Zach Edey and the Memphis Grizzlies faced off against the No. 1 ranked team in the Western Conference, the OKC Thunder, in a crucial regular season game on Wednesday. Edey retained his spot in the starting lineup, joining Ja Morant, Jaylen Wells, Desmond Bane and Vince Williams Jr. on the court.
Fans were disappointed not to see a matchup between two seven-footers, as OKC’s 7-foot-1 big man Chet Holmgren missed the game due to a leg injury. Meanwhile, Edey remained focused on the task at hand, determined to fulfill his role for the Grizzlies.
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He failed to deliver for the Grizzlies and finished the game with just six points on 3 of 8 shooting from the floor. Zach Edey recorded nine rebounds and one steal in 19:50 minutes, finishing with a plus/minus of -10.
Zach Edey through 4 quarters
The former Purdue star didn’t have an explosive start to the game, playing with a reserved approach and lacking aggressiveness on offense. He attempted just two shots in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the rookie continued to play with a reserved approach on offense, not forcing any plays. He took two more shots during the period, making one of them.
At half time, Zach Edey had two points on 2 of 4 shooting from the floor. He also recorded four rebounds and one steal in 12:26 minutes.
After halftime, Edey took control on the boards, grabbing five rebounds in the third quarter alone. He also added two more points as the Grizzlies started to chip away at the double-digit deficit.
However, in the fourth quarter, Edey was virtually nonexistent as the Thunder surged ahead and blew out the Grizzlies. Memphis fell 120-103 at home, marking their fourth consecutive defeat in the league.
Edited by Atishay Jain