Grizzlies' 49-point second quarter sends Memphis past Hawks despite late Atlanta charge

The quarter that changed the night

Atlanta had the sharper opening. Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 14 points in 16 minutes and helped the Hawks build an early 20-9 advantage, with Kingston Flemings and Onyeka Okongwu each connecting from deep during that first burst. Even after Memphis settled in, Corey Kispert’s three with 52.8 seconds left in the first quarter kept Atlanta in front 35-32.

Memphis changed the game quickly once the second quarter began. Cameron Boozer’s layup and free throw at 11:14 gave the Grizzlies their first lead at 37-35, and the surge kept growing. After Kispert tied it at 40-40, Memphis pieced together the kind of stretch that decides a game long before the final horn: Cedric Coward hit from three, Ty Jerome converted a layup and the extra free throw, Jaylen Wells and Quinten Post added threes, and Boozer finished another attack at the rim.

By halftime, the Grizzlies had hung 49 points in the quarter and turned a three-point deficit into an 81-61 lead. Cam Spencer drilled back-to-back threes, Scotty Pippen Jr. added a three and a jumper, and GG Jackson closed the half with another triple before Jerome scored with 33.2 seconds left. Atlanta had started well, but Memphis had taken control with pace, passing and shot-making.

Atlanta’s comeback bid got real

Memphis pushed the margin to 23 when Walter Clayton Jr. opened the third quarter with a three, but Atlanta did not disappear. Kispert kept scoring from the perimeter and in the lane, Asa Newell worked the glass, and the Hawks turned the third into a more competitive stretch even as Memphis continued to answer. Wells knocked down two more threes in the quarter, and Pippen added another from long range, but Atlanta cut into the lead often enough to avoid another blowout period.

The Hawks found their best closing push in the fourth. Jalen Wilson buried threes on consecutive possessions to trim the score to 115-107, RayJ Dennis continued to create offence, and Newell kept producing inside. When Wilson finished a driving layup, drew the foul and completed the three-point play with 2:12 remaining, Atlanta was suddenly within 126-121 and the game had real tension again.

Memphis had enough left to steady itself. Javon Small, who finished with eight points and four assists, hit a three with 3:44 remaining, then made two free throws at 1:29 and a short floater with 45.9 seconds left. Those late possessions mattered because Atlanta had finally turned the huge halftime deficit into a manageable one. Memphis never let it become a one-possession game.

Atlanta still had several performances worth noting. Kispert led the Hawks with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting and made four of his seven attempts from three. Newell posted 12 points and 12 rebounds, including five on the offensive glass, while Dennis scored 12 points and Wilson added 12 of his own. The Hawks had enough individual production to threaten; they just spent too much of the night chasing the score.

Our take: Memphis won the game in the margins that travel

The cleanest explanation for the result sits in Memphis’s offensive efficiency. The Grizzlies shot 43 for 84 overall, made 18 of 43 from three-point range and finished with 32 assists. That is difficult production to survive, especially when it comes from so many places. GG Jackson led Memphis with 14 points, while Boozer, Wells, Jerome, Jerami Grant and Pippen all reached double figures. It was a broad attack rather than a one-man scoring show.

Atlanta actually did some strong work of its own. The Hawks won the rebounding battle 45-40, grabbed 14 offensive rebounds and scored 58 points in the paint. Those are useful numbers, and they explain how Atlanta kept pushing after falling behind by more than 20. But the outside shooting gap was significant: Atlanta went 14 for 42 from three, while Memphis made four more on the same volume. Over the course of a high-scoring game, that difference kept showing up.

If Memphis has a number to revisit, it is the turnover count. The Grizzlies were charged with 19 total turnovers, and Atlanta turned those chances into 21 points. On a night when Memphis otherwise controlled long stretches, that is the part that left the door open. For the Hawks, the bigger warning lights are the 18 made Memphis threes and the Grizzlies’ 32 assists. Atlanta proved it could rebound, score inside and make a late run. What it could not do was erase the damage from that second quarter, and that was the game.

Scoring moments

1. 1st Quarter · 11:49

   Ty Jerome makes driving layup (Cameron Boozer assists)

2. 1st Quarter · 11:30

   Nickeil Alexander-Walker makes 25-foot three point jumper (Dyson Daniels assists)

3. 1st Quarter · 11:03

   Jalen Johnson makes 9-foot pullup jump shot

4. 1st Quarter · 10:50

   Jaylen Wells makes 25-foot three point jumper (Cedric Coward assists)

5. 1st Quarter · 10:05

   Nickeil Alexander-Walker makes 11-foot two point shot

6. 1st Quarter · 9:44

   Dyson Daniels makes two point shot

7. 1st Quarter · 9:26

   Nickeil Alexander-Walker makes running dunk

8. 1st Quarter · 8:32

   Cameron Boozer makes 12-foot turnaround jump shot

9. 1st Quarter · 8:21

   Nickeil Alexander-Walker makes 7-foot driving floating jump shot (Onyeka Okongwu assists)

10. 1st Quarter · 8:21

    Nickeil Alexander-Walker makes free throw 1 of 1

11. 1st Quarter · 8:08

    Quinten Post makes 3-foot two point shot (Ty Jerome assists)

12. 1st Quarter · 7:54

    Kingston Flemings makes 25-foot three point jumper (Onyeka Okongwu assists)

13. 1st Quarter · 7:18

    Onyeka Okongwu makes 25-foot three point jumper (Jalen Johnson assists)

14. 1st Quarter · 6:49

    Ty Jerome makes free throw 1 of 2

15. 1st Quarter · 6:49

    Ty Jerome makes free throw 2 of 2

16. 1st Quarter · 6:09

    Ty Jerome makes 25-foot three pointer

17. 1st Quarter · 5:57

    Onyeka Okongwu makes alley oop dunk (Jalen Johnson assists)

18. 1st Quarter · 5:28

    Cedric Coward makes driving layup

19. 1st Quarter · 4:56

    GG Jackson makes 25-foot three point jumper (Jerami Grant assists)

20. 1st Quarter · 4:42

    Jalen Johnson makes free throw 1 of 2

21. 1st Quarter · 4:42

    Jalen Johnson makes free throw 2 of 2

22. 1st Quarter · 3:44

    Jalen Johnson makes free throw 1 of 2

23. 1st Quarter · 3:44

    Jalen Johnson makes free throw 2 of 2

24. 1st Quarter · 3:28

    Dyson Daniels makes free throw 2 of 2

25. 1st Quarter · 3:18

    Jerami Grant makes 24-foot three point jumper (Scotty Pippen Jr. assists)

26. 1st Quarter · 2:54

    GG Jackson makes free throw 1 of 2

27. 1st Quarter · 2:54

    GG Jackson makes free throw 2 of 2

28. 1st Quarter · 2:32

    Jerami Grant makes free throw 1 of 2

29. 1st Quarter · 2:32

    Jerami Grant makes free throw 2 of 2

30. 1st Quarter · 2:24

    Aaron Wiggins makes free throw 1 of 2

31. 1st Quarter · 2:24

    Aaron Wiggins makes free throw 2 of 2

32. 1st Quarter · 2:15

    Jerami Grant makes 1-foot dunk (Scotty Pippen Jr. assists)

33. 1st Quarter · 1:44

    Asa Newell makes two point shot

34. 1st Quarter · 1:44

    Asa Newell makes free throw 1 of 1

35. 1st Quarter · 1:32

    Taylor Hendricks makes driving dunk (Ty Jerome assists)

36. 1st Quarter · 1:05

    GG Jackson makes two point shot

37. 1st Quarter · 52.8

    Corey Kispert makes 24-foot three point jumper (Asa Newell assists)

38. 2nd Quarter · 11:35

    Cedric Coward makes 12-foot pullup jump shot

39. 2nd Quarter · 11:14

    Cameron Boozer makes running layup (Ty Jerome assists)

40. 2nd Quarter · 11:14

    Cameron Boozer makes free throw 1 of 1

41. 2nd Quarter · 11:00

    Aaron Wiggins makes 10-foot driving floating jump shot

42. 2nd Quarter · 10:47

    Quinten Post makes 25-foot three point jumper (Cameron Boozer assists)

43. 2nd Quarter · 10:34

    Corey Kispert makes 23-foot three point step back jumpshot (Jock Landale assists)

44. 2nd Quarter · 10:22

    Cameron Boozer makes driving layup (Cedric Coward assists)

45. 2nd Quarter · 10:05

    Aaron Wiggins makes 24-foot three pointer (Jock Landale assists)

46. 2nd Quarter · 9:51

    Cedric Coward makes 25-foot three point jumper (Ty Jerome assists)

47. 2nd Quarter · 9:20

    Ty Jerome makes driving layup

48. 2nd Quarter · 9:20

    Ty Jerome makes free throw 1 of 1

49. 2nd Quarter · 8:55

    Cedric Coward makes free throw 1 of 2

50. 2nd Quarter · 8:55

    Cedric Coward makes free throw 2 of 2

51. 2nd Quarter · 8:10

    Corey Kispert makes driving layup

52. 2nd Quarter · 8:10

    Corey Kispert makes free throw 1 of 1

53. 2nd Quarter · 7:54

    Jaylen Wells makes 25-foot three point jumper (Cameron Boozer assists)

54. 2nd Quarter · 7:38

    Cameron Boozer makes running dunk (Cedric Coward assists)

55. 2nd Quarter · 7:14

    Quinten Post makes 25-foot three point jumper (Ty Jerome assists)

56. 2nd Quarter · 6:48

    Nickeil Alexander-Walker makes driving layup

57. 2nd Quarter · 6:23

    Dyson Daniels makes 3-foot running pullup jump shot

58. 2nd Quarter · 6:23

    Dyson Daniels makes free throw 1 of 1

59. 2nd Quarter · 5:11

    Jerami Grant makes free throw 1 of 2

60. 2nd Quarter · 4:38

    Cam Spencer makes 25-foot three point step back jumpshot (GG Jackson assists)

61. 2nd Quarter · 4:19

    Cam Spencer makes 25-foot three pointer (Scotty Pippen Jr. assists)

62. 2nd Quarter · 4:00

    Onyeka Okongwu makes tip in dunk

63. 2nd Quarter · 3:36

    Nickeil Alexander-Walker makes running layup (Jalen Johnson assists)

64. 2nd Quarter · 3:23

    Scotty Pippen Jr. makes 25-foot three point jumper (Cam Spencer assists)

65. 2nd Quarter · 3:14

    Jalen Johnson makes free throw 1 of 2

66. 2nd Quarter · 3:14

    Jalen Johnson makes free throw 2 of 2

67. 2nd Quarter · 2:54

    Cam Spencer makes free throw 1 of 2

68. 2nd Quarter · 2:54

    Cam Spencer makes free throw 2 of 2

69. 2nd Quarter · 2:35

    Scotty Pippen Jr. makes two point shot (Cam Spencer assists)

70. 2nd Quarter · 2:17

    GG Jackson makes two point shot

71. 2nd Quarter · 1:56

    Jerami Grant makes free throw 1 of 2

72. 2nd Quarter · 1:56

    Jerami Grant makes free throw 2 of 2

73. 2nd Quarter · 1:37

    Kingston Flemings makes 24-foot three point jumper (Dyson Daniels assists)

74. 2nd Quarter · 1:13

    GG Jackson makes 25-foot three point jumper (Jerami Grant assists)

75. 2nd Quarter · 55.1

    Onyeka Okongwu makes free throw 2 of 2

76. 2nd Quarter · 33.2

    Ty Jerome makes 10-foot driving floating jump shot

77. 3rd Quarter · 10:35

    Walter Clayton Jr. makes 25-foot running pullup jump shot (Taylor Hendricks assists)

78. 3rd Quarter · 9:45

    Asa Newell makes 1-foot dunk (Keshon Gilbert assists)

79. 3rd Quarter · 9:31

    Taylor Hendricks makes dunk (Walter Clayton Jr. assists)

80. 3rd Quarter · 9:14

    Kingston Flemings makes 11-foot fade away jump shot (Corey Kispert assists)

81. 3rd Quarter · 8:48

    Corey Kispert makes 24-foot running jump shot (Keshon Gilbert assists)

82. 3rd Quarter · 8:35

    Cameron Boozer makes 1-foot two point shot (Cedric Coward assists)

83. 3rd Quarter · 8:09

    Jock Landale makes free throw 1 of 2

84. 3rd Quarter · 8:09

    Jock Landale makes free throw 2 of 2

85. 3rd Quarter · 7:58

    Jaylen Wells makes 24-foot three point jumper (Cameron Boozer assists)

86. 3rd Quarter · 7:39

    Corey Kispert makes two point shot

87. 3rd Quarter · 7:16

    Taylor Hendricks makes free throw 1 of 2

88. 3rd Quarter · 7:00

    Jock Landale makes 5-foot two point shot (Corey Kispert assists)

89. 3rd Quarter · 6:47

    Jaylen Wells makes 24-foot three point jumper (Scotty Pippen Jr. assists)

90. 3rd Quarter · 6:34

    Corey Kispert makes 25-foot three point jumper (Asa Newell assists)

91. 3rd Quarter · 6:14

    Corey Kispert makes running layup (Jock Landale assists)

92. 3rd Quarter · 5:41

    Asa Newell makes two point shot

93. 3rd Quarter · 5:25

    Scotty Pippen Jr. makes 23-foot three point jumper (Walter Clayton Jr. assists)

94. 3rd Quarter · 4:49

    RayJ Dennis makes 26-foot three point jumper (Zuby Ejiofor assists)

95. 3rd Quarter · 4:36

    Scotty Pippen Jr. makes free throw 1 of 2

96. 3rd Quarter · 4:36

    Scotty Pippen Jr. makes free throw 2 of 2

97. 3rd Quarter · 4:22

    Zuby Ejiofor makes free throw 2 of 2

98. 3rd Quarter · 3:55

    Dorian Finney-Smith makes 26-foot three point jumper (RayJ Dennis assists)

99. 3rd Quarter · 3:24

    GG Jackson makes running dunk

100. 3rd Quarter · 2:56

     Carson Cooper makes free throw 1 of 2

101. 3rd Quarter · 2:56

     Carson Cooper makes free throw 2 of 2

102. 3rd Quarter · 2:36

     Olivier-Maxence Prosper makes free throw 1 of 2

103. 3rd Quarter · 2:25

     Kingston Flemings makes driving layup

104. 3rd Quarter · 2:08

     Kingston Flemings makes free throw 2 of 2

105. 3rd Quarter · 1:10

     Kris Murray makes driving layup (Javon Small assists)

106. 3rd Quarter · 55.2

     RayJ Dennis makes 1-foot layup (Kingston Flemings assists)

107. 3rd Quarter · 33.4

     Zuby Ejiofor makes dunk (Kingston Flemings assists)

108. 3rd Quarter · 17.1

     Carson Cooper makes 24-foot three point jumper (Javon Small assists)

109. 3rd Quarter · 2.2

     RayJ Dennis makes 25-foot three pointer

110. 4th Quarter · 11:42

     Taylor Hendricks makes driving layup (Jahmai Mashack assists)

111. 4th Quarter · 11:28

     Asa Newell makes driving layup

112. 4th Quarter · 11:28

     Asa Newell makes free throw 1 of 1

113. 4th Quarter · 10:27

     Jahmai Mashack makes driving layup

114. 4th Quarter · 10:12

     Javon Small makes free throw 2 of 2

115. 4th Quarter · 9:12

     Jalen Wilson makes 25-foot three point jumper (Dorian Finney-Smith assists)

116. 4th Quarter · 8:27

     Jalen Wilson makes 24-foot three point jumper (Zuby Ejiofor assists)

117. 4th Quarter · 7:25

     Karim Lopez makes 6-foot two point shot (Javon Small assists)

118. 4th Quarter · 7:13

     RayJ Dennis makes 11-foot driving floating jump shot

119. 4th Quarter · 6:59

     Carson Cooper makes layup (Javon Small assists)

120. 4th Quarter · 6:44

     Asa Newell makes driving dunk (Kobe Johnson assists)

121. 4th Quarter · 6:19

     Zuby Ejiofor makes driving layup (RayJ Dennis assists)

122. 4th Quarter · 5:42

     Carson Cooper makes free throw 2 of 2

123. 4th Quarter · 5:03

     Walter Clayton Jr. makes running layup (Olivier-Maxence Prosper assists)

124. 4th Quarter · 4:47

     Keshon Gilbert makes 8-foot driving floating jump shot

125. 4th Quarter · 4:07

     Jalen Wilson makes free throw 2 of 2

126. 4th Quarter · 3:44

     Javon Small makes 25-foot three point jumper (Carson Cooper assists)

127. 4th Quarter · 3:25

     Kris Murray makes free throw 1 of 2

128. 4th Quarter · 2:43

     Jalen Wilson makes free throw 1 of 2

129. 4th Quarter · 2:43

     Jalen Wilson makes free throw 2 of 2

130. 4th Quarter · 2:12

     Jalen Wilson makes driving layup (RayJ Dennis assists)

131. 4th Quarter · 2:12

     Jalen Wilson makes free throw 1 of 1

132. 4th Quarter · 1:29

     Javon Small makes free throw 1 of 2

133. 4th Quarter · 1:29

     Javon Small makes free throw 2 of 2

134. 4th Quarter · 45.9

     Javon Small makes 9-foot driving floating jump shot

135. 4th Quarter · 37.8

     RayJ Dennis makes 6-foot two point shot

136. 4th Quarter · 31.4

     Walter Clayton Jr. makes free throw 1 of 2

137. 4th Quarter · 31.4

     Walter Clayton Jr. makes free throw 2 of 2