The Bulls Are Slain! Olé! Olé!

This victory against the Chicago Bulls could scarcely have been more pivotal or opportune. At 7:00 PM CT on 5 April 2015, the Memphis Grizzlies were mired in an horrific six-game losing streak, and with merely five contests remaining, Memphis’s playoff aspirations appeared to be deteriorating. Among the teams against which the Grizzlies were schedule to clash were the Bulls, a ball club rampaging towards the finish line in an effort to attain the final seed in the Eastern Conference bracket; the Dallas Mavericks, a veteran group galloping towards the Western Conference analog of Chicago’s goal; the Golden State Warriors, the team battling for the best record in NBA history; and the Los Angeles Clippers, the Grizzlies’ bitter, currently superior rival and a group that would love nothing more than to clip Memphis’s dreams just short of the finish line.

Prior to tip-off, most fans hardly anticipated a victory; the Bulls had triumphed in three out of their previous four games and were vigorously pursuing the eight seed. The Grizzlies, on the other hand, looked impotent, powerless to inhibit the opposition from steamrolling over increasingly desperate playoff dreams. The six-game losing streak had featured painful defeats at the hands of lackluster teams like the Lakers, Nuggets, and Magic.

But this gritty win changed everything. Zach Randolph performed his own special corrida de toros in Marc Gasol‘s stead, practically executing the Bulls single-handedly with 27 efficient points (he shot 10/19 from the field and 7/8 from the free throw line), 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. Matt Barnes and Vince Carter also provided inspired performances, adding 16 and 17 points, respectively; Xavier Munford shot 100% from deep.

Despite the facts that the Grizzlies permitted Pau Gasol and Bobby Portis to execute excellently, and that Nikola Mirotic torched the Grizzlies by making 6 of his 9 three-pointers off the bench, the Grizzlies defense did a stellar job of limiting the rest of the team, namely Jimmy Butler, who scored 5 points on 25% shooting from the field despite having been red-hot heading into this contest (over his previous three games, Butler had averaged 24.7 points on 57.1% shooting from the field and 93.8% free throw shooting, 8.7 assists, and 10 rebounds).

The significance of this win is difficult to overstate. A team that, through grievous injury after injury, incessant roster tumult, and inconsistent production from the remaining starters, appeared to have lost its mojo suddenly seemed skookum once again. That the Grizzlies proved able and prepared to emerge victorious from a game of this enormity speaks to the moxie this team could display when facing the hardships ahead. One can’t really expect another regular-season win from this squad, for the remaining challenges are just too tough (the possible though unlikely exception is the Clippers game, assuming they rest their starters). The Mavericks and the Warriors both are chasing important objectives; they will not hold back a bit. But neither did the Bulls. If this Grizzlies game has taught fans anything, it’s that maybe, just maybe, the Grizzlies can pull off big wins anyway. And that’s a reassuring thought.