Report Card: Grizzlies’ season ends in Disappointment

The Grizzlies returned to Los Angeles looking to extend their season and force a game seven back in Memphis on Sunday. Memphis had not won a road game in LA all season, so the odds were stacked against them. Then, Luke Kennard was ruled out before game time, putting an even greater load on the rest of the team, and the Grizzlies simply did not rise to the occasion.

The Lakers got off to a good start offensively, led by D’Angelo Russell, who had 10 points at the end of the first quarter. Similarly to the beginning of game three, the Grizzlies also struggled from the field and missed 14 of their last 16 shots. Defensive lapses and poor switches led to easy buckets for Anthony Davis as the Lakers led by 11 at the end of the first.

The second quarter was more of the same for the Grizzlies, as they looked out of sorts on both ends. Memphis shot just 33% from the field. Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. combined for just 17 points and shot 6-25 from the floor. At halftime, the Grizzlies trailed by 17 on the road and looked overmatched. 

The second half was more of the same as the Grizzlies were boat-raced and trailed by more than 30 in the 3rd quarter. With the season on the line, Memphis had their worst game of the season. The season ends with a 40-point loss on the road and even more questions than heading into the off-season. It was a disappointing end to a tumultuous season for Memphis, both on and off the court, and now they head into the most important offseason in franchise history.

The Grizzlies’ big three – F

Morant, Bane, and Jackson needed to have monster games if the Grizzlies wanted to extend this series, and none of their Big 3 was up to the challenge on Friday night. They combined 35 points on 11-44 shooting and just seemed lost a lot of the time offensively. Morant was unable to get to the rim and score consistently after two really great scoring performances earlier in the series. He also only made one two-point basket for the entire game. The Grizzlies will never win a playoff game where he plays that way.

Bane also had a great game five and was confident in the Grizzlies getting back to Memphis for game seven, but he also struggled from the field. He missed a few open threes that are uncharacteristic for him and couldn’t get back into a rhythm. For Jackson, it was a really ugly night on offense as well; he will have to be better at finishing over other bigs. Being a mismatch nightmare is great, but the Grizzlies will need him to be better on the interior against other 7-ft defensive anchors like AD if they want to win anything meaningful.

Santi Aldama – A+

Santi Aldama has struggled this series, but he was basically the only Grizzlies player that was ready for the game tonight. He led the team in scoring with 16 points, easily a playoff career-high, and was the only real contributor off the bench in LA. There were not many positives for the Grizzlies tonight, but Aldama’s play when everything else went wrong should be appreciated.

 Intensity – F

The biggest issue tonight for the Grizzlies was the lack of intensity from the Grizzlies. The season was on the line, and they came out flat. Losing the game was always a possibility, but to get blown out by 40 with the season on the line is unacceptable. From the opening tip, the Lakers were more aggressive on the boards and to loose balls. Los Angeles played like their season was on the line, while the Grizzlies simply did not. The Grizzlies have lost games, but watching them lose their fight as the lead grew was disappointing.

Overall Grade: F

With the season on the line, the Grizzlies were demolished. Injuries played a role in losing this series, but this team has had many issues all season. The youth and inexperience were defeated by the more experienced team led by hall-of-fame players for the second year in a row. The team is still young, so hopefully, this will benefit them going forward, but they proved that they are not ready for the biggest moments right now. There are a lot of questions on the roster right now that need to be addressed before the Grizzlies retake the floor in October.