106-110: Cavaliers pay dearly for mistakes against Grizzlies – Basketball – ABC Color

The irregularity in the second half of the Cavs, who after the injury of the Spaniard Ricky Rubio only have a quality point guard, Darius Garland, decided the game in favor of Ja Morant’s Grizzlies.

The Cavs’ situation should improve when point guard Rajon Rondo, who was acquired yesterday from the Lakers and who sat in plain clothes with his new teammates on Tuesday, can start playing in the coming days.

Garland was the leading scorer of the game and had a double-double with 27 points and 10 assists while Morant had 26 points and 6 assists.

The Cavaliers also featured the double-double of Kevin Love, author of 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Jarrett Allen, with 22 points and 12 rebounds.

For the Grizzlies, Jaren Jackson Jr enjoyed 22 points while center Steven Adams had 11 rebounds and 7 points. In those of Memphis, the Spanish Santi Aldama, in his first season in the NBA, had 2 points and 3 rebounds in 12.35 minutes and stood out for his good defense of rookie Evan Mobley, one of the candidates for “rookie” of the year.

CAVS DOMINATE THE FIRST HALF

The Cavaliers started out strong pushed by Garland and Mobley. The Grizzlies point guard opened the scoring with a triple within seconds of the opening jump and Mobley, the rookie who has become one of the revelation players of these Cavaliers, followed the path set by Garland with two consecutive baskets that placed a 7-0 on the scoreboard.

Then it was Allen’s turn, with another 8 consecutive points, including two spectacular “alley-oop” served by Garland, one of the plays that the couple has repeated the most since the start of the season.

Meanwhile, the Grizzlies tried to settle on the track. Morant struggled to cut the Cavs’ lead but couldn’t put his team ahead. Those of Memphis got to be placed within 2 points of the Cavs, 17-15, but two consecutive triples of Love and Garland returned to move away to the premises.

Adams, annulled by Allen and Mobley, was unable to provide points and rebounds as usual in the Memphis center.

When the first quarter ended, the scoreboard reflected a 30-27 for the locals. Allen had 10 points to his credit and Garland 8 while Morant, 9 points, and Desmond Bane, with 8, were the most successful of the Grizzlies.

In the second quarter, Garland continued to mobilize his teammates. The point guard multiplied on defense and offense while Morant was on the Grizzlies’ bench, allowing the Cavs to increase their lead to 7 points, 44-38, within minutes of the beginning of the period.

Morant’s return to the track temporarily revitalized the Grizzlies. But three consecutive steals by the Cavs, which resulted in two 3s by Love and a new “alley-oop” by Allen, sent the home team up to 11 points, 55-44, with 4 minutes remaining.

The Cavs relaxed and the Grizzlies did not give up. An increase in defensive pressure caused the locals to make a series of errors that Memphis took advantage of perfectly.

Faced with the passivity of Cavs coach JB Bickerstaff, the Grizzlies went 0-13 in the final 4 minutes and took the lead, 55-57, when the horn signaled the end of the first half.

ERRORS AND INACCURACIES

By then, Garland and Allen each had 14 points, the same as Jaren Jackson Jr. on the Grizzlies. Morant had 13 points.

After the break, the two teams maintained the equality exhibited in the first half. In the middle of the third quarter, the scoreboard indicated a tie, 64-64, after a mate from Morant.

Jackson Jr. was still the most effective on the Grizzlies, scoring from the paint. Meanwhile, Garland, Allen and Lauri Markkanen kept the Cavs afloat.

The third quarter ended 75-76 in favor of the Grizzlies, without either team being able to impose their will.

The last period began with the two teams trying to ground through, the Cavs on triples and the Grizzlies with a more inside game.

With 6.30 to go to the end of the game, the light indicated a tight 90-92 that a minute later was extended to 90-94 thanks to a mate from Aldama on the counterattack.

The Cavs would no longer be ahead on the scoreboard and would only tie, 104-104, with 36 seconds remaining. Garland and Morant took the lead for their respective teams, but in the end, the Grizzlies made fewer errors in the final seconds, securing a 106-110 victory.