Grizzlies host Thunder in battle of top Western Conference teams

During a season in which several key players have dealt with various short-term injuries, the Memphis Grizzlies have enjoyed a constant.

After missing the season's first two games with a hamstring strain, Jaren Jackson Jr. has been a regular in the starting lineup while consistently filling multiple categories on a stat sheet.

Although Ja Morant is the team's established star, Jackson has made significant strides this season, leading the squad in scoring (23.4 points per game) and becoming a force in the paint, appearing unstoppable in isolation situations and making the Grizzlies a serious threat in the Western Conference.

Saturday night, he'll lead the Grizzlies in a conference showdown against the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder. Behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA's scoring leader at 32.7 points per game, the Thunder have spent most of the season atop the conference standings.

They enter the game with the NBA's best record and a 6 1/2-game lead over the second-place Grizzlies in the west.

During a stretch in which the Grizzlies have won four straight and 10 of 11, Jackson has been dominant. He has three straight 30-point games and has scored 20 or more in nine straight.

In a win Sunday at Milwaukee, Jackson hit seven 3-pointers. He added four in Wednesday's 138-107 victory at Toronto, a game in which he scored 32 points in 26 minutes and was 10-of-16 shooting from the field. He earned Western Conference Player of the Week honors late last month (Jan. 20-26), the first such recognition of his career.

"It's awesome to watch Jaren's evolution as a player, playmaker," Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. "He's obviously a dynamic scorer. His growth, his seeing the floor, his poise, his patience, his aggressiveness and force have unlocked a lot for him.

"(If opponents) throw a double team at him, he's going to find teammates. And if (teammates) make the right decisions on the back side, we get a layup or a 3. Playmaking through him has been awesome."

With Jackson playing at a high level and Morant recently returning from a right shoulder injury, the Grizzlies are poised to be a threat. Desmond Bane, another key member of the Memphis core trio, is expected back from an ankle injury that has sidelined him the past two games.

Oklahoma City, which has won four games in a row, will play the second game of a back-to-back set after Friday's 121-109 victory over Toronto. As impressive as the Thunder were in the win -- Gilgeous-Alexander scored 25 points in only three quarters -- the best news for Oklahoma City was the return of 7-foot-1 center Chet Holmgren.

Holmgren, out since Nov. 10, was limited to 22 minutes, but contributed four points, five rebounds, four blocks and two steals. Holmgren returned from a pelvic fracture slightly ahead of schedule.

"That's a reflection of how his body responded, first of all, which he doesn't have control over," said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault. "But it's also a result of how motivated he was through the process to get himself back as soon as possible."

Holmgren averaged 16.4 points and 8.7 rebounds before suffering the injury 10 games into the season. He started Friday night alongside fellow big man Isaiah Hartenstein.

"It's amazing," Holmgren said of his return. "I missed it for a long time, and I worked really hard to be able to get back out there. So I'm happy and excited and look forward to continue to try and help us win and keep improving."

--Field Level Media