Friday night’s win over the Brooklyn Nets not only helped the Memphis Grizzlies avoid a 3-0 season sweep against the under-.500 Nets, but it also extended the Grizzlies’ winning streak to four games, including winning 10 of their last 11 games .

The game featured fireworks as tensions mounted between both teams and eight technical fouls were called, an otherwise cold Santi Aldama became agitated and Nets head coach Jordy Fernandez called the Grizzlies “disrespectful” for insulting him.

There was a lot at stake for the Grizzlies not to lose three times to an inferior opponent, and Ja Morant made that clear by scoring 18 points in the first half, including a rushing rebound that gave the Grizzlies a 13-point lead At halftime he shouted “Yes” while walking near the Nets head coach.

The Grizzlies’ young core has been known as a trash-talking team since the 2021-22 season, which ended with a six-game loss to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors in the second round of the playoffs. Their first-round series this year against the Minnesota Timberwolves featured intense back-and-forth action before a second-round clash against the Warriors.

Earlier that same season, in a matchup between the Grizzlies and Lakers, LeBron James took exception to Desmond Bane’s trash talk, which marked the beginning of the Grizzlies’ transition from NBA darlings to villains. The next season, the Grizzlies played the Lakers in the first round of the NBA playoffs, and after former forward Dillon Brooks called LeBron James “old,” the Lakers defeated the Grizzlies in three of the next four games in a 1-1 tie series and ended the Grizzlies season.

The Memphis Grizzlies are no longer as young as they were in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, and they appear to be a more focused team this season. However, their battle against the Nets on Friday night brought excitement back to the team after the Nets’ assistant coaches seemingly started the back-and-forth.

The polarizing nature of the Grizzlies’ trash talk gets under the skin of the rest of the league when they win, and that has been the case lately. The Grizzlies have returned to the NBA’s elite ranks after an offseason and the league has been notified.

The Brooklyn Nets secured two wins over the Grizzlies earlier this season in games where the Grizzlies were working on roster development due to injuries early in the season. On Friday night, the almost fully healthy Grizzlies struck the first blow, and the Nets’ attempted retaliation caused them to falter and “cry wolf” at the end of the game.

Trash talking has been around for years, and the Grizzlies have made it their mission to be a trash-talking team. The rest of the league had a season off while the Grizzlies formed this team, but they have returned and are here to stay.