Without Ja Morant and Vince Williams Jr. (both out with knee soreness) the Memphis Grizzlies fell to 36-18 with a loss at the Los Angeles Clippers. The loss gave the Clippers the edge in the season series with a 2-0 lead with only one game remaining between the teams in March.
While the loss was only the Grizzlies' third in their last 14 games, it was their second loss in their last three games (all against Western Conference playoff/play-in contenders). Missing Ja Morant is important to note but the team has fared well without him as the loss to the Clippers snapped a five-game winning streak without their star in the lineup.
Their record in the 22 games Ja Morant has missed this season is 14-8, which is a far cry from the 21-52 record they had without him last season. Their battle against the Clippers showed another kink in the Grizzlies' armor that has been on display in a couple of their recent losses.
Grizzlies gave up most points off turnovers in franchise history
The Grizzlies' turnover problem has been talked about a lot this season and got worse last night in their game against the Clippers. The 30th-ranked team in turnovers per game (16.4) committed another 22 turnovers against the Clippers and compounded it by conceding 41 points off of those turnovers.
While they fell short of their franchise record of 29 turnovers in a game, they made a new franchise record with the 41 points they gave up off the turnovers. Including their first game against the Clippers in early December, the Grizzlies have gaven up 71 points off of 42 turnovers total in their games against them.
The next thought might be that missing Ja Morant and not starting a traditional point guard played a role in last night's defeat. However, Ja Morant turned the ball over seven times in their first game against the Clippers and averages a career-high 3.8 turnovers per game this season.
In the Grizzlies' worst loss of the season at the New York Knicks last month, the team gave up 36 points off of 26 turnovers. Their big three of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. combined to commit 14 of those turnovers that night.
Their turnovers in their battles against the Clippers are most alarming because they might be a first-round opponent for the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies are currently the second seed in the West but are only 0.5 game ahead of the third-seeded Denver Nuggets.
The Clippers are currently the sixth seed which would become a first-round matchup if the Grizzlies fell to third. The Grizzlies have 27 games after the NBA All-Star break to clean up their inopportune turnovers that could comeback to bite them when the playoffs roll around.