Scotty Pippen watches son, but turnovers haunt Memphis Grizzlies in loss to Charlotte Hornets

The Memphis Grizzlies played their second game in as many days with nine players available on Wednesday night against the Charlotte Hornets.

It didn't take long to realize that two teams who haven't spent much time building chemistry shared the floor. The Hornets and Grizzlies both topped 20 turnovers and used those mistakes to fuel their offenses.

Charlotte turned the ball over less and played better offense. The Grizzlies hung around after trailing by as many as 18 points, but they fell 110-98 to Hornets at FedEx Forum.

GG Jackson started in place of Santi Aldama, who was out due to left elbow soreness. Jackson led the Grizzlies (23-44) with 26 points.

Miles Bridges paced the Hornets (17-49) with 27 points.

Memphis had 24 turnovers. The Hornets finished with 20.

Here are some takeaways from the game.

Scotty Pippen Jr. makes return

Scotty Pippen Jr. made his return and joined the Grizzlies starting lineup. His father, six-time NBA champion Scottie Pippen, sat in a suite and observed his son's return along with several fans.

Scotty Pippen is known more for his scoring, but it was his playmaking that set the tone on Wednesday. He had five first-half assists while scoring just four points. Pippen finished the game with nine points and 10 assists.

Rookie spotlight: GG Jackson vs Brandon Miller

Brandon Miller is nearly two years older than GG Jackson, but both players have been two of the most impressive rookies this season. Miller is living up to the hype as top-two pick, while Jackson is putting up the best stats of any second-round rookie in the NBA. The two matched up again on Wednesday as both started for their respective squads.

Both players shot 3-for-8 in the first half and had exactly eight points. Jackson turned up the aggressiveness in the second half and scored nine points in the third quarter. Miller kept it in cruise control while most of his teammates did the scoring.

As evident by Miller's five assists, he has the more well-rounded game at this point. However, Jackson's aggressiveness as a scorer is unique for a 19-year-old.

Grizzlies draft lottery standings update

The Toronto Raptors and Grizzlies are in a tight battle, but it's not for the playoffs. The team with the lower record will have better draft odds to potentially acquire the top pick.

Memphis entered Wednesday with the sixth spot in the draft order. Toronto's game result was decided in the third quarter of the Grizzlies' game. The Raptors lost their fifth straight game in a matchup against the Detroit Pistons. With the Grizzlies' loss, they will remain in the sixth spot ahead of the Raptors.

The backwards standings is a weird thing for some to follow, but it is relevant this season. The difference between the sixth and seventh spots are only 0.1% for a top-four pick. However, the team in the sixth spot has a chance to secure the No. 6 pick, while the squad at seven won't be able to grab the fifth or six pick in the NBA Draft.

Memphis may have lost the game, but it held off Toronto and strengthen its chances of securing a top-six pick in the NBA Draft.

INJURY UPDATE: Desmond Bane is nearing a return for the Memphis Grizzlies. Here's the latest update

What's next

The Grizzlies will get two days off before returning to action on Saturday (7 p.m.) at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Before Wednesday's game, Yuta Watanabe, Desmond Bane and Brandon Clarke all practiced with the G League Memphis Hustle. Bane, who was listed as doubtful before the game, is on track for a possible return Saturday if he continues to progress well with individual work and a potential Friday practice.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Turnovers haunt Memphis Grizzlies in home loss to Hornets