Memphis Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo addressed the final sequence in Wednesday’s 124-122 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, focusing on split-second decisions in crunch time.
“We got that rebound with 6.8 seconds left. It was an uncontested rebound. Jaylen was able to push it. Unfortunately that pass, we got it to Ja at like three and a half seconds or so,” Iisalo explained. “Those are the decisions you have to make during the game. Always the hindsight is always 20/20. Ja did what was expected, created space for himself, and still got a shot off in that situation.”
Iisalo also discussed Memphis’ struggle to maintain double-digit leads this season. “I would say… the basketball has changed a lot as a sport. The up-and-down roller coaster of scores is more of a feature than a bug,” he said. “We have a relatively young team. We have missed a lot of our primary creators or primary screeners in those situations. You have to put the ball in somebody’s hands, and he’s got to make a decision in a certain amount of seconds.”
The coach emphasized the importance of executing in half-court offense. “We’ve been at our best in transition. That’s not often available, and the game slows down. You have to be able to execute offensively and defensively in those situations,” Iisalo said.
Iisalo addressed trends in losing leads, noting that consistent habits in practice translate to better late-game execution. “When we’re playing with pace, moving the ball side to side, the success rate is high. When we go away from that, for whatever reason, the success rate isn’t as high,” he explained.
Officiating also drew commentary, particularly around foul calls and screening. “It’s very hard to get a grasp on how the game is officiated. Screening is difficult to evaluate, and Jaren got two illegal screens today. If you’re playing well as a team, it isn’t an issue if the game is called tight or loose, but the consistency within and from game to game is what coaches and players would like to see,” Iisalo said.
The coach acknowledged fatigue’s role in second-half turnovers. “Our guys were extremely tired today. You also got to give credit to the Hawks—they’re one of the best teams in the whole league in turning the ball over for the other team because of their activity and disruptive backcourt defense.”
Jalen Johnson led Atlanta with 32 points, 15 rebounds, and a decisive basket in the final minute, while Luke Kennard and Onyeka Okongwu added 18 points each. Memphis fell to 18-24 despite strong performances from Ja Morant, Jaylen Wells, and Jaren Jackson Jr., remaining 11th in the Western Conference.
