Battered Grizzlies Fight for Survival as Spurs, Wembanyama Storm FedExForum 106-105
The air inside the FedExForum feels heavy tonight, and it isn’t just because of the humidity on the banks of the Mississippi. It’s the weight of a season that feels like it’s being held together by athletic tape and sheer willpower.
As the Memphis Grizzlies host the San Antonio Spurs this Tuesday, the narrative isn’t just about X’s and O’s or playoff positioning in the Western Conference. It is a story of attrition. It is a story of a team trying to keep its head above water while the tide—and the training room report—keeps rising against them.
The Injury Bug Bites (Again)
If you are a fan of the Grizzlies, you are tired of hearing the word “unavailable.” Yet, here we are. The latest blow to the rotation is perhaps the most disheartening from a morale standpoint. Rookie Cedric Coward, one of the few unblemished bright spots in a turbulent 15-20 start, is out.
Coward had been a revelation, a rookie who played with the poise of a ten-year vet. He avoided the injury curse that has plagued the franchise until Sunday’s loss to the Lakers, where a left ankle injury sidelined him. Losing his rebounding presence—his defensive rebounding percentage sits at an elite 16.1%—leaves a gaping hole in the frontcourt.
And he is just the latest name on a list that reads like a starting lineup for an All-Star infirmary team. Ja Morant, the engine of this offense, is dealing with a calf contusion. While he’s a gamer, playing at anything less than 100% against a defense anchored by Victor Wembanyama is a tall order. Add in the absences of Brandon Clarke, Zach Edey, and the myriad of other ailments affecting the roster, and you realize Coach Tuomas Iisalo isn’t just coaching; he’s managing a crisis.
Champagnie’s scorching Start Stuns Memphis
While the Grizzlies are looking at who isn’t on the floor, the Spurs are maximizing everyone who is.
San Antonio (25-10) came into this game looking for their fifth straight road win, and they didn’t wait long to make their presence felt. The first quarter was less of a basketball game and more of a personal highlight reel for Julian Champagnie.
The Spurs forward came out of the gates unconscious, dropping 15 points in the opening frame alone. We aren’t talking about cheap layups in transition, either. Champagnie was hunting his shot, burying four three-pointers and stretching the depleted Grizzlies defense to its breaking point. When a role player catches fire like that early, it demoralizes a home team that is already searching for energy. It forces the defense to over-rotate, opening up passing lanes for De’Aaron Fox and lob opportunities for Wembanyama.
The Wembanyama Reality Check
Speaking of the French phenom, Victor Wembanyama’s presence looms over this matchup like a storm cloud. Despite dealing with some knee soreness that kept him out of the Portland game, Wembanyama is on the floor, and that changes the geometry of basketball.
The Grizzlies are trying to attack the paint with Jaren Jackson Jr., who has been aggressive early with a nice driving bank shot and a three-pointer of his own. But every drive into the lane against San Antonio comes with a specific psychological tax: Where is Wemby?
Even when he isn’t blocking shots, he’s altering them. The Spurs have been playing confident basketball, winning seven of their last ten, and a large part of that is the defensive safety net Wembanyama provides. For a Memphis team missing key offensive initiators, trying to score over a 7-foot-4 alien is a nightmare scenario.
Can Grift and Grind Return?
So, where does Memphis go from here? The scoreboard shows them trailing 31-26 early in the second quarter, hanging around despite the Spurs’ hot shooting. That is a testament to the culture of the franchise.
The Grizzlies have to muddy this game up. They cannot win a track meet against San Antonio tonight, not with Champagnie shooting like prime Steph Curry and Fox pushing the pace. The path to victory involves ugly, physical basketball. It requires Santi Aldama to continue attacking the rim as he did with his early dunk. It needs Vince Williams Jr. and the bench unit to harass the Spurs’ ball handlers into turnovers, much like Kelly Olynyk did with a steal early in the second.
Vegas had the Spurs as 5.5-point favorites for a reason. They saw the mismatch in health and momentum. But games aren’t played on spreadsheets. They are played on hardwood, where desperation can sometimes be a more powerful motivator than talent.
The Grizzlies are cornered. They are battered. But as they try to claw back from this early deficit at the FedExForum, they are reminding everyone that as long as the clock is running, they still have a puncher’s chance. Whether that punch lands against this surging Spurs team, however, remains to be seen.
