Nets at Grizzlies
Kyrie Irving is hot out of the gate and led the Brooklyn Nets to their first win by displaying some heroics down the stretch against the New York Knicks on Friday. Irving and the Nets will try to make it two in a row when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.
Irving scored 50 in his debut but missed a potential game-winning shot and decreased the overall output while making the one that counted the most with 26 points and a go-ahead 3-pointer with 22 seconds remaining in Friday's 113-109 win over the New York Knicks. "If I'm not shooting it down the stretch, then I don't think I'm really living up to what I work every day to be able to accomplish," Irving told reporters. "And that's to make good plays, and if it's my number to be called, to really put an impact on the game, then you've gotta shoot 'em." Irving will get his first look on Sunday at another potential explosive playmaker at the point guard position in Grizzlies rookie Ja Morant, who is still looking for his first NBA win. The No. 2 overall pick averaged 12 points in losses at Miami and against Chicago in the first two games and owns totals of nine assists and 10 turnovers.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, YES (Brooklyn), FS South (Memphis)
ABOUT THE NETS (1-1): Brooklyn is surrounding Irving with shooters and buried 15 3-pointers in the 127-126 overtime loss to Minnesota to open the season before pushing that number to 16 on Friday. "I think we've done a good job of just being able to get out in transition," Nets shooting guard Joe Harris told reporters. "When the defense isn't set, we're able to move the ball around. We've done a good job just going good shots to great shots, kicking it to the open guy, and then obviously a lot of them come when all of the attention is on (Irving) so he's able to get downhill, facilitate." Harris, who led the NBA in 3-point percentage (47.4) last season, is 7-of-11 from beyond the arc through the first two games.
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (0-2): Memphis signaled its intention to build around Morant when it made him the No. 2 overall pick and traded former franchise player Mike Conley to Utah, but Morant is not the only exciting young piece on the roster. Second-year power forward Jaren Jackson, Jr. led the way with 23 points and 11 rebounds in Friday's 110-102 loss to the Bulls while rookie forward Brandon Clarke reached double figures for the first time with 14 points in 25 minutes off the bench. Third-year shooting guard Dillon Brooks battled through an injury-marred 2018-19 campaign and is a little rusty through the first two games of 2019-20 with a total of 13 points on 5-of-19 shooting.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Grizzlies C Jonas Valanciunas posted his first double-double of 2019-20 with 10 points and 13 rebounds on Friday.
2. Nets PG Spencer Dinwiddie is averaging 17 points off the bench.
3. The visiting team took each of the two meetings last season, with Brooklyn earning a 109-100 victory in Memphis on Jan. 4.