The Memphis Grizzlies are just two games out of second place in the Western Conference.
And they’re just four games above the top play-in spot.
In the jam-packed West, every game matters, and the Grizzlies will try to gain a win Sunday night against the lowly Pelicans in New Orleans.
The Grizzlies ended a season-worst four-game losing streak when they beat the Mavericks 122-111 on Friday night in Dallas.
“Our mentality has got to shift,” guard Desmond Bane said on Memphis’ post-game telecast. “We’re playing for something and continuing to get better and sticking together.”
“Ever since I’ve been here, we’ve been a resilient group,” said Bane, who’s in his fifth season in Memphis.
The Grizzlies had to overcome the absence of forward Jaren Jackson Jr. and his team-leading 22.7 points per game. He’ll miss his third consecutive game Sunday because of an ankle injury.
In addition to scoring 27 points against Dallas, Bane had 16 rebounds. It was the third time in the last four games that Bane has had at least 10 rebounds, and he has averaged 11 boards and 25.3 points during that stretch.
“I’m just trying to do whatever the team needs,” Bane said. “I’m trying to make winning plays on both ends of the floor. That’s what we need right now.”
The Grizzlies needed a strong defensive fourth quarter to win in Dallas. They allowed 94 points through three quarters and trailed by five entering the fourth before outscoring the Mavericks 33-17 in the final period.
“Our defense is something we’ve really been talking about the last week or two,” Bane said, “and it came up big for us down the stretch.”
Memphis will try to complete a sweep of the season series against New Orleans, having won the first three meetings by an average of 10.7 points.
On Saturday night, the Pelicans saw another opponent finish a sweep of the season series in a 146-117 loss to the Rockets in Houston. The Rockets scored the most points of any New Orleans opponent this season, getting at least 35 points in each quarter to complete a four-game sweep with an average victory margin of 19.5 points.
“They were the tougher team,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “Honestly, they just punked us all night, just across the board especially on the defensive side. I’m included in that, too. Our approach to the game was poor.”
Green said he was glad his team has such a quick turnaround to “try to shake that funk off,” though he acknowledged the challenge that Memphis presents.
“It doesn’t get any easier,” Green said. “Teams won’t feel sorry for us. We have to have a better approach. We didn’t bring it. We have to make a commitment that every game we’re going to step on the floor and attack.”
Zion Williamson, who led the Pelicans with 20 points against Houston on Saturday, didn’t play in any of the first three games against the Grizzlies. It’s uncertain whether he’ll play Sunday because he has yet to play in games on consecutive nights since returning from a hamstring injury in early January.
