Memphis Grizzlies opening night at home: Fans got everything they wanted – Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News

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Geoff Calkins

Geoff Calkins has been chronicling Memphis and Memphis sports for more than two decades. He hosts “The Geoff Calkins Show” from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday on 92.9 FM. Calkins has been named the nation’s best sports columnist five times by the Associated Press sports editors, but he still believes his best columns are about the people who make Memphis what it is.

All you need to know about the Grizzlies’ 24th home opener in Memphis is that this was the only real cliffhanger at the end.

He turned in Ja Morant throwing alley-oops and receiving them as well.

It allowed Jaren Jackson Jr. to make an emphatic season debut.

Zach Edey scored his first triple of the year.

It allowed Scotty Pippen Jr. to dish out a career-high 12 assists.

Delivered to Jay Huff – Jay Huff! – electrifying the crowd with two reverse hits, one of them following Marcus Smart’s alley-oop pass from beyond midcourt.

And then, with the full crowd chanting the name of a player most had never heard of six weeks ago, Yuki Kawamura came bounding off the bench.