Memphis Grizzlies outhustled by Miami Heat in first preseason loss

The Memphis Grizzlies realized on Friday night why NBA games aren't played on paper. The Grizzlies had their full roster available while the Miami Heat's biggest stars sat out the second night of a back-to-back.

Memphis got off to a blazing start, but the Heat caught fire and burned the Grizzlies.

Miami made 18 3-pointers and outhustled the Grizzlies, giving Memphis its first preseason loss, 111-108 on Friday night at FedExForum.

Not too many times does a team noticeably play with more energy than the Grizzlies, but this was one of those nights. Maybe it's because the Heat had players battling for a roster spot, while the Grizzlies are mainly figuring out lineup combinations. The Grizzlies got within one with 23.9 seconds left after Vince Williams and Kennedy Chandler checked in the game and shifted the energy. Chandler and Ziaire Williams had clean looks at 3-pointers in the final seconds that fell short.

Some of the Grizzlies' biggest concerns from last season, including free-throw and 3-point shooting, showed up on Friday night.

"We kind of took our foot off the gas," Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said. "Definitely a piece of humble pie. You need that in preseason."

Here are some takeaways from the loss.

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Lineup (dis)advantage

Memphis had a talent advantage at the opening tip. The Heat were playing on the second night in a row, and Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Max Strus, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry did not play against the Grizzlies.

Meanwhile, the Grizzlies sent out their projected starting five on opening night. Memphis got off to a 13-5 start that caused the Heat to take a timeout, but Miami methodically worked its way back against the Grizzlies' bench. Jenkins said before the game that he wanted to play Xavier Tillman Sr. and David Roddy in the 10-man rotation. The two additions replaced Jake LaRavia and John Konchar. Tillman had a team-low minus-14 at halftime and finished minus-13.

The short-handed Heat still had one of the NBA's top shooters. Duncan Robinson ran off screens and was a thorn in the Grizzlies' side. Along with Robinson's red-hot shooting, Miami's roster of unproven players played like they had bills to pay. Robinson finished with 29 points and made five of seven 3-pointers. Miami forced the Grizzlies into 20 turnovers.

"I thought there was some good and rough patches for sure," Jenkins said of his new second unit. "(Miami) had our heads spinning for sure at times, which kind of made it tough for us to figure some things out."

Desmond Bane (and Grizzlies) searching for shot

Shooting seemed to be the least concerning area of Desmond Bane's game after his first two seasons, but he has struggled from deep in the preseason.

Bane shot 5-for-13 against the Orlando Magic and was 0-for-5 on 3-pointers. He missed his first five 3-pointers against the Heat before swishing a fourth-quarter attempt. Bane shot 1 of 7 on 3-pointers, making him 1-for-12 through two preseason games. He did finish with 17 points on 5-for-11 shooting.

The Grizzlies need Bane to be one of the NBA's top shooters to maximize his impact on the floor. Overall, the Grizzlies struggled shooting as a team, and free throws weren't much better. Memphis shot 10-for-33 (30.3%) on 3-pointers and 30-for-45 (66.7%) on free throws. This is noticeable since these two areas were focal points of improvement in the offseason, but the Grizzlies have yet to show improvement.

"Just reps," Bane said. "We ain't played a game since sometime in May. Just getting your wind, getting your legs back under you. All that stuff will come for sure."

Santi solidifying the power forward spot

Santi Aldama has consistently been one of the better Grizzlies performers in preseason. He was a team-high plus-16 in the first half while the Grizzlies led by two points.

Even though he doesn't block shots like Jaren Jackson Jr., Aldama's height and long arms are noticeable by the way he changes shots at the rim. He finished with 11 points, six rebounds and two blocks.

Aldama was also a team-high plus-8 in 26 minutes. Through three preseason games, the starting power forward conversation has moved down the ladder of biggest question marks.

Next Up

The Grizzlies will have an open practice on Sunday at 12:30 p.m., where fans can come get a look at the team. Memphis will finish the preseason with road games against the Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons on Tuesday and Thursday.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Grizzlies lose preseason game vs. Miami Heat's backups