NBA Game of the Week: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Memphis Grizzlies

Story posted February 2, 2023 in CommRadio, Sports by Christopher Reynolds

Some of the brightest and youngest stars in the NBA will face off Thursday night as the Memphis Grizzlies head to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers.

Both teams have been successful this season, climbing the way to the top of their respective conferences.

The Cavs are currently the sixth seed with a 31-22 record. They have been dominant for home games, holding a 21-6 record in those games.

In the Western Conference, the Grizzlies have been the one or two seed for most of the season. They sit just three games back from the Denver Nuggets for the first seed.

This will be the second matchup between these two teams this season, with the Grizzlies taking the first game 115-114 on Jan. 18.

The Grizzlies took the lead with 16.6 seconds left at the end of the game off of a Steven Adams layup after Ja Morant missed the layup.

The Cavs were unable to answer in the final seconds, resulting in the Grizzlies coming out on top. However, Donovan Mitchell missed that game, and having him back will be a game-changer.

Mitchell leads his team with 27.6 points per game, and he has been having a sensational first season with the Cavs.

Darius Garland completes the backcourt and is an exceptional floor general, averaging over 20 points and 8 assists per game.

In the frontcourt, the pair of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen lock down the paint, and will likely challenge Morant near the rim better than most.

The Grizzlies are led by Morant in points with 27.4 per game and assists with 8.3 per game.

Desmond Bane missed some time earlier this season but he has been great since coming back with 21.4 points per game.

Jaren Jackson Jr. has been great after missing the start of the season, blocking shots at a ridiculous rate of 3.3 blocks per game.

Brandon Clarke has been inserted into the starting lineup as of late with Adams going down for three to five weeks with a knee injury.

Each team has a similar build with stellar guards, and a formidable frontcourt to lock down the paint with depth off the bench.

The Grizzlies have been streaky since the start of the new year, going on an 11-game winning streak, immediately followed by a five-game losing streak.

Cleveland started the year off strong but has been just 9-11 over their last 20 games.

They tend to struggle on the road with a 10-16 record, but so do the Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies are an elite home team, going 21-4, but on the road, they are just 11-15.

This game will likely be close and come down to the wire. The Cavs have the home-court advantage, but their struggles of late are a bit concerning.

The Adams injury is concerning for Memphis, but if they can piece his minutes together with their bench, they should beat the Cavs for the second time this season.

Prediction: Grizzlies 112, Cavaliers 108

Christopher Reynolds is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email him at clr5971@psu.edu.