The Grizzlies, with Spanish player Santi Aldama, have secured their fourth consecutive victory and strengthened their position in second place in the West Conference. They defeated the Toronto Raptors with a score of 107-138, thanks to 32 points from Jaren Jackson Jr. and 26 points from Ja Morant.
The team’s big man, Zach Edy, who stands at 2.24m and is a native of Toronto, achieved a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds. Santi Aldama ended the game with 6 points, all of which he scored in the second quarter.
According to Aldama, “We are in a situation we wanted to be really. We understand that we do well and that we do badly and simply try to polish it every day.”
In the Raptors team, three players reached 14 points: Ja’kobe Walter, Jamal Shead, and Ochai Agbaji. The Grizzlies’ visit to the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto was a significant one, with Aldama commenting, “I think it was a strange game today.”
Despite facing a challenging team in the Raptors, who had won eight of their last 11 games, the Grizzlies were able to secure a convincing victory. The Raptors had started the game strongly, with a seven-point lead in the first quarter, but the Grizzlies improved their ball control in the second quarter and managed to close the gap.
Aldama scored six points in the second quarter, including a triple, and the Grizzlies went into the changing rooms trailing by six points. However, in the third quarter, the Grizzlies’ base, Ja Morant, pressed the accelerator, and the team erased the Raptors’ advantage.
Morant ended the quarter with 16 points, and the Grizzlies scored 43 points, leaving the score at 84-96. In the final quarter, the Grizzlies did not loosen their grip, scoring 42 points to the Raptors’ 23, and securing a final score of 107-138.
After the game, Aldama analyzed the keys to the Grizzlies’ great state, saying, “We are in a situation we wanted to be really. We understand that we do well and that we do badly and simply try to polish it every day.” The Grizzlies are currently one of the most in-form teams in the NBA, occupying second place in the West Conference behind the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Aldama acknowledged that this season, the Grizzlies seem to have the measure of the Raptors, having won their previous game 126-155, the largest score the Canadian team has ever received in its history. The Grizzlies’ fast-paced play has resulted in high-scoring games against the Raptors, with Aldama commenting, “We are also two teams that play very fast and that gives a more bulky score.”
Aldama admitted that he did not have a great game, scoring only six points, but said that the game was unusual and allowed for learning and improvement. “I think today was a strange game, in which the second part was very good. The first part was not. You have to learn from it, beyond the result, which has obviously been positive. I think there are also things to improve,” he concluded.