NBA Regular Season basketball has come to an end in Memphis following a disappointing campaign, to say the least, for the Grizzlies. The season at the FedEx Forum in Downtown Memphis concluded with the team's 142-126 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
12 different Memphis players were listed on the injury report, and their nine-man rotation competed against the Cavaliers, who were without their two stars, James Harden and Donovan Mitchell.
Memphis started strong, outscoring the Cavs in the first quarter by 12 points, but allowed 44 points in the second quarter, shifting the momentum heading into the second half.
It was a total team effort from the Cavaliers, who had nine different players in double digits, including all five of their starting lineup. Evan Mobley was the last one to come out for warmups, and it seemed to work as he led all team scorers with 24 points, while Dennis Schroder and Sam Merrill also contributed with 22 and 21, respectively.
On the Grizzlies' end, Olivier Maxence Prosper recorded 24 points, while Dariq Whitehead contributed 20 of his own off the bench. Memphis made 29 3-pointers, matching an NBA single-game record, and it still wasn't enough.
The 3-point record had been shared by Milwaukee and Boston. The Bucks made 29 3s in a 144-97 victory at Miami on Dec. 29, 2020, and the Celtics equaled the record in a 132-109 win against the New York Knicks on Oct. 22, 2024. (via: ESPN)
Coach Kenny Atkinson Postgame
''Incredible shooting performance by the Grizzlies,'' Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said postgame. ''Give them credit. They shot the heck out of the ball, but good night for the Cavaliers. 50 wins (on the season) after a 17-17 start, and real credit to this roster. We got our superstars, but we're also 15 deep, and tonight was a great example of that with all the contributions from our bench guys.''
Cleveland has reached the 50-win mark for only the second time since the 2017/2018 season and still has a few games left to cement its seed in the Eastern Conference standings, as they are battling with the New York Knicks, just one game behind, for the third seed ahead of the NBA Playoffs.
