Page 4 - NBA 2018-19: 3 Talking Points - Memphis Grizzlies (107) vs New Orleans Pelicans (103)

The Grizzlies really had to grit out the game against New Orleans, that's for sure. This Memphis team, who likes to play stifling half-court defense and hard playing without giving too many fouls, was forced to work against Anthony Davis' Pelicans today.Julius Randle, who to be fair has been playing at All-Star levels recently, cut up the Grizzlies in the first half in what was a bit of a scare for the Grizzlies. Let us look at three talking points from this match-up.#1 Grizzlies got help from their supportMemphis Grizzlies v Chicago BullsKyle Anderson had arguably his best game of the season, posting 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists with 3 steals and 3 blocks on the defensive end. The Grizzlies play at a maddeningly slow pace, a feature that admirably fits Kyle Anderson.On a day when Mike Conley was surprisingly quiet, going for 2-12 shooting, JaMychal Green went off for 24 points and 8 rebounds in 28 minutes worth of playing time. That sort of efficiency is the stuff of stars.Of course, that isn't to say that Conley didn't contribute, he just did not have that sort of night where he put up numbers on the glamorous end of the court. For a perpetually underrated player like Conley, who is hoping for his first All-Star selection, these sort of performances are not a good indicator. But being the steady and levelheaded player that he is, there's no way he doesn't bounce back from this lackluster performance.Marc Gasol, who played the same number of minutes as Kyle Anderson (33) didn't get in his groove either, posting just 15 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists in that time frame. However, the Grizzlies new backup center (who won the DPOY award the year after Marc Gasol won it) Joakim Noah also gave a supremely energizing performance, ending the first half in which Memphis trailed 60-58 with 9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks. He would go on to finish with 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. On a slow night, Memphis' bench made do.

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