CLEVELAND — It wasn’t pretty, but the Cleveland Cavaliers picked up a much-needed 108-100 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. The Cavs sleepwalked through the first three quarters, but were able to do enough
down the stretch to get the victory.
The Cavaliers looked more like their former selves in the fourth quarter. They turned defense into offense, hit some threes, and frankly overwhelmed their opponent in the last seven minutes. This led to Cleveland winning the fourth quarter 32-16.
As usual, Donovan Mitchell led the fourth-quarter charge. Fourteen of his team-high 30 points came in the final frame. This included hitting three triples in the fourth after going missing on seven of his first eight attempts in the opening three quarters.
The Grizzlies are struggling. They’ve now lost eight of their last nine after dropping this one. They held an 11-point second-half lead while having complete control of a game in which the Cavs weren’t exerting any effort.
Ja Morant made his return from an ankle injury that kept him out of the lineup for several weeks. He looked good in his first six-minute stint that saw him score seven points on 2-2 shooting. Unfortunately for Memphis, a calf strain limited him to just that initial stint in the first quarter. This game might’ve looked a lot different if he had been able to play the final three quarters.
Evan Mobley wasn’t sharp throughout, but he did enough in the fourth quarter to help the Cavs secure a victory. He ended the evening with 20 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists.
Nae’Qwan Tomlin once again provided some much-needed energy off the bench. His contributions won’t show up in the box score — he finished with two points and four rebounds — but the Cavs don’t pull off the win without him.
Jarrett Allen had a solid showing. He provided 16 points and six rebounds in the victory.
Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 26 points on 6-23 shooting with five rebounds. Zach Edey supplied 13 points and seven rebounds.
This wasn’t pretty, but the Cavs need victories anyway they can get given their uneven start to the season. We’ll see if they can build on this as they host the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday evening.
