The Cleveland Cavaliers were on the second night of a back-to-back on Monday night, and they faced one of the worst teams in the league since the All-Star break in the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies, ever since trading Jaren Jackson Jr., have prioritized getting a better draft pick in next year’s draft, so this gave the Cavs a golden opportunity to rest key guys such as James Harden and Donovan Mitchell — with the latter especially needing some time off after tweaking his ankle the previous night.
Even with the Cavs not being at full strength, and the Grizzlies popping off at a near-historic level, Cleveland still managed to take a convincing 142-126 victory. The Grizzlies nearly set the record for most three-pointers made in a single game, but settled for tying the record in the end after finishing with 29 makes from beyond the arc, which comprised over 60 percent of their field goals made on the night.
The Grizzlies were chasing the record mark of 30 threes made by a single team in a single game, but they fell short in the end. Even with Memphis going ballistic from beyond the arc, the Cavs won rather handily thanks to the Grizzlies’ poor defense that allowed them to shoot over 58 percent from the field.
Cavs can still climb to third in East standings
Rob Gray-Imagn Images
The Cavs, at present, are sitting in fourth in the East with a 50-29 record, and if the season were to end today, a first-round matchup against the Atlanta Hawks awaits them.
Cleveland, nonetheless, can still climb to third, although they will need the New York Knicks to win just one of their final three games of the season for that to happen and the Cavs will have to win out, as New York’s one-game lead over them in the standings is essentially two with the Knicks having won the season series.
The Cavs finish the season with two games against the Hawks, their potential first-round opponent, and a gimme game against the Washington Wizards. Meanwhile, the Knicks have contests against the Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, and Charlotte Hornets.