memphis grizzlies guard Scottie Pippen Jr.The son of Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen had the best performance of his career Wednesday against the Miami Heat. His impressive performance helped the depleted Grizzlies to a 105-96 upset win on the road, prompting some interesting reactions from NBA fans.
Pippen Jr. scored a career-high 15 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists on 71.4% shooting. He was one of four Grizzlies players to score at least 15 points and one of six players to score in double figures.
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Wednesday’s game was Pippen Jr.’s second with the Grizzlies since signing a two-way contract with the Grizzlies last week. He signed with the South Bay Lakers after impressing earlier this season in the NBA G League.
In five games, Pippen Jr. averaged 18.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 2.8 steals, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 three-pointers per game, shooting 43.3% from the field.
The 23-year-old also played in six games for the Los Angeles Lakers last season. However, he never scored more than four points in a game. So Wednesday’s scoring outburst caught fans off guard.
After the game, many of the jokes were about his father.
“This is what it takes for Michael Jordan to win,” one fan said.
Another said: “This shows why (Michael) Jordan would have been nothing without him.”
At the same time, some Lakers fans are worried that the Lakers may have lost another valuable young player.
“The Lakers screwed up and let him go, he’s better than Austin Reeves,” one fan said.
“Unfortunately we stopped bro,” said another.
Here’s how some top fans reacted to Scottie Pippen Jr.’s career night:
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Taylor Jenkins praises Grizzlies following career-best performance from Scottie Pippen Jr.
Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins praised the effort of his shorthanded team after Scottie Pippen Jr. and Memphis posted an impressive win over the Heat.
“Just being true to ourselves and being realistic, I think our team has a great spirit every day,” Jenkins said. “I think our staff, our coaching staff, our performance, our medical staff, everybody’s dealing with a lot right now, trying to deal with injuries and guys coming in and out.”
Memphis only had one regular starter (Jalen Jackson Jr.) on the court Wednesday as the Grizzlies had as many as nine players sidelined with injuries. That includes star point guard Ja Morant (shoulder), who is out for the season.
However, the team still found a way to win, with second-year wing Vince Williams scoring a career-high and game-high 25 points. The win marked the Grizzlies’ second straight, while the Heat’s loss was their fourth straight.
Memphis (17-27) will try to keep its improbable winning streak alive when it hosts the Orlando Magic (23-21) on Friday.
Miami (24-20), on the other hand, will try to get back on track Thursday when they host the NBA’s best Boston Celtics (34-10).
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