The Cleveland Cavaliers hosted the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night, ending a four-game home stand.
The banged-up Grizzlies overcame a number of significant injuries and the Cavs underachieved, falling 106-103.
The Grizzlies were without star center Marc Gasol, who is out for the season, but Memphis also was without starting point guard Mike Conley and starting power forward Zach Randolph, who both are essential pieces. They were also without Matt Barnes and Chris Anderson, two important role players.
Memphis played invigorated without so many key players in the first quarter, leading 33-25 at the end of the first quarter.
The Cavs opened up the second quarter on a 7-0 run and would tie the game at 38 with 6:40 left in the half.
The Grizzlies would follow that up with a 20-8 run of their own over the next five minutes, to lead 58-46.
Memphis would stay in front heading into halftime on top 58-49.
Memphis is known for having some physically tough and emotionally charged players, and that showed up in their two technical fouls in the second quarter.
Cleveland was as sloppy as ever in the first half, committing 13 turnovers. The Cavs average 13 turnovers per game as a team in 2015-2016.
After a horrible first half in which the Cavs shot 2-for-12 from three-point range, J.R. Smith knocked down a triple to start the third quarter.
Smith scored just one point in the first half.
The Grizzlies stayed in control to start the second half and would increase their lead to as many as 14 with 4:24 to play in the third quarter.
Cleveland would cut into the deficit to close out the third quarter and head into the final period trailing 82-74.
The Cavs would cut it to a four-point game with 10:23 to play, but Memphis would respond and get it back to a ten-point lead with 8:52 to play.
Kyrie Irving came to life midway through the quarter, scoring seven straight points to make it a three-point game with 5:16 left.
Both sides went back and forth for the next two minutes, before Kevin Love drew a foul with 3:04 to play and knocked down two free throws to make it 97-96 in favor of Memphis.
Lance Stephenson turned it over on the next possession, Irving came up with a breakaway steal and layup to give the Cavs their first lead of the night with 2:40 to go.
JaMychal Green knocked down a clutch jumper with 1:22 remaining to put the Grizzlies back on top 99-98.
Irving tried to drive on the next possession, but turned it over, as the referees determined it went off his leg out of bounds.
Mario Chalmers turned it over on the other end, and the Cavs would take the lead back thanks to a layup from LeBron to make it 100-99 with 45 seconds left.
Chalmers made up for it on the next possession, hitting a clutch shot with 25 seconds left to make it 101-100 in favor of Memphis.
Memphis then won a huge jump ball between LeBron and Tony Allen with 17 seconds left, prompting the Cavs to intentionally foul.
Matthew Dellavedova was called for a controversial foul before Memphis could inbound on the other end of the court, sending Chalmers to the free throw line, and Memphis would get the ball back after the made free throw.
The Cavs were forced to foul again, sending Vince Carter to the line with 13.4 seconds remaining and a chance to make it a two-possession game. Carter calmly hit both to make it 104-100.
Smith launched a three that was no good, but the Cavs got the offensive rebound and LeBron hit a three with 3 seconds left.
The Cavs fouled Carter again, who hit both free throws with 1.8 seconds left and the Cavs would call timeout down three.
Irving got a decent look at the buzzer, but it was no good and the Cavs would fall 106-103.
Allen tore the Cavs apart, scoring a season-high 26 points.
Chalmers was a thorn in the side of the Cavaliers on both sides of the ball, scoring 17 points, dishing out seven assists, and swiping four steals.
Stephenson scored 17 points off the bench.
Carter scored 15 off the bench, including those four clutch free throws in the final 14 seconds.
Green scored 16, grabbing ten rebounds.
Irving finished with 27 points, but committed seven turnovers. The Cavs turned it over 25 times.
LeBron scored 28 points.
Love put up 14 points and hauled in 11 rebounds.
The Cavs fall to 44-18 with the loss and now begin a four-game road trip that starts in Sacramento on Wednesday.
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