Two more games, that’s the message.
The Memphis Grizzlies ended their road schedule for the season as they traveled up North to play the Cleveland Cavaliers. The last time these two teams played each other was in Memphis on February 1, 2024. That game saw the Cavs etch out a 108-101 victory.
Both teams look very different from that matchup. Memphis had yet to hit the trade deadline and deal David Roddy and Xavier Tillman. This was also before the front office started signing G-league guys left and right and didn’t hold the record for most players played in a season.
The Cavs look different in another way. They have the same roster, but in February they had the second-best record in the East and were playing their best basketball of the season. But, since the All-Star break they have done a complete 180. They have gone 10-16 since the break and have fallen to the fourth seed with a 46-33 record.
The Grizzlies came into this game with a 27-52 record with a roster that looks more like the Memphis Hustle than the Grizzlies. They were only eight active players for Memphis. However, as custom all season, this game was more competitive than expected.
The first half was back and forth. The young Grizz was not intimidated by the championship contender Cavaliers. Jake LaRaiva started the game hot with 14 points in the first quarter and 21 in the half. He went 6/6 from three-point land in that half, which was already a career-high for him.
The Cavs were led by their All-Star, Donovan Mitchell as his hot shooting kept them in the game when he wasn’t getting a lot of help from his teammates. He had 19 points in the first half.
GG Jackson II and Scotty Pippen Jr. were big contributors with 12 points a piece. The Grizzlies made their money by sharing the ball and hitting shots from the outside. They distributed 13 assists while shooting 10/17 from three.
The first half ended. with a 51-48 Grizzlies lead. The Grizz were winning this game because their energy was just higher than Cleveland’s. Something that has been a trend for Memphis this season no matter who was in or out of the lineup.
The game tipped in favor of the home team in the third quarter. Third quarter scoring has been a weakness of Memphis all year and last night was no different. Clevland outscored Memphis 30-16 in this quarter. Cleveland Center Jarrett Allen was the difference maker this quarter with 12 points and some stellar defense.
The turnover bug also caught the Grizz in this quarter as they had six. This deficit blew the game open and the Grizz could not overcome it.
In the fourth, Memphis tried to fire back with considerable efforts led by GG, LaRavia, and Lamar Stevens, but the offensive firepower of Cleveland proved to be too much.
The final score was 110-98. Mitchell led the Cavs with 29 points. The supporting cast of Darius Garland, Jarett Allen, Caris Levert, and Evan Mobley all woke up in the 2nd half to finish the game in double figures.
For Memphis, Jake LaRavia led all scorers with a career-high 32 points. GG Jackson pitched in with a 22-point performance as well.
This game brought Memphis to 27-53 with two games remaining. This also capped off their road record at 18-23 on the season. Which is surprisingly better than last year’s road record at 16-25. That’s some food for thought right there.
Now for the takeaways:
Being competitive in defeat isn’t a bad thing
We all know the trials and tribulations the Grizzlies had to endure this year. There’s no need to bring up those bad memories. However, there have been some silver linings in this season and this game was an example of that.
Let me through some stats at you. With Jake LaRavia leading the team in scoring for the first time tonight, that brought the total to 16 guys who have led the team in scoring this year for a single game. 18 different guys have led the team in rebounds and 17 have in assists. We have played 51 different starting lineups this year. 33 guys have suited up for Memphis this year, which is an NBA record.
That is utterly insane.
Despite that, Head Coach Taylor Jenkins has had this team prepared and playing hard every night, especially on the defensive end. Currently, the Grizzlies are second in the league in stocks (steals + blocks) with 14.3 a game.
Despite all the adversity, we have seen the emergence of GG Jackson II, Vince Willams Jr., Scotty Pippen Jr. Jordan Goodwin, Trey Jemison, Lamar Stevens, and even Jake LaRavia of late.
All these guys have at least made an argument for themselves that they should be on the roster next year. At the very least, rotational guys in the NBA.
Last night, Stevens, Jackson II, Pippen Jr, and LaRavia gave the team good minutes. They are all building good habits they could translate to next year if they are on the roster.
This Cavs team had to sweat to get this win. The scoreboard doesn’t reflect how back and forth this game was. These are the games you hold onto and look back to as signs of prosperity in the future. A depleted Grizzlies team competing with the league’s best should give you hope for what a fully healthy team can do next year. I hope Grizzlies fans think of that during these last two games and into the off-season.
Optimistic/Pessimistic
What to be optimistic about?: This team has been competitive all year despite their record. There are also only two games left, so that could be a positive depending on how you look at it.
What to be pessimistic about?: No one likes losing. 50 plus losses were on no Grizz fan’s bingo card this year.