Grizzlies shoot past Hawks as bench depth shines in Atlanta

ATLANTA - The Memphis Grizzlies used an explosive offensive display to knock off the Atlanta Hawks 132-123 in preseason action Monday night at State Farm Arena. 

Preseason action at State Farm Arena

What we know:

The Grizzlies rode a dominant second period to pull away from the Hawks. Memphis outscored Atlanta 49-26 in the second quarter to turn a three-point deficit into an 81-61 halftime advantage. The Grizzlies led by as many as 23 points during the contest while forcing 17 turners and scoring 21 points off those takeaways. 

Balanced scoring drives victory

By the numbers:

Memphis displayed deep bench strength, finishing with eight players in double-digit scoring. GG Jackson II led the Grizzlies with 14 points, while Jaylen Wells and Ty Jerome added 12 points apiece. Scotty Pippen Jr. scored 10 points and Jerami Grant added 10 points off the bench with a team-high plus-14 rating. Memphis shot 51.8% from the field and 41.9% from 3-point range. 

Hawks rally falls short

Local perspective:

Atlanta opened the game with a 35-32 lead after the first quarter and outscored Memphis 37-29 in the third, but could not complete the comeback. Corey Kispert scored a game-high 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting off the bench for the Hawks. Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 14 points, while Kingston Fleming and Asa Newell scored 12 points each. Newell grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds to finish with a double-double. Atlanta outscored Memphis in the paint 58-48 and won the rebounding battle 45-41. 

Ongoing preseason preparation

What we don't know:

Officials have not yet announced the regular season rotation status or starting lineup changes following the opening preseason performance.