Memphis Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo described Wednesday’s 125-118 victory over the Denver Nuggets as a morale-boosting performance, saying, “You could sense it in the locker room. Great energy after the game and very happy about also the nature how it came through.”
Iisalo emphasized the quality of the win, noting, “This was the best type of win, which is one where you win without making shots and it came through a very active defense and everybody sharing the ball and everybody contributed to it.”
The coach credited his players’ defense for disrupting Nikola Jokic, stating, “All the credit goes to the guys… we’ve been able to wear him down with full-court pressure with a little bit smaller units but still really active.”
Iisalo explained the strategy, saying, “It’s not just the guy on the ball. It’s also the other guy shrinking the floor being very active… I like the way our guys kept him guessing today and just the really hard work.”
Ty Jerome’s performance drew special attention. “He was just clinical right from the get-go hitting those shots… he did a great job manipulating their coverage and their protection and just finding open guys,” Iisalo said.
The coach highlighted how Memphis leveraged Jerome to create opportunities. “We created tremendous shot quality… in the second half we were able to get the roller open a couple of times because it creates indecision with that low man,” he explained.
Iisalo also praised Taylor Hendricks’ defensive impact, noting, “They’re game after game playing against opposition fives… Taylor’s been really great… with his wingspan he’s really disruptive and able to pressure even smaller guards while still holding his own physically.”
The Grizzlies’ development of Olivier-Maxence Prosper also impressed Iisalo. “It’s cool to see because he works extremely hard… he’s developed as a shooter and is now learning a completely new position guarding completely different types of guys,” he said.
On Hendricks’ improvement, Iisalo attributed it to opportunity and mindset. “It’s really the fresh start… he really has a joy right now to play. He feels very grateful for the opportunity… he’s found a really good pocket in our roster where he complements a lot of other guys,” he explained.
Memphis snapped an eight-game losing streak with this win, improving to 24-44, while Denver fell to 42-28 and remained just behind Minnesota for the fourth seed in the Western Conference. Iisalo concluded, “Even if you don’t make shots, you can impact the game in a very positive way. Those players are very valuable.”
