Despite being relatively healthy (Mo Williams is out with a knee injury), the Cavs did all they could to lose the game in the first three quarters, only to try and come back and steal a game in the fourth quarter. In the end, turning the ball over a season-high 25 times was too much to overcome, and the Cavs ended up falling to the shorthanded Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night.
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The NBA released it’s official Last Two Minute Report for the game, which included three major officiating errors, two of which ended up going against the Cavs.
According to the report, Tony Allen should have been whistled for a foul on the LeBron James, as the NBA cited that Allen impeded James is rhythm, speed, balance, and quickness with 1:37 left in the game.
After that, Tristan Thompson ended up selling Mario Chalmers with 55.1 seconds left, and Chalmers should’ve gone to the line for two too.
The final call, probably the most pivotal, was on the jump-ball between Tony Allen and LeBron James, where Lance Stephenson jumped over the back of Matthew Dellavedova to tip the ball Vince Carter. From there, the Cavs played the foul game and eventually lost on a tough, last-second three-point attempt by Kyrie Irving.
Look, let’s be real here. The Cavs never should have been in a game that close to begin with, especially not against a Grizzlies team missing four of their starters and only playing eight players. On top of that, turning the ball over a careless 25 times is not even close to what teams consider championship basketball.
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However, the Cavs worked late and put themselves in a position to win. These calls would have been big both ways, and the Cavs would have had a better chance to win had the officials done their jobs correctly.