Former Michigan State Spartan Xavier Tillman Sr. recorded his first career double-double in the NBA on Monday night in the Memphis Grizzlies’ overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets.
Tillman finished with 18 points and a team-high 14 rebounds for the Grizzlies. Tillman had been averaging 6.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, so his Monday night performance was by far the best of his young career.
First career NBA DOUBLE-DOUBLE for @Rookiedunker last night 💪✖️
18 pts/14 boards and got the start. pic.twitter.com/R62Ina6ZkI
— Michigan State Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) April 20, 2021
X got the start and recorded his 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞-𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞 last night.
🙅: 18 points | 14 reb | 2 stl | 1 blk @Rookiedunker | #GrzNxtGen pic.twitter.com/p2e7OUtL9o
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) April 20, 2021
Tillman and the Grizzlies are in eighth place in the Western Conference and squarely in the playoff race. Hopefully Memphis can play its way into the playoffs so Michigan State fans will have a pair of Spartans — Jaren Jackson also plays for the Grizzlies — to watch in the postseason.
