If there was any doubt over how seriously the Cleveland Cavaliers and Memphis Grizzlies viewed their matchup on Sunday night, Donovan Mitchell and Desmond Bane demonstrated how much they each wanted a win for their respective teams.
With the Cavs leading 77-74 midway through the third quarter, Mitchell slipped to the floor as he crossed his dribble over. Bane then went for the steal and Mitchell tried to control the ball, eventually calling timeout. However, the two continued to fight for the ball and began to wrestle on the floor. That led to a fight which brought several teammates into the scuffle, notably Memphis rookie Zach Edey.
Mitchell and Bane both drew technical fouls, as did Grizzlies star Ja Morant and Cavs center Tristan Thompson for getting involved in the fracas.
Tensions didn’t result in any further chippiness in the game as both teams got back to playing basketball with Cleveland taking a 93-88 lead into the fourth quarter. Morant, in particular, showed there were no hard feelings with perhaps the most gracious reaction ever to a poster dunk.
Taking a nice pass from Evan Mobley as he cut down the lane, Jarrett Allen slammed the ball over Morant. With the Cavs center running into him, Morant chose to playfully hug his larger opponent and laugh rather than flee the lane and go back up the court to quickly forget being dunked upon. Everyone was out there having fun.
Allen’s dunk gave the Cavs a nine-point lead and Mitchell effectively sank the dagger with a ferocious drive down the lane and slam that stopped Memphis’ attempt at a comeback.
With 42 seconds remaining, the Grizzlies cut the margin to 124-121 on a Jaren Jackson Jr. layup and subsequent free throw. However, Cleveland maintained its lead and clinched the game with Mitchell and Max Strus swishing five free throws during the game’s final 42 seconds.
Mitchell finished with a game-high 33 points (shooting 4-of-8 from 3), along with six assists. Mobley added 25 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, while Ty Jerome provided 26 points off the bench for Cleveland, which boosted its record to an NBA-best 47-10. Up next for the Cavs is a Tuesday visit to the Orlando Magic (29-30).
Cleveland played without All-Star Darius Garland, who suffered a hip contusion in Friday’s 142-105 win over the New York Knicks.
The Grizzlies were led by Jackson’s 22 points, followed by 21 points and 10 assists from Morant. The defeat dropped Memphis to 37-20, tied with the Knicks and Denver Nuggets for the fourth-best record in the league. The Grizzlies begin a five-game homestand on Tuesday, hosting the Phoenix Suns (27-30).
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