Memphis Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo pointed to rebounding, transition defense and physicality after his team lost 135-134 in overtime to the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday, ending its unbeaten start at 6-1.
The Grizzlies had a chance to force a 7-0 start after Ty Jerome scored 40 points, including nine consecutive points in the final 1:43 of regulation to tie the game at 124. However, New Orleans secured the victory in overtime, handing Memphis its first defeat of the season.
“The big picture for us was we gave up a lot of transition points, especially in the first half,” Iisalo said. “I thought we did a better job with that as the game wore on.”
Memphis also allowed New Orleans 12 more shot attempts, which Iisalo identified as a decisive factor.
“Even though we were getting pretty much everywhere we wanted in the half-court offense, it was difficult for us to overcome 12 more shot attempts,” he said.
Iisalo was particularly disappointed with the Grizzlies’ rebounding and physicality. New Orleans finished with 47 rebounds, compared with Memphis’ 49, but the coach highlighted several important 50-50 situations that went against his team.
“In the first half there were sequences where we lacked some physicality for sure,” Iisalo said. “We all felt that on the bench. And that’s not a way for us to go forward.”
He also discussed the final rebound that prevented Memphis from getting another opportunity, saying the difference was extremely small.
“Booz got to that ball first and was able to tap it out, but not enough. Didn’t go quite long enough,” Iisalo said.
The coach praised his players for fighting back from a nine-point deficit with two and a half minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, despite the result.
“Unbelievable comeback by the guys there in the end of the fourth and just kept believing in our thing and got the necessary stops,” he said.
Iisalo also addressed Zach Edey’s performance and the challenges of his matchup against New Orleans’ frontcourt. Edey finished with six points and nine rebounds in 19 minutes, fouling out.
“I thought he had a couple of unnecessary fouls today and those were avoidable,” Iisalo said. “A couple of biting on pump fakes and putting himself at a disadvantage there.”
However, he stressed that Edey is still developing, having played relatively few NBA games.
“He’s working his way back,” Iisalo said. “It’s a valuable experience for him. He hasn’t even played one full season worth of games yet in the NBA. So there’s a lot to learn.”
Iisalo also praised Isaiah Stewart, who contributed 14 points and five rebounds in 28 minutes.
“He just tremendous spark again,” the coach said. “His defensive impact, at the point of attack against Williamson and anchoring our defense when he was off him.”
Despite the loss, Iisalo said the team should maintain its approach rather than dwell on the result.
“We’re on a great path and there’s no reason to put our heads down,” he said. “Let’s keep working and let’s keep improving.”
Memphis hosts the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
