On Friday, the Memphis Grizzlies continued their surprising resurgence with a 108-90 win over the Detroit Pistons at home. The win over Detroit was Memphis’ third on the trot that saw them improve their record to 27-50. The Grizzlies have endured a horrid season due to injuries and their current three-game winning streak is only the fourth time they’ve recorded a hattrick of victories this year. A massive contributor in the Grizzlies’ recent success has been guard Scotty Pippen Jr., who had the difficult task of winning ball games in the absence of star players like Ja Morant in the lineup.
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The lights were not too bright for the rising star, who scored 16 points, dished seven assists, stole the ball four times, grabbed three rebounds, and blocked one shot in Memphis’ win over Detroit. Meanwhile, Pippen Jr.’s mother, popular socialite Larsa Pippen, wasn’t in attendance at the FedExForum to watch her son’s impeccable outing in person. But she did witness it live at home.
Larsa recorded her son’s post-game interview and posted it on her Instagram stories to showcase her love, support and appreciation for her son’s stunning progress this season.
While Larsa rarely attends the games of her sons, Scotty and Justin, she hypes them up on social media whenever they have a good outing on the court. She recently posted about Scotty’s return following a 12-game absence and also shared her younger son Justin’s high school highlight reel. They may not appear together publicly, but Larsa is keenly interested in her sons’ basketball careers.
Scotty Pippen Jr. finding his footing in the NBA
Scotty Pippen Jr. is enjoying a terrific sophomore season in the NBA. He started the year with the Los Angeles Lakers, but spent most of the year on their G-League team, the South Bay Lakers. His sensational form there prompted the Grizzlies to sign him on a two-way deal in January, and after initially coming off the bench, the young guard has established himself as the team’s starting point guard, taking advantage of Memphis’ injury-riddled roster.
A lower back injury kept him out for 15 of Memphis’ 16 games between February 14th and March 20th. But since his return, the 23-year-old has started six of the seven games he has played. Scotty averaged 11.3 points, 3.3 assists, 2.1 rebounds, and two steals per game and helped the Grizzlies win four games in that span.
With Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Luke Kennard, and Vince Williams Jr. sidelined due to injuries, Memphis can allow younger players to showcase their mettle on the court. Scotty has seized the opportunity and run with it and has done enough to secure employment for at least one more season in the NBA. The young guard has five more games to improve his stock and convince the Grizzlies to convert his two-way deal into a full-time contract.
