The Cleveland Cavaliers held onto a 129-123 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in a close clash between two of the best teams in the NBA. The Cavaliers are a class apart, currently holding the best record in the NBA (47-10) with this being their seventh win in a row.
The Cavs were led by Donovan Mitchell putting up 33 points (11-23 FG) and six assists while Ty Jerome came off the bench for 26 points (9-16 FG), five rebounds, and four assists. Evan Mobley had 25 points (10-20 FG), 13 rebounds, eight assists, and three blocks in an all-around performance. Jarrett Allen had 13 points (6-8 FG) while DeAndre Hunter had 12 points (4-10 FG) and eight rebounds off the bench.
Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 22 points (9-18 FG) meanwhile Ja Morant notched a double-double with 21 points (6-13 FG) and 10 assists. Luke Kennard and Santi Aldama came off the bench, with Kennard putting up 19 points (6-8 FG) and Aldama going off for 15 points (6-11 FG) and six rebounds. Jalen Wells had 14 points (5-10 FG) as a starter.
Let’s take a look at the major takeaways from this clash.
Cavs Survive Despite Solid Shooting
The Cavaliers had to work hard for this win, as the Grizzlies were having a relatively solid shooting night based on their season’s averages. They scored way above their season average while shooting efficiently from three, going 42-92 (45.7 FG%) from the field compared to 15-39 from three (38.5 3P%). These aren’t excellent numbers but the Grizzlies shot more efficiently and scored more than they have in most games.
The Cavaliers edged the Grizzlies out on two-point efficiency while being comfortably outshot from beyond the arc, going 46-99 (46.5 FG%) from the field and 13-47 (27.7 3P%) from three. Creating extra opportunities and maximizing them made the difference for the Cavs tonight, as they could have easily fallen to this win without starting point guard Darius Garland in the rotation.
The Grizzlies failed to create a lead as the No. 2 seed in the West with this loss after the Denver Nuggets lost last night. These teams are tied with a 37-20 record, so their strong shooting night went to waste against a much more imposing Cavaliers squad.
Rebounding Plays A Crucial Role
If the Grizzlies were a far better outside-shooting team tonight, how did they not manage to hold onto this win? It wasn’t because of free throws, as Memphis went 24-31 (77.4 FT%) from the line while the Cavaliers went 24-35 (68.6 FT%). Both teams generated the same number of points from the line, so the difference came around the margins.
There’s no overstating how important rebounding was for this win tonight. Memphis was completely outmatched on the boards, grabbing 37 rebounds compared to Cleveland’s 57 rebounds. This margin of 20 rebounds would prove insurmountable to most, with the Cavaliers also grabbing 10 more offensive rebounds than the Cavaliers.
The rebounding led to the Cavaliers creating 31 second-chance points compared to the Grizzlies’ 18. Given the narrow score, just this aspect of the game could have had a huge impact on the result. But the Cavaliers are one of the best inside teams in the NBA and they showed it against the Grizzlies tonight.
The Cavs Are Genuine Contenders
The Cavaliers have been one of the best teams in the NBA from the first day of the season, but people have questioned the validity of the team’s strength all year. We’re over halfway through the season and the Cavaliers have only lost 10 games so far, proving beyond the shadow of a doubt that they are as legitimate a contender as any team in the NBA not named the Boston Celtics.
The franchise has made some aggressive moves to fine-tune their roster for the Playoffs, primarily adding two-way wing De’Andre Hunter to provide a little bit of everything on the wing. Bench signing JaVonte Green also bodes well for the team’s status as legitimate contenders, as they’re able to outplay almost every team in the NBA across multiple different tactical setups.
Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson deserves a lot of credit for maximizing the players he has, primarily Evan Mobley. Mobley’s development as a DPOY-caliber forward who is now a reliable 20-point scorer is the x-factor for Cleveland. It won’t be easy to move past this franchise, and the Grizzlies found out firsthand why this team has been impossible to beat for most of the entire season.
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