Taylor Hendricks Scores Career-High 22 as Grizzlies Beat Nets

Taylor Hendricks credited "the power of Jesus" after Saturday night's game, saying he plays for Jesus and that his faith gives him strength.

He had just scored a career-high 22 points in the Memphis Grizzlies' 129-110 win over the Brooklyn Nets at FedExForum, and in the locker room he talked about how he had handled the wait.

"I would say it's been pretty easy for me," Hendricks said. "I really locked in with Jesus and I prayed to him and I asked him for a lot of things and he just tells me to wait my turn."

"So that's what I was doing and I was just staying ready," Hendricks continued. "He told me to stay ready. So now he's showing me why."

Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo said the readiness of Hendricks and Javon Small is "a testament to their hard work." The staff keeps both in what Iisalo called live groups during the season, and he said Memphis has "a ton of confidence in them."

Hendricks made 9 of 13 shots Saturday, missed both of his 3-point attempts, and hit 4 of 6 free throws in just over 29 minutes. He finished with 5 rebounds and 4 assists. His previous best was 21 points, which he scored for Utah against Memphis last December, about six weeks before the trade that brought him to the Grizzlies.

Most of the work in the middle fell to Hendricks and Isaiah Stewart. Zach Edey did not dress for left ankle injury management after being ruled out before tip-off, and Quinten Post was inactive in concussion protocol. Memphis was also on the second night of a back-to-back.

"I got to look out for my teammates," Hendricks explained. "It was just me and Stu at the center really today. So I was telling Stu I got his back. He got mine. So we just got to hold it down."

Stewart picked up 5 fouls in about 15 minutes. Brooklyn finished with 19 offensive rebounds, and Day'Ron Sharpe had 9 of them.

Against bigger opponents, his answer starts with film.

"I watch a lot of films," Hendricks said. "So like I figure out ways around it and just get better from every game."

He applies the same habit to his work as a screener and roller, which he said he practices every day.

"Just watching film on it, the [reads] start becoming clearer," Hendricks said. "When guys are in the right spots, it just makes it a whole lot easier."

A bad travel day was not going to change anything for a group he called "some dogs," Hendricks said.

"It feels great, man," Hendricks said in his on-court interview. "It always feels better at home, for sure."

Memphis moved to 9-4 and plays at Washington on Monday.