MEMPHIS, Tenn. — With the Grizzlies and Spurs tied at 109 with just under six minutes to go in the fourth, Tyus Jones snaked around a screen and got to the free throw line for a pull up midrange jumper. His younger brother Tre Jones was the one chasing him off the screen and recovered well enough to contest, but it didn’t make a difference.
In a classic older brother moment, Tyus scored the tough jumper over the outstretched arms of his younger brother to put the Grizzlies ahead 111-109, and Memphis only allowed the Spurs to score four more points the rest of the game.
Tyus started for Ja Morant, who missed his second straight game with a thigh injury. That set the stage for a sibling duel in FedExForum.
It marked the first time brothers Tyus and Tre have started against each other in the NBA, and Tyus played the part of older brother to perfection. He had a huge game, leading the Grizzlies to the win and leading the team in scoring with 24 points. Tre finished with 18 points and seven assists.
"It's amazing man," Tyus said after the game. "It's a dream come true. It's a moment you only dream about honestly and it was just surreal for it to come to that moment."
After Monday, Tyus has a perfect 7-0 record against Tre, and the Grizzlies have now won eight straight against the Spurs going back to 2020.
There are only 13 sets of brothers in the NBA, and it’s always a special occasion when they can play against each other. It’s even rarer that brothers take the floor as starters and guard each other for most of the game, like the Jones brothers did.
Both brothers have been having great seasons up to this point. Both are averaging career-highs in points and assists. Tre’s averaging a career-high 13 points and six assists as the starting point guard for the San Antonio Spurs, while Tyus is averaging a career-high 10.5 points and 4.8 assists off the bench.
This comes at a crucial stretch for the Grizzlies as they’re jockeying for the number one seed in the West.
With Morant out, they needed other players to step up and that’s exactly what happened. The Grizzlies had seven players score in double figures.
Jaren Jackson Jr. played a huge part in the win. He finished as the team’s second leading scorer with 16 points and was a menace on the defensive end, blocking five shots..
The Grizzlies will play the Spurs again in FedExForum on Wednesday.