Marcus Smart leaves with knee injury, Memphis Grizzlies drop preseason game vs Hornets
The Memphis Grizzlies offense struggled to stop the Charlotte Hornets in the first half. Halftime adjustments and more energy led to a better defensive effort in the second half, but it wasn’t enough.
Memphis fell 119-94 in its preseason home opener against the Hornets.
Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane heated up in the second half after a slow start. He finished with 17 points and made three of his five 3-point attempts in 25 minutes.
Memphis struggled to guard the shifty Hornets wings. Brandon Miller finished his night with 22 points to lead Charlotte, and guard Tre Mann added 19.
Charlotte went on a 12-2 run midway through the fourth quarter to open the game up and pull away.
Memphis will return to action on Saturday against the Chicago Bulls.
Memphis Grizzlies vs Charlotte Hornets score updates
Fourth quarter
Zach Edey's night comes to an end
Zaxh Edey played 22 minutes on Thursday night in his preseason debut. He finished with 10 points and five rebounds. Edey struggled to convert his shot attempts, shooting 2-for-8 from the field, but he converted six of his eight free throws. Memphis trails 106-91 with 3:41 left in the fourth quarter.
Third quarter
Zach Edey starts on the bench
Like the first preseason game, Zach Edey is starting the second half on the bench. He'll check in later with reserves. Edey has five points and two rebounds.
Second quarter
Halftime: Hornets 62 Grizzlies 49
Charlotte is shooting 56.1% from the field overall and 57.1% on 3-pointers. The Grizzlies are shooting 37.5% from the field. Jay Huff leads the Grizzlies with 11 points. Brandon Miller is pacing Charlotte with 19 points.
Checking back in
Smart's leave was brief. He appears set to check back in with 4:25 left in the second quarter. Memphis trails Charlotte 51-45.
Marcus Smart leaves game
Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart banged his knee with a Hornets player and left the game early in the second quarter. He's now on the bench with his knee wrapped. Charlotte leads 46-37 with 6:45 left in the second quarter.
First quarter
End of 1: Hornets 35 Grizzlies 32
No answer for Brandon Miller
Memphis hasn't had an answer for Hornets wing Brandon Miller so far. He's scored 16 points in the first quarter. The Hornets lead 29-23 behind Miller's strong start. He's doing most of his work beyond the 3-point line, where he has made four shots.
Brandon Clarke ruled out
Grizzlies big man Brandon Clarke was a late addition to the injury report. He's out tonight with minor knee soreness, per a team spokesperson. Clarke led the Grizzlies with 17 points in the preseason opener. Center Jay Huff should be in line for more minutes without Clarke.
Memphis Grizzlies vs Charlotte Hornets
Date: Thursday, Oct. 10
Time: 7 p.m. CT
Location: FedEx Forum
What channel is Grizzlies vs Hornets game on today?
TV channel: Bally Sports Southeast
Streaming: Bally Sports App, Fubo TV
Radio: 92.9 FM
Grizzlies vs Hornets betting odds
Game lines and odds from BetMGM as of Thursday:
Spread: Grizzlies -2.5
Over/under: 220.5
Moneyline: Grizzlies -135
Grizzlies vs Hornets injury updates
Grizzlies: Ja Morant (ankle), Jaren Jackson Jr. (hamstring), Cam Spencer (ankle), GG Jackson (foot surgery), Vince Williams Jr. (left shin).
Hornets: Mark Williams (back), Nick Smith Jr. (groin)
Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Marcus Smart injured, Grizzlies lose preseason home-opener vs Hornets
