The Memphis Grizzlies fought hard against the Cleveland Cavaliers in their third game of a four-game road trip, but could not overcome a Cavs fourth-quarter rally and were defeated, 108-100, Saturday night. It was a disappointing outcome after leading through the first three quarters.
Let’s get into it.
In the interest of not being overly pessimistic, I want to start this on a high note. Even in a loss, there were bright spots to point out.
First and foremost, Big Maple is back! Canadian center Zach Edey played his first game of the season after undergoing ankle surgery in June. He put up a very respectable 13 points, nine rebounds, two steals, and two blocks in his return. With Edey back as the starting center, Jock Landale moves to the second unit, where he belongs.
But Edey was not the only new addition to the starting lineup – rookie Cedric Coward got his first career start. Coward is third in total scoring among rookies with 196 points, one point behind number one draft pick Cooper Flagg.
Jaren Jackson Jr. looked a lot more like the player we have become accustomed to over the past couple of seasons. He scored a season-high 26 points and, perhaps more importantly, did not spend the majority of the game in foul trouble. Jackson currently leads the league in personal fouls, a stat that should not surprise anyone paying attention to the Grizzlies this season.
In less positive news, Ja Morant played just six minutes before exiting the game with soreness in his right calf. Morant scored 7 points in those six minutes.
Obviously, I would prefer to see him on the court, but after seeing Pacers’ guard Tyrese Haliburton go down in Game 7 of the NBA Finals with a torn Achilles tendon, which is keeping him sidelined for the entire 2025-26 season, I’d rather Morant and the Grizzlies medical staff err on the side of caution. The last thing this team needs is to add another name to the long-term injury report.
Turnovers. Yes, we must talk about turnovers again. Memphis might have given up fewer points off turnovers overall than Cleveland, but it was turnovers that allowed the Cavs to rally in the fourth quarter when the Grizzlies gave up 9 points off 7 turnovers in the period.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies will finish their road trip in San Antonio on Tuesday, November 18th, against the Spurs. Tip-off is at 7 PM CST.
