Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) handles the ball as Toronto Raptors guard Davion Mitchell (45) defends during the first half at FedExForum. Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Grizzlies make franchise history in blowout win over Raptors

By Sai Mohan | Last updated Dec 27, 2024 9:35 AM ET

The Oklahoma City Thunder (24-5) and Dallas Mavericks (19-11) may be the betting favorites to represent the West in the 2025 NBA Finals, but the Memphis Grizzlies (21-10) have the most momentum entering the new calendar year.

Taylor Jenkins' team set a new franchise record Thursday by posting 155 points in a 29-point rout of the Toronto Raptors. Memphis' previous high for points came in a 152-79 win over the Thunder on Dec. 2, 2021.

The most impressive aspect of Memphis' scoring explosion was that no player scored more than 21 points, and as many as seven players scored at least 15 — tied for the most in a game in NBA history, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Among those seven players, rookie starters Zach Edey (21 points) and Jaylen Wells (17 points) continued to prove they belong, and Jaren Jackson Jr. (21 points), Desmond Bane (19 points) and Ja Morant (15 points) all did their part as well. The Grizzlies got 62 points off the bench, led by Scotty Pippen Jr. and Luke Kennard, dropping 15 apiece and Brandon Clarke adding 11.

Offensive Explosion

155 Points (Season High)
36 Assists
62 Bench Points
72 Points in the Paint
33 2nd Chance Points pic.twitter.com/vgoD80gzkQ
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) December 27, 2024

It's worth noting that the Grizzlies achieved the historic feat without injured guard Marcus Smart, one of their key rotational players. The performance on Thursday was a reminder that Memphis may arguably be the deepest team in the league.

With the win, the Grizzlies improved to No. 1 in the NBA in points per game (122.7). However, they are still fourth in offensive efficiency, averaging 117.2 points per 100 possessions.

This iteration of the Grizzlies is a significant departure from the days of the grindhouse version of the team that relied on defense and toughness to win games. Even the 2021-23 squad, which won 51 games, ranked 11th in offense and could not explode for points routinely.

The Grizzlies enter 2025 as the only team in the NBA to rank among the top five in offense (fourth) and defense (fourth). Even powerhouses such as the Thunder, Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers can't stake claim to the feat.

Sai Mohan

A veteran sportswriter based in Portugal, Sai covers the NBA for Yardbarker and a few local news outlets. He had the honor of covering sporting events across four different continents as a newspaper reporter. Some of his all-time favorite athletes include Mike Tyson, Larry Bird, Luís Figo, Ayrton Senna and Steffi Graf.

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