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JV played almost 26 minutes, scoring 14 points (6/9 dvit., 2/4 penalties), bouncing 10 balls, making an effective pass, intercepting a ball, committing a double error and three times a foul.
For J.Valančiūnas, this was the fifth consecutive double. Thus began the season for the first time in his career.
On average, this season the Lithuanian has 15.2 points and 12 rebounds per game.
The confrontation of the Lithuanian team in the city of the “hornets” was the first in which he had to face LaMelo Ball, who began his career in his hometown.
Former Prienai-Birštonas player “Vytautas” surpassed J.Valančiūnas in terms of results, scoring 15 points (4/7 doubles, 2/7 trit., 1/2 penalty) in 27 minutes and making 6 successful passes.
The NBA rookie helped at least make up for the gaps left by the Hornets’ catastrophic defenders.
Terry Rozier and Devonte ‘Graham, the two most productive members of the Charlotte club last season, this time together they made just 2 shots of 21 and scored 6 and 3 points respectively.
In the fourth part, J.Valančiūnas and L.Ballas also got into a duel, when both players danced to fight for the ball that fell to the ground. The Lithuanian also received an involuntary blow to the American’s head, which pierced the eyes of the referees, and LaMelo won the dispute between these players.
In addition to Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson, Justise Winslow, De’Anthony Melton and Grayson Allen, the “grizzly”, who had one game and only nine rotating players, led the game in almost every game and did not doubt his advantage.
Already in the first half, the Grizzlies held an 11-point lead, and gained an even stronger lead in the third quarter, when after 10 points they left 70:53 unanswered.
It was a fatal blow, after which the Hornets did not recover. In the fourth quarter, the Memphis club maintained a secure lead and finally achieved only the second victory this season, which allowed them to reach the end of the Western Conference, now J.Valančiūnas’ team in the West shares 9-12 places .
Although they didn’t have many leaders, the Grizzlies shared the ball impressively.
All nine basketball players who appeared on the court made at least one effective pass, and in total the Memphis guests played each other with the ball 34 times. This is only the fifth time in 20 years that the “grizzly” has made so many successful passes in the away game.
“Hornets”: Bismack Biyombo 16 (Rev 12), LaMelo Ball 15 (Rev 6), Caleb Martin and Gordon Hayward at 14, PJ Washington at 10.
“Grizzlies”: Dillon Brooks 21 (5/10 trit.), Kyle Anderson 18 (11 sec.), Brandon Clarke 15, Jonas Valančiūnas (10 reps) and Gorgui Diengas (8 reps), then 14, Desmond Bane 10.
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