Grizzlies Rule Out Zach Edey, Quinten Post Against Pelicans

The Memphis Grizzlies ruled out Zach Edey and Quinten Post for Friday night’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans, according to the status report the team released Thursday evening.

Edey is out for left ankle return from injury management. Post remains in the concussion protocol.

Four other Grizzlies are out. Karim López is on a G League assignment, and Jahmai Mashack is listed with a two-way transfer. Scotty Pippen Jr. has a lumbar disc herniation, and Richie Saunders is rehabilitating from right knee surgery.

Isaiah Stewart is not on the report. Tip-off at Smoothie King Center is 7 p.m. CT, in Memphis’ second Emirates NBA Cup group game.

Against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, Edey played 19:33 and had 2 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 block. Those 2 points came on a hook shot off a Cameron Boozer pass that pulled Memphis within 120-118 with 20.6 seconds left.

Stewart was out there with him at the end. Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo sent Stewart in for Jaylen Wells with 13.9 seconds to go, alongside Edey, Boozer, Ty Jerome, and Cedric Coward. Denver held on to win 123-118.

It was Stewart’s first game since Nov. 4, when he bruised his right knee in the first half against Indiana. He played 18:03 and finished with 3 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 5 fouls.

Boozer, the third overall pick in June, played a team-high 33:08 and had 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Post took an elbow to the face Monday in Toronto while defending a Jamison Battle drive. He came out at the 4:03 mark of the first quarter, did not return, and sat out Wednesday in the concussion protocol.

Stewart sat out in Toronto as well. Once Post headed to the locker room, the center spot belonged to Edey for the rest of a 118-102 win, and he was still out there for 9:07 of the fourth quarter. He played 22:45 in all, with 8 points and 9 rebounds.

“Zach always does great,” Iisalo said. “It doesn’t always show up on the box score, but his impact is felt every night.”

Taylor Hendricks got a bigger share of the minutes. He played 15:41 and scored 9 points on 4-of-5 shooting after averaging 4.3 minutes over his previous four appearances.

Against Oklahoma City on Nov. 6, Memphis went part of the first quarter without a center. Edey sat down with 7:32 left, and until a timeout at 4:34, Boozer was the biggest Grizzly on the floor. A 12-8 lead had turned into a 21-16 deficit by then.