12 goes in. He’s made seven of 12 now. Well, all of us coaches, we love when you can create looks in close. Young pass to Daniels. to the wing on the left. A wide open look here for Okongu. The shots good on the assist by Daniel. That’s a high percentage look when the D doesn’t fight over the screen. Yeah, it’s certainly worth it to disrupt the offense. Coaches notice that extra effort. Now here’s Wells. Hasn’t made one yet. Drills it from outside. And guys, he’s been a one-man air raid coming at them time and time again. Well, what I love about his three-point shooting is the spacing that he’s adding. It makes things a lot easier for everyone else. Young with the ball. 16 points for him. Okongu with a screen on Morance. And here’s Young from the arc. Trey Young. He’s feeling it tonight and has been the driving force for the Hawks. He got into double digits for the quarter with 10 points total. And now let’s catch up with David Aldridge who’s standing by from the sideline. All right, Dave. Thank you, Kevin. With coach Quinn Snder, Quinn, what has to happen in the second half? Well, we got to keep getting stops and really just make plays. Make plays on the offensive end and be solid defensively. No, no magic. It’s a pretty simple game, right, coach? Thanks for your time. Back to you, Kevin. Thank you, David. And we’ll be back for the third quarter of action following halftime. director of the center court and get ready for the man have fun shot a thinking about the shot [Applause] one more time for the dip. Good. Heat. And we’ve got second half action for you thus far. A pretty evenly contested game, guys. John Morant has been sensational. His play so far is what fans love about him. He has gone right at the defense time and time again. Yeah, he hasn’t been settling. He’s getting to the rim and that’s him at his best. [Applause] And so Young will bring it up for the Hawks. Four-point game, a front court is Rez and Johnson. Daniels out there with Young and it’s Okong in its center. So that’s the lineup for Atlanta. And the great shooters know when they’ve got enough opening to go for the three. I didn’t think it was a bad choice on that possession. Atlanta leading by four to the paint. Here’s Daniels. Back in coming off the assist from Young. Daniels has got six. Terrific play call to give him a clean look at the rim. That’s how you want to start the second half. Yeah, I like how they’re establishing their interior presence right away. That’s going to collapse the defense and create other opportunities. Now here’s Mor. High effort play by Moran. He refuses to let the foul stop him from getting the shot. The Grizzlies shooting their seventh and eighth free throw attempts for the game right here. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. And the first one drops. Both free throws good from Morant. The Hawks leading by four. And for those of you turning in, we’re about a minute into the second half. The Grizzly shooting 40% from the field. [Music] Bane looking around. Lock at six. Pass to Jackson. over Johnson. Rebound Atlanta right around a minute and a half play here in the third quarter. And that one’s good. Rezo Shane, that’s inexcusable defense right there. You got to contest the shot better than that. Young against Morant. Now Bane. launches a three and again Memphis no good. A bit of pride at stake trying to get that last three ball back but couldn’t get his and Johnson with the stop taking it to the rack with power hammering down the two hand slam. David struggling here on offense. Yeah, a bit of a dry spell for sure. Here’s Mor and he uses the glass on the lane. Mor’s got 22. And what a show Morant is putting on. Every time he touches the ball, you feel like he’s going to score. And we have a timeout called by Quinn Snider. And coach has decided they need a moment to talk things over. I want [Music] heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Just under two and a half minutes into the third quarter And so Young will bring it up for the Atlanta Hawks. Johnson with a screen on Morant and foul on the shot. So he’ll get a chance at the line. So clever at creating contact. Young looks to shoot it so often which really forces defenders to overcommit at times. He’s off on the first. And he’s good on the second. A touch over two and a half minutes of basketball played here in the third quarter. Morant outside. Atlanta with the rebound. Okong now got doubledigit rebounds now in the game and Johnson with the stop. Oh, and the lead gets bigger on a ridiculous offensive sequence. That dunk alone would have been spectacular. Never mind it coming at the end of an alley. Now here’s Wells still without a basket. Payne for three. Score the basket. His fifth of the game. He’s missed six shots against those five makes. Well, those go down for him in his sleep. Just under three and a half minutes played here in the third quarter. As to Rez trying to answer back, but that three is off the mark. The Grizzlies trail by seven. Now Wells. Payton for three. Atlanta with the rebound. Johnson’s got his fourth rebound with that last one here tonight. Here’s Daniels. Solid play on the low block and that one’s good. Daniels has got eight points. [Applause] Now here’s Morant. He’s got 22 out of bounds. It’ll go to the Hawks. And the latest now from our sideline reporter, David Aldridge. David, it’s all yours. Take it away, Kevin. Thanks. A move that likely helped the league’s parody has been shortening max contract lengths. Commissioner Silver says, “We used to refer to it as dead money. A star player toward those ny years sitting on the bench. We’ve reduced max contracts to five years and in some cases six. This way it’s used to more pay for performance.” Kevin, I think, DA, that’s a pretty good business decision. It’s going to have nice ramifications. And every year, and Greg, we agree, Bane seems to get better and better as a playmaker. Doesn’t overdo anything with his passing. looks more and more comfortable creating off the drive and kick. He’s become a large part of this offensive engine. And here’s Young following John Mars three. And it’s Reese missing. Pass to Wells. [Music] And it’s Reese with the rebound. Rez got five rebounds tonight. Young Pastor Cardinal and contact on the shot. So he’ll be shooting free throws here. Zack 80 picks one up. Yeah, good job to take it right at the deep for Atlanta. They have shot 67% from the line going six of nine. And the first one at the line is good. Both free throws good from Okongu. The Grizzlies trail by eight. And here’s Morant. 25 points in the game. Outside for Jackson, no good from outside. Atlanta’s gone one of four in three-point shots here in the third. Pass to Johnson. Here’s Reese. 13 points in the game. From deep. Six to shoot. Atlanta again missing. He just doesn’t look like himself this quarter. Something’s missing. Yeah. And sometimes guys just start pressing. The best thing for him is to just slow it down and concentrate on solid shot selection. Here’s Young after the basket by Jiren Jackson. Pass to Rezer. Wells grabs the miss. The Grizzlies trail by six. out to the right wing outside. Bane fires the three. Johnson with the rebound. Johnson’s got his fifth rebound right now in the game. [Applause] Pass to Rezach. Traps in the train. 16 points for Rez. And so it’s Memphis with it. They’ve been looking out of sync offensively. Yeah, that their offense has ground to a standstill. And that one’s good. Morant not to be outstaged. Morant saying right back at you. The Hawks leading by six. Pass to Okongu. [Music] Back to Young. Uses the glass to finish the layup. Young’s got 19 points. Yeah, he’s in such a great rhythm right now. Makes sense to get him the ball any way you can. Yeah, when you have a guy playing like he has been recently, he’s got to be the first option on every possession. Now, here’s Bane. He’s got 12. And he has been ice cold from beyond the arc here since halftime. and he continues yet to fire away. He has got to tone it down if he wants to help his team. Jackson against Johnson. Young from outside, but Grizzlies pull it in. And close to making the defense pay for the lack coverage that time. Morance outside a shake and he hammers that one down right in the face of Okongu and he can get to the rim with the best of him. Morant always finds a way. Young with the ball. 19 points in the game. Pass to Rez on the wing. Johnson Here is Daniels [Applause] now. Rez Young for three, but Grizzlies pull it in. Jackson’s got his fifth rebound in this one. Outside Bane lets it go with the three and it’s Reza with the rebound. Reza’s got six rebounds here tonight. Johnson right side Okongu a screen. Here’s Rez and the rebound by Jiren Jackson. Jackson’s got six rebounds now in the game. Wells kicks to Mor into the lane and Mor throws it down. How about the authority from Moran? The the way he was running, you knew he was aiming to shatter at the rim. Here is Daniels. He’s got eight now. Here’s Okonwood. Pass to Young. Five to shoot. What a terrific move that was. Young’s got five points now this quarter. And this game belongs to Young right now. And he is simply making everything. Ow, Jackson. Good D by Johnson. The Hawks leading by six. To the middle. Here’s Reese. It’s rebounded by Memphis. Wells has got his fourth rebound with that last one here tonight. And a wide open look for Payne. Good. And a nice assist from Morance. Morance got his eighth assist in the game. Young dishes to O Conu. Pass to Daniels. Rez with it. Johnson kicks to Daniels. Young gets Mor shoots. Young’s shot is off. The Grizzlies trail by three. Bane passes to Morant with a tie and they get it back. Jackson finds Morant and three chances on that possession, but they just couldn’t find a way to score. Rez with it. Now guarded by Wells [Music] and 101 left to play in the third. Acted Daniels. Shot clock at five. Atlanta needs to get off a shot here. The shot by Okong Woo. No good. Excellent coverage defensively making it hard on him. Morant outside. can’t tie it up as that one misses and so it’s Young who brings it up for the Atlanta Hawks. They’ve led by as much as 10. [Applause] Lets it go from deep and the rebound by Jiren Jackson. Jackson’s got his eighth rebound here tonight. To the wing right side. Bane kicks to Mor. There’s the triple and he’s good on the three ball. Morance got the game tied up here for the Grizzlies and they have been relentless from deep and you see the defense trying to react but to no avail. Look, when the three is falling like this, there’s not a whole lot you can do defensively. Tie game in Atlanta and time to step aside quickly, but we’ll be back in no time with the start of the fourth quarter. here. Now, a chance to show you our assist of the game and it’s presented as always by State Farm. And I’m glad this was the pick because I love this pass. Such a great dish. That’s what I call court vision. Yeah, he puts that pass right on the money and made things look easy for his teammates. And it’s been a very competitive game so far as we get rolling here in quarter number four on the court for Memphis to start the fourth. We’ve got Santi Alama. Pippen is out there with Desmond Bane. Then there’s Wells and it’s Clark and at the center filling out the middle. Aldama inside working on knee. Here’s Buffkin defended by Pippen. [Applause] Pass to man. Capella trying to free himself up. Basket counts. Man has got the fourth quarter going with the first basket of the period here for the Hawks. Memphis trailing here. [Music] And here’s Pippen. Clark hits a screen for Pippen. And Capella sends it back. Quick off the floor. Has that long reach. Capella there with the intimidation to the inside. Here’s Nang. Got him with the pump fake but couldn’t finish. for Memphis. They’ve gone 0 of3 to start the fourth quarter and it’s Pippen in the corner. Memphis moving that ball around. Pass to Clark. Wells with it. Now here’s Pippen. Sinks the triple. Pippen’s got himself on the board with three there. Game winding down and they just keep changing leads. And guys, no separation yet. And I really don’t think we’re going to see any all the way down. Now here’s Levert. That one a 10 off line to the right, but drops in for him. And the Hawks lead by one. Grizzlies have gone one of four since the end of the third quarter. Outside Bane at the top of the key. Aldamo. Bells passes to Aldama. Just five on the clock. Inside. Pippen can’t hit for Atlanta. They’ve gone two or three from the field to get the fourth quarter start. Back to Levert. A three ball. Looks good. Is good. That’s his seventh basket in 12 tries. From range, one of those guys you have to respect his shot. He makes enough from beyond where you have to honor. Now here’s Pippen. Clark outside. Back to Pippen. [Applause] Right at the free throw line again. The miss by Pippen. Atlanta leading by four. [Music] Pass to Buffkin. [Music] Levertis re. Here’s Buffkin. Here’s man off target with his three. Nibbon feeling it out a bit. [Music] Over three and a half minutes through the final quarter now. Payne for three. And again, Memphis no good. Yeah, there’s no reason for the defense to get out on him right now. Just let him keep taking that shot until he shows them he’s going to knock it down. The Grizzlies trail by four. Out to the right wing. Outside Pippen. Clark outside. They could use a bucket. Aldama can’t hit. Not quite enough defense that time around. Just lucky he was off. Livert with it. Stolen by Pippen. Oh, and here comes Pippen all alone. And they pick up two. No hesitation. He just takes off and takes it the distance. Well, the best way to attack is in transition. He recognizes that. Here’s Buffkin. Nyang in the corner. Pass to Levert. Shot clock at six. Here’s Buffkin. Over Pippen. Buffkin. No good. Memphis has gotten just one of four three-pointers to go down for them here in the fourth outside. Pippen Clark into the lane. It’s good. This game is all even. Looking nimble on the drive there. Once Clark sees an opening in the defense, he’s looking to exploit. [Applause] Now Levert [Applause] Aldama with the rebound. Aldama’s got his fourth rebound with that last one here tonight. Pass to Pippen. And here is Clark [Applause] and Capella over to help. No good from Clark. Hawks have gone three of eight here in the fourth quarter. Levert the pass to Nang on the wing man down low. Here’s Capella and foul on the shot. He’ll shoot two at the free throw line. Aggressive move by Capella. His length and athleticism. It’s tough to handle when he gets the ball that deep. [Applause] Two shots. That free throw missing. So Stan, the Grizzlies trio of Jean Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jiren Jackson Jr. from the outside looking in. What a great base going forward. I agree with that, Kevin. Look, not only are those three outstanding individual players, but they complement each other so well. They’re such a great fit with those three guys. That’s a great base for the future. break. Since making it to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, the Atlanta Hawks haven’t been that good. And it was hard to tell if that was a Cinderella run at the time, but Kevin looking like that might have been the outlier. The Hawks took some risk to get back there, but it just hasn’t worked. Here’s Young. [Music] Pass to Daniel. Now here’s Capella. Young outside. Capella sets a screen for Young. Off the mark and the drop continues. Might be time for a little different approach. His shot hasn’t been fallen here in the second half. The Hawks trailing. [Applause] Here’s Rezach Young outside. Here’s the three. Trains it from beyond the arc. Young’s got 24. And defensively, you have to stay connected to Young at all times. But Briley’s called timeout. [Applause] It’s loud. On the court is your hot spot. Who wants the free t-shirt? [Music] [Applause] [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Applause] moves checked in for the Hawks. The Grizzlies also making a change. Wells. He’s checked in for Pippen. And let’s head over to the sideline and catch up with David Aldridge. Hi guys. Well, during the break, I was able to catch what the Grizzlies coach was talking about with his team. Now, he’s not happy with the perimeter defense. He told them, “We have to hustle more out to the three-point line because they look real comfortable out there now. I want you contesting every three they put up.” We’ll see if that intensity increases on D, guys. Thank you, David. [Applause] Let’s take a second look at that fantastic block. And that is a huge block. Given how close this game is, a stop like that was right on point. [Applause] And so here’s Memphis. They trail by one. There’s the lob to the hoop and taken away by Johnson in the corner. Daniels three off the mark. Memphis has gotten just one of four three-pointers to go down for them here in the fourth. That one good for two. And the Grizzlies lead by one. Time running low, guys. And somebody has got to win this one. Yeah. Well, who knows? We might need overtime in this one. It’s been that kind of a game. Now here is Young Okong down low. The shot will not fall and Morance’s got the ball here for the Memphis Grizzlies. And there’s Wells. That’s good on the assist by Morant. Morance’s got assist number nine now. Wow, what an effort here tonight. Here’s Young. [Applause] Pass to Okongu. Back to Young. Six to shoot. Plenty of space and that one swishes right in. Young’s got 10 points in just the second half. And this is what Young does best. A dynamite offensive player who fills it up in so many ways. The three from Morant. Rebound Atlanta. Here’s Daniels and it is flushed down with a nice jam. Well, when you move the ball, you open up the defense. Great job to make the unselfish play. [Applause] Young against Morant over Young. Okangu grabs the board. Okangu’s now got 13 rebounds in the game this season. And there have been some terrible shot choices here, Kev. That’s not a good look at all. Pass to Mor. [Applause] Fires from deep and it’s Reese with the rebound. The Hawks leading. Young right side over Bane again. The Hawks score. This is why people are just so high on Young because he comes through with big shots in the game. Mor passes to Bane and the free ball is good. Baines got it all tied up now for the Grizzlies and such a clutch shooter. I mean, he lives with a big shot and when he’s rolling like this, watch out. Kept to wide. Young no good. Grizzly shooting around 37% in the fourth quarter. The minutes started to wear on them. Now here’s Morance. He’s covered by Daniels. And it’s Morant missing. Pass to Okong. Here’s Young going to go that time. Great te that time from Bane. Morant outside. There’s the drive. Oh, that’s blocked. Here’s Young Shaw. Morant with the rebound. The Grizzly shooting under 40% all in all for the game. [Music] We’ve got 108 left in the game. It’s good. And they get the go-ahead bucket. A huge shot from Moran. Wow. You see why they put the ball in his hands in those situations. Now here is Young. It counts. A huge shot to tie it up. Big time basket at a big time moment. Yeah. Don’t you just love to see a player embrace that kind of pressure? Morance against Young and he gets the whistle. Two free throws coming up. It’s going to be on Trey Young. And going up strong inside demonstrates confidence. Mor not afraid to get physical. [Applause] [Applause] He knocks down the clutch free throw. [Applause] [Applause] And Zuri drops them both. It’s a two-point ball game. Yeah, he’s a guy you want at the line and clearly not affected by the moment. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snider. Pivotal moment in this game. He’s not taking any chances. He’ll call time. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] There’s 48 seconds left in the fourth. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] puts it up from 15. Rebound Atlanta. She can’t afford any wasted possessions down the stretch. Yeah, they need everything to break their way at this point if they’re going to rally back. Now, here is Young Pass to Johnson. Full time, guys. You see him starting to heat up and when he turns it on, you got a problem. But Grizzlies called timeout. So I’m looking at the clock and guys, the situation. What do you think we’re going to see next? This is where great coaching can pay dividends. Well, they’ll likely only get one shot at this. They need to make it count. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] 19 seconds left in the fourth quarter of this one. [Applause] Morant outside. [Applause] It’s good. Well, it doesn’t get any easier than this. They’ll take these shots every time. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snider. The magnitude at this juncture in the game clearly warranting a timeout, guys. What’s your take on how they maximize their opportunities now? And this is it, guys. Down one. They’ve got just enough time to work it around for a good shot. It better be a good shot because it’s the only shot they have. Here we go. No heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Young for three. Oh, they shot in a chance but no good. So a close game sees Memphis take this one. This win such a tremendous emotional boost for him. Really an accomplishment and crazy finish to take a road game like this and simply deflate an entire building. And that’ll do it folks with Stan Van Gundy, Greg Anthony, and David Aldridge. This is Kevin Harland saying thanks for watching folks on 2K Sports. But as we go, let’s take a look at our player of the game, Sha Moran. Monday night broadcast of the NBA here on 2K Sports. In this game, we’ll see the Atlanta Hawks going up against the Memphis Grizzlies. Kevin Arwin here with you. Joining me tonight, Stan Van Gundy and Greg Anthony. Our buddy David Aldridge is on the sideline getting story. Now, a look at Memphis’s starting group. Morant is the point with Bane out on the wing. Wells is out there with Jiren Jackson and it’s Edy in at the pivot manning the middle and for the Hawks in the post it’ll be Johnson and Okongu Trey Young is out there with Daniels and it’s Reza Shay in it the small forward and Stan here we’ve got two of the highest scoring teams in the entire NBA. Yeah, Kevin, there is firepower everywhere with these two teams. So, defensively, you can’t take away everything, but you have to try to take away something. Limit some things, right, coach? You can’t stop everything on the play. Not at all. You’ve got to pick your poison and decide what you can live with. Now, here’s Jackson. Five on the clock. Here’s Mor. That’s good. And it’s Jackson with the assist that time. And no problem for Morant that close to the hoop. Once he gets inside, he makes it look easy. Young inside guarded by Morant. It’s deflected. Outside. Bane down low. [Applause] The rebound by Young. And now we’ve got some time to check in from the sideline. You got for us DA? Well, earlier I spoke with Quinn Snider. Desmond Bane was the topic. Coach was ausive with his praise. He said Bane is a great catch and shoot guy, but he’ll find ways to contribute no matter what. He also said Bane is hard to game plan for, but they’ll do their best not to let him get in the rhythm. They will have their hands full tonight, guys. Okay, David, much appreciate it. That’s a high percentage look when the D doesn’t fight over the screen. Yeah, it’s certainly worth it to disrupt the offense. Coaches notice that extra effort. Now, here is Young. That one drops for him. Oh, crafty move there by Young finessing his way around the contact. Grizzlies have gone two of three here to start off the game. Outside Bane’s wide open the three-pointer. No good. And here’s Daniels driving inside. Yeah, just solid work on the back end of that play. Yep, you’re right. finish hard with two hands on that stuff. Now, Morant. And how sweet a play was that? As sweet as it gets. An exquisite pass to set up the powerful alleyoop dunk. Morance against Young. Johnson with a screen on Morance. Young no good. I’m sure he’d like to have that back. That’s a missed opportunity. And with this era of the Atlanta Hawks break, they’ve gone as far as their defense has let them. You look back at their conference finals run in 21, that was the last time they had a top 10 defense. So scoring’s never been the issue with this core, but defense has been non-existent. Now, here is Young following the miss by Job Morant. And timeout is called by Quinn Snider. This will give him a chance to discuss some potential alterations. [Applause] Here they are. 4 Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] 4 [Applause] Young dishes to Johnson. And it’s Young that time on the assist by Johnson. Nice job capitalizing down there. Young good at probing inside and finding some space. Morant outside in the corner. It’s Bane. Six to shoot. A three-pointer off the mark. And here’s Young. He’ll bring it up for Atlanta. Here’s Rezer. The kick out to Young. Edy with the rebound. Memphis trailing here. Mor passes to Jackson. Nice fake, but the layup off the mark. Not really what we expected. You know, he wants that one back. It’s stolen. Wells with it. He’s picked up by Reza. It’s Mor in the corner. outside Jackson. Good. And a nice assist from Morant. Oh, quick thinking from Jackson. When he’s rising and firing fast, you know he’s in the zone. Bounce pass Young. Pass to Okongu. Rez with it. A three. Trains the three-pointer. Both teams running perimeter oriented plays that are working well. You know, it’s become a three-point shooting league. Teams shooting a steady diet from outside. Gone 59 from the field here in the first. Daniels passes to Johnson offline with his three. Memphis is gone. just one of four from three-point range here in the first. Up top, Bane. Morant right side. Pass to Jackson, [Music] Bobs it up. Johnson with the clock. And there’s the shot clock violation. Couldn’t get the shot off in time. Reverse check in for Atlanta. And Memphis also making a switch. Santi Damas checked in for Wells. Now here is Young [Music] Pass to Okongu. [Music] And a chance for just a second to check out the scoring breakdown for Atlanta. Well, you know, the analytics guys would tell you a team shouldn’t be taking this many mid-range shots, but clearly they’re shooting them with confidence. Also, they’re getting into the teeth of the defense. Points in the paint. Something coaches always love to see. And he knocks down the first one. Both [Applause] free throws good from Okongu. The Grizzlies trail by four. Pass Diti now. Here’s Jackson. Memphis moving it around on the Wayne. Bane avert defending. No good with the triple. The Hawks leading by four. Here is Daniels. Rebounded by Jackson. [Applause] Here’s Eldama. He’s covered by Daniels. Moran bats for two. It’s in. That’s his third field goal of the game. He’s three for five. Guys, that’s just really unstoppable. He poses a ton of matchup problems for whomever he’s facing. Okongu kicks to Johnson. Okongu with a screen on Jackson. Johnson dishes to Okongu. Levert with a wideopen look. The Hawks again can’t hit. The Grizzlies have gone five of 12 from the field since the opening chip. Count that bucket. Great touch there. It’s just so tough to defend a floater like that. Pass to Daniels. Back to Young. Takes it inside. The shots good on the assist by Daniels. Young’s got six points. And on the drive, Young can be so sudden the defense barely gets a chance to react. Outside Bane back to Mor. Down to five on the shot clock. Memphis needs to get off a shot here. He can’t hit and so Young will bring it up for Atlanta. [Music] Back to Levert [Music] over to the left wing. Now here’s Okong. He’s covered closely. Yeah, you expect him to make those. Good look. just couldn’t find the bark. Here’s Bane. A beautiful reverse layup. Bane’s got his second basket of the game. Well, Morance’s acrobatics often get the attention, but his passing is also elite. And you know, Stan, we’ve watched Desmond Bane evolve into a number one option on offense. He’s always been there, but now he really is at the top of the heat. Yeah, he sure is. Look, Kevin, you know, he came into the league as a three-point shooter, and he’s a great one, but he’s developed his game off the dribble. Very good mid-range shooter, and he’s strong enough to finish around the rim. Morant passes to Bane. Out to Morant, [Applause] outside Jackson. Good. And a nice assist from Morant. Morance got his fourth assist in this one. Highlevel passer even for a point guard. Morant shows the imagination. And we’ll have a timeout called by Quinn Snider. Wants to regroup and go over the strategy. [Music] [Music] down the court. It’s your hype spot. Get loud and let them hear you. Who wants a free t-shirt? You know what to do, right? Make some go. [Applause] [Applause] for the Hawks. Clint Capella, he’s checked in for Okongu. George Niang comes in for Dyson Daniels. Man, subbed in for Young. Brandon Clark, he’s checked in for the Grizzlies. Pass the man. [Music] Back to Johnson. Pocket six. Nope, not that time. Nothing for two from the field. Memphis leaning. Bane passes to Mor inside. Clark and it’s Clark with the jam. Quick off the floor and powerful. Clark loves to attack that rim. Levert with it. [Applause] Shooting foul as the whistle blows. He’ll shoot two free throws. Yeah, the defender all over. Guys, what do you think about the offensive approach so far that we’ve seen for the Grizzlies? Well, I have to applaud their ball movement. They’re moving the ball around, finding the best looks they can, and keeping everyone involved. And also, guys, they’re out musling their opponent. The points in the paint are piling up because of that aggressiveness. And the free throw drops for Levert Reza. He’s checked in for Terrence Man. The Grizzlies also making a change. Jackson’s checked in. Levert hits both of them and the Grizzlies with possession here And here’s Morant. He’s got six. Memphis moving it around and the layup’s good off the glass. Morance’s got eight. Yeah, I’m amazed at Morance’s ability to take contact and still stay in full control. Capell on a high post. He’s against Clark. Here’s Reza and it’s good for two. Reza has got his second bucket of the night. And guys, they continue to put a lot of pressure on the interior defenders with their work down low to the right side to the inside and it’s Moring. Enzo Levert will bring it up for Atlanta. They trail by one. So they take the lead. Levert’s got his second bucket of the game to go and got to push Levert out of that area because he’s very comfortable looking to score from there. Outside Bane. Pass to Aldamo. 56 seconds left to play in the first quarter. Morant passes to Bane. Just two to shoot. leaps for it. No good from outside. Got the defender off his feet with the pump fake but couldn’t knock it down with the drive. They get it again. Nang kicks to Levert. Shot clock at six. And he gets it to go from the corner. Eight points for him. And how about the playmaking skills of Levert? I like watching this guy break down the D in the pick and roll. Two second difference between shot clock and game clock. [Applause] Now Morant, he’s got eight on the Wayne Bane. Good. And a nice assist from Morant. Morance got his sixth assist on the night. Here’s Rezache and he was able to put it up in time but doesn’t fall. Harris Lever has been on display for the Hawks. He notched eight points in the quarter and has that terrific basketball instinct on display. We come back right after this. And if you’re just tuning in, it’s been a pretty even game through the first quarter. And what do you guys think about the Hawks here in this one? Yeah, in that first period, they looked to push in transition at every opportunity. Yeah, they gave the other team no time to breathe. Every time they got the ball, they were off to the races. And you see how effective this aggressive mindset can be. So on the floor to begin things for Memphis here in the second quarter, John Jackson is out there with Santi Alama. Then it’s Luke Canar. Then it’s Pippen and it’s Clark in at the five down low. Here’s Reese. It’s good from long range. Rez got the opening basket here in the second quarter for the Hawks. The Grizzlies trail by three. [Applause] Pippen outside. Clark sets a screen for Jackson and he can’t answer back. The three-pointer offline shooting at 50% in a decent group. Avert in the corner. [Applause] Takes a three. The Grizzlies pull it in. Yeah, and he had the detangled up there with that patented crossover. just couldn’t convert the finish. Pippen, the pass to Canard. Off target from three-point range. The Hawks lead by three. [Music] Porter number two with just over a minute gone. Nang with the ball. No scoring in this one. Rez with it. He’s picked up by Pippen. A nice shot by Levert. And eventually, every player GA has to grapple with aim, realizing they’ve lost a step or two against the Young Phillips. And sometimes that is a very slow realization. Oh, it it is, Deb. Hopefully by that point, it’s less about financial security and more about prolonging the inevitable simply for the love of the game. So, it’s Atlanta now following the three from Jiren Jackson. [Applause] And here in the second, two minutes gone by outside. Pippen puts up a three and it’s Reese with the rebound. Well, you can tell he thinks he should have had that one. even harder on him when he’s got a good look like that and it doesn’t go down. That those plays can make a difference in a game like this. Well, you know it’s going to fire up, Greg. Everybody on that bench and guys, you cannot allow that in a close game. You have to make it harder than that. Levert with it. He’s picked up by Pippen. [Applause] Now Rez 10 points for him. Pella inside. Jackson on him. Stolen by Jackson. And for those of you just joining us in the second quarter with about 3 minutes gone by. No good from Clark. And so Levert will bring it up for the Atlanta Hawks. In the second quarter, they’ve given up just three points. Now here’s Levert. [Music] Capella with a screen on Pit. Here’s Levert. The shot comes out. Some solid defense there from Jackson. Now Dama passes to Jackson. Here’s Pippen. And another miss by Memphis. The Hawks leading by four. Here’s Levert and Pippen pulls it down. Memphis has gone one of four from three-point range in the second. Not a whole lot dropping out there for them. Atlanta with the rebound. [Applause] Now here’s Levert. Capella sets a screen for Reese. No good on the triple. The Grizzlies trail by four. And Reza, the prototypical size and skill for a wingman. Yeah, he’s got some jelly to his game. Handle, touch at his size that becomes very tough to contain. Now here is Levert. Brandon Clark missing his last shot. Capella sets a screen for Reese. Pass the man. It’s Clark with the rebound. When the defense is playing off you like that, you want to be able to convert, but that time he just couldn’t get it done. The three Pippen Atlanta with the rebound. Nang’s got his fifth rebound right now in the game. To the middle. Here’s Cabela. He trains the turnaround jump shot. Cabela’s got the lead up to six now for the Hawks. And it could have been a foul call on the shot as well. Capella maintains the focus though and finishes. So, timeout call here. The first for Memphis. Trying to find some answers offensively. Yeah, they just have to be more patient, less forcing and more passing. All right, it is Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Applause] Atlanta making some changes. is aong Woo checked in for Capella. Young is subbed in for Riza. Then for the Grizzlies Wells, he’s checked in for Santi Aldama. Bane comes in for Luke Canar. And it’s Morant in for Pippen [Applause] on the Wayne. Bane. Avert defending. Morance against Young and that one’s good. Morant, if you give him an inch of space, he’s going to make you pay. Atlanta leading by four. Okongu with a screen on Bane. The open shot. Levert. It’s good. That basket. He’s now five for nine. And Levert is playing with such passion on offense. He’s just not afraid to play a big role on that end. Now here’s Morance. He’s got 10. Count that one. And 12 points for John Mor. The Hawks have gone five of 11 from the field since the beginning of the second quarter. Avert against Baine. From 20 ft out and it’s going to be out of bounds. The Hawks will retain possession. Johnson, he’s checked in for the Hawks. Daniels comes in for Caris Levert. Santi Aldamas checked in for Memphis. [Applause] Morance against Young. It’s rebounded by Memphis. Wells in the corner. No good on the three. The Hawks leading by four. Shot from free throw range and good as it just snugs right down through the net. And I I like the resourcefulness Young brings to the table, taking any shot he can create. Back to Morant. Two free throws coming up and they call the shooting foul. It’s going to go on on Okongu. Memphis shooting their first free throws of this and typically a strength of theirs 79% on the season. That’s good from Morance. Stan, we talk about this every night. So much great young talent coming into the NBA. Is there one player though in particular who right now stands out to you? But I have to say, Kevin, Victor Wimyama, I don’t know that we have ever seen a guy of that size do the things that he does. Now you can say, well, what about Nicola Joic? Well, Nicole Yokovic, first of all, is not Victor Wimbeyama’s size and then Victor’s handle and his length. The guy’s incredible. He’s going to be the face of the NBA for a long, long time. Here’s Morant following the basket by Tion. Outside Jackson pass to Wells and here is Bane. Six on the shot clock. The Grizzlies with another miss. The Hawks working the ball around. Young with the ball. He’s picked up by Morant. Okong Wu down low. He’s against Clark. The Grizzlies trail by six. Bane finds Jackson. And it’s hard to pick a more electrifying player in the league than John Moran. He explodes off the floor. He’s gone two for two at the line so far. And with a percentage of 82, he’s been one of their more dependable shooters from the line. That’s good from Morant. And the Hawks making a change here. Rez checked in. Both free throws good from Morant. And timeout is called by Quinn Snider. He wants to check in with his team and regroup. [Music] You know what to do. [Music] [Applause] Good. [Music] You need [Music] man. Heat. Thank you for all the [Applause] Hawks leading by four. pass to Young [Music] and here is Okongu fouled in the act of shooting gets the bucket anyway so a three-point play chance for him and although he’s smaller Young willing to battle inside and shows you he can score through contact we’re talking about Trey Young here GA what stands out most about him to you well Kevin I I’d say just how confident he is right he he plays with that unique energy and swagger. You love him if he’s on your team and can’t stand him if he’s playing against you. And that one misses. And Young, a fiery competitor, someone who enjoys getting under the skin of opposing players. Just five to shoot. Lobed up there for Justin. Hammers the alleyoop through. Oh, and the lead gets bigger on a ridiculous offensive sequence. That dunk alone would have been spectacular. Never mind it coming at the end of an alleyoop. Now here’s Clark steps back. Grant Trey Young grabs the miss. [Applause] Chance there to push it to double digits, but it’s off the mark. Bane kicks to Morant. [Applause] Pass to Clark. Outside Jackson. [Applause] It’s good. He makes his first shot of the game. And guys, we talk all the time about making the extra pass. Clark there proving how important that concept is. Now, here is Young. 12 points for him. [Applause] It’s rebounded by Memphis. Clark’s got five rebounds tonight. Pass to Mor. [Music] Here’s Clark outside. Bane. Clark sets a screen for Bane. and the three off target. And they had some boxed coverage that turned into no coverage. They get the rebound. You know, you can’t be overzealous inside when you guard Young. You got to be better at contesting without fouling. He’s 01 from the line, missing on his first trip. In their last contest, guys, he was unconscious from the foul line. That free throw no good. And we’re seeing some big paydays for NBA head coaches these days. Stan, uh, do you miss it? Do I miss the paychecks? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Payday was always really good in the NBA. No question about that. What about now, though? What about now? Well, it’s gone through the roof, but look, the tradeoff is the paydays are big, but there’s not a great deal of job security. Now, here’s Morance. 16 points for him. [Applause] The Grizzlies have looked good at the line tonight. They’re perfect in four attempts. [Applause] That one is off. And the second free throw. Good. [Applause] And so it’s Atlanta with it. Six-point lead. 149 left in the first half. Reza Jay misses the three. The Grizzly shooting a lackluster 38% for the game. Struggling so far. And it’s thrown down hard with both hands. Oh, and he went for the two-hander on the slam. Using some muscle, some urgency from him there. Sure. Johnson dishes to Young. [Applause] Edy with the rebound. Ed’s got five rebounds tonight. We’ve got 113 left to play here in the second quarter. And it’s Reza with the rebound. Rez got four rebounds in this game. Here’s Young on the arc. Good on the triple. Young’s got 16. Nice and composed on that three there. Trey giving his fundamentals all of his attention. Here’s Morant at number 12 goes in. He’s made seven of 12 now. Well, all of us coaches, we love when you can create looks in close. Young passes to Daniels to the wing on the left. A wide open look here for Okongu. The shots good on the assist by Daniel. Now that’s a high percentage look when the D doesn’t fight over the screen. Yeah, it’s certainly worth it to disrupt the offense. Coaches notice that extra effort. Now here’s Wells. Hasn’t made one yet. Drills it from outside. And guys, he’s been a one-man air raid coming at them time and time again. Well, what I love about his three-point shooting is the spacing that he’s adding. It makes things a lot easier for everyone else. Young with the ball. 16 points for him. Okongu with a screen on Morance. And here’s Young from the arc. Trey Young. He’s feeling it tonight and has been the driving force for the Hawks. He got into double digits for the quarter with 10 points total. And now let’s catch up with David Aldridge who’s standing by from the sideline. All right, Dave. Thank you, Kevin. With coach Gwen Snder. when what has to happen in the second half? Well, we got to keep getting stops and really just make plays. Make plays on the offensive end and be solid defensively. No, no magic. It’s a pretty simple game, right, coach? Thanks for your time. Back to you, Kevin. Thank you, David. And we’ll be back for the third quarter of action following halftime. Please center and get ready for the half shot. Give me a beat. They’re thinking about the shot. [Applause] One more time. Round number four. Heat. Heat. And we’ve got second half action for you. Thus far, a pretty evenly contested game, guys. John Morant has been sensational. His play so far is what fans love about him. He has gone right at the defense time and time again. Yeah, he hasn’t been settling. He’s getting to the rim. And that’s him at his best. [Applause] And so Young will bring it up for the Hawks. Four-point game. The front court is Rez and Johnson. Daniels out there with Young and it’s Okong in it simple. So that’s the lineup for Atlanta. And the great shooters know when they’ve got enough opening to go for the three. I didn’t think it was a bad choice on that possession. Atlanta leading by four. To the paint. Here’s Daniels in coming off the assist from Young. Daniels has got six. Terrific play call to give him a clean look at the rim. That’s how you want to start the second half. Yeah, I like how they’re establishing their interior presence right away. That’s going to collapse the defense and create other opportunities. Now, here is Mor. High effort play by Mor. He refuses to let the foul stop him from getting the shot. The Grizzlies shooting their seventh and eighth free throw attempts for the game right here.
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