Cedric Coward on Pelicans Rematch: 'They Punked Us'

The Memphis Grizzlies are 5-0 on the road going into Friday night's game at the New Orleans Pelicans, 11 days after New Orleans handed them their first loss of the season.

Grind City Media's Michael Wallace posted Cedric Coward's shootaround availability Friday afternoon, ahead of a 7 p.m. CT tip-off at Smoothie King Center. Memphis is 7-4 and has lost four straight games at home.

"Honestly, just like still playing our game," Coward said. "Obviously, in a hostile environment, I think like road games, like home games mean a lot, but road games mean more. If you can go into a hostile environment, go into where the odds are against you, and you know, still play your brand of basketball, and I think that's what we've done well."

"We can do better, like, but at the same time, like we've done it well, and it's led to wins," Coward continued.

The fifth road win came Monday, a 118-102 victory over the Toronto Raptors that snapped a three-game skid. Ty Jerome scored 27 points on 9-of-19 shooting. With 2:03 left in the first half, Coward found Cam Spencer for a 3-pointer that put Memphis up 56-46. Toronto grabbed 15 offensive rebounds to Memphis' 12 and took 11 more shots, 90 to 79.

Back at FedExForum on Wednesday, the Denver Nuggets beat Memphis 123-118. Coward finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds and was on the floor at the end. Cameron Boozer grabbed Nikola Jokić's missed free throw with 12.5 seconds left, brought the ball up himself, and missed a 28-foot shot with 6.9 seconds left. Denver committed 6 turnovers to the Grizzlies' 12 and scored 15 points off them. Memphis scored 2 points off Denver's turnovers. The Nuggets also won the paint 54-40.

Memphis ruled out Zach Edey and Quinten Post for Friday. Edey is out for left ankle injury management. Post has been in the concussion protocol since he took an elbow to the face against the Raptors.

"I think it's important," Coward explained. "Like, either way, whether they're playing or not, I think the biggest thing is like you want to win the possession battle, and rebounds is a huge part of that. Last time we played this team, honestly, they punked us. Like, you know, we may have won the rebound battle. I think, but at the same time, it's like. It didn't feel that way through the flow of the game."

"So, like for me, like my responsibilities don't change," Coward continued. "… I see ball, get ball, obviously within the structure of what we want to do. But at the same time, it's like still the same thing, making sure that we try to win the possession battle as much as possible."

Memphis was 6-0 when New Orleans came to FedExForum on Nov. 2, and the Pelicans won the first meeting 135-134 in overtime. The Pelicans grabbed 14 offensive rebounds that night and scored 22 second-chance points. Memphis had 11 offensive rebounds and 9 second-chance points. New Orleans attempted 101 shots to Memphis' 91.

In overtime, Saddiq Bey grabbed an offensive rebound with 9.4 seconds left, and Jeremiah Fears made two free throws with 7.3 seconds left for the final margin. Jerome, who scored 40 points on 14-of-22 shooting, missed a 15-foot pull-up for the win, and Herbert Jones grabbed that rebound.

Jerome forced overtime by scoring 9 straight points in the final 1:43 of regulation, tying the game at 124. Boozer finished with 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. Zion Williamson had 25 points and 11 rebounds for New Orleans, including 9 points in overtime.

Coward, a 6-foot-6 guard, is in his second NBA season. Through 10 games, he is averaging 12.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists.