Sunday brought another frustrating loss for the Grizzlies, as Memphis fell 116-112 to the Washington Wizards on the road. It was their second loss to the woeful Wizards in just over a week.
In both instances, the Grizzlies squandered a double-digit lead.
Woof.
The good news is the Grizzlies don’t have to play the Wizards again this season. The bad news is that the Grizzlies missed another chance to bring their record to .500.
Washington is currently one of the worst teams in the league by record, but this matchup is a tough one for Memphis.
Despite all five starters finishing the night in double figures, the Grizzlies couldn’t overcome the Wizards’ offensive surge in the fourth quarter.
There was a lot of back and forth – 19 lead changes and 17 ties. Neither team shot the ball well from beyond the arc.
Memphis came out on top in paint points (62-58) and fast break points (28-14), but Washington won the battle for second chance points (23-12) and from the free throw line (24-of-25 vs. 17-of-21).
The Grizzlies converted 19 turnovers into 29 points, and the Wizards scored 24 points off 16 turnovers.
Turnovers and points off turnovers have been a thorn in the Grizzlies’ side all season, but it feels like this game was lost at the charity stripe.
YGTMYFT – You’ve got to make your free throws.
The point differential in this loss equaled the number of missed free throws by the Grizzlies, making this one of the most frustrating losses of the season. It ended any hopes the Grizzlies had of reaching .500 before the end of the year.
Memphis is still hanging on to the 9th seed in the Western Conference, and if the season ended today, they would be fighting for a playoff spot.
Player notables:
Jaren Jackson Jr. led all scorers with 31 points, and added eight rebounds, one assist, one steal, and four blocks.
Ja Morant finished the night with 21 points on 8 of 16 overall shooting and 3 of 5 from beyond the arc, and seven assists.
Santi Aldama added 14 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and five steals.
Jaylen Wells scored 11 points, to go with seven rebounds and three assists.
Cedric Coward also finished the night with 11 points, along with six rebounds and three assists.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies will return home tomorrow night to face the Philadelphia 76ers in their final game of the year. Tip-off is at 7 PM CST.