Cavaliers rally past Grizzlies in wild 142-126 win behind Mobley, Schroder and a relentless second-quarter burst

The Cavaliers walked into FedExForum on Monday night looking like a team finishing a job. They walked out with their 50th win of the season, a 142-126 victory over the Grizzlies, and the kind of performance that said plenty about their depth, poise, and ceiling.

This was not a clean, comfortable coast. Far from it.

For a stretch early, the Cavaliers looked like they might get run out of the building by a Memphis team launching threes from everywhere and making nearly all of them. The Grizzlies hit 29 3-pointers, tying the NBA single-game record, and still lost by 16. That tells you everything about how explosive Cleveland became once it settled down and started playing with force.

Evan Mobley scored 24 points on 9-for-11 shooting. Dennis Schroder added 22 points and 11 assists, controlling the game with the sort of veteran calm the Cavaliers badly needed after a rocky opening quarter. Sam Merrill chipped in 21. Keon Ellis had 19 and eight assists. Jarrett Allen gave them 13 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks. The Cavaliers didn’t just survive without Donovan Mitchell. They overwhelmed Memphis with balance, pace, and wave after wave of smart offense.

Cavaliers shake off a rough start

The first quarter belonged to Memphis, and honestly, it looked ugly for Cleveland.

The Grizzlies came out with nothing to lose and everything flying. They buried 10 threes in the opening period, built a lead as large as 17 in the first half, and had the Cavaliers scrambling. Memphis led 36-24 after one, with role players and young pieces firing confidently from deep.

That kind of start can bury a team on the second night of a back-to-back, especially one missing star power. Instead, the Cavaliers responded like a mature team that knew panic would only make things worse.

They didn’t force hero shots. They didn’t start chasing the game. They tightened the possessions, got downhill, moved the ball, and attacked the soft spots in Memphis’ defense. It was a measured comeback before it became a loud one.

The second quarter changed everything for the Cavaliers

If there was one stretch that decided the game, it came in the second quarter.

The Cavaliers ripped off a 31-12 run that flipped the entire night. What had been a double-digit hole suddenly became a halftime lead. Cleveland poured in 44 points in the quarter and went into the break up 68-64, a stunning turnaround considering how the game started.

Schroder was the engine. He got into the paint, got the Cavaliers organized, and kept feeding teammates in rhythm. Mobley played with authority around the rim, finishing efficiently and punishing Memphis whenever the defense opened up. Ellis brought energy on both ends and kept the offense humming.

It wasn’t just that Cleveland scored. It was the way the Cavaliers scored. There was pace, but not recklessness. There was spacing, but also physicality. Memphis kept bombing away from outside, but Cleveland answered with cleaner offense and far more control.

That difference showed up everywhere.

The Cavaliers shot 52-for-89 from the field, a blistering 58.4 percent. They outrebounded Memphis 64-36. They assisted on 36 baskets. Even with the Grizzlies making 29 threes, Cleveland’s efficiency and dominance inside the arc kept tilting the game back in its direction.

Cavaliers overwhelm Memphis after halftime

Whatever suspense remained didn’t last long in the third quarter.

The Cavaliers opened the half with real authority, outscoring Memphis 28-16 over the first eight-plus minutes and pushing the lead to 96-80. At that point, the game started to feel less like a shootout and more like a team with structure taking control over one hanging on by shot-making.

Merrill’s jumper at the end of the third gave Cleveland a 101-90 lead, and the Cavaliers kept pressing in the fourth. Every time Memphis threatened with another barrage from deep, Cleveland had an answer.

That was the most impressive part of the night. The Grizzlies never really stopped scoring. They shot 49.2 percent from three and got 24 points from Olivier-Maxence Prosper, 20 from Adama Bal and 20 from Dariq Whitehead. Lucas Williamson added 17, and Walter Clayton Jr. handed out 11 assists. Memphis was on fire from the outside.

And still, the Cavaliers never let the game slip back into doubt.

They kept scoring at the rim. They kept earning free throws. They kept winning the extra-possession battle. Cleveland’s frontcourt imposed itself, and its guards kept the game organized. That’s how you beat a team having a historic shooting night.

Cavaliers’ depth shows why this team is dangerous

This was one of those games that remind you the Cavaliers are more than just one or two names.

Without Mitchell in the lineup, Cleveland still had five players in double figures among the main rotation and meaningful bench production behind them. Nae’Qwan Tomlin had 10 points and nine rebounds. Larry Nance Jr. brought 10 more points.

There was no drop-off in spirit. No excuse-making. Just production.

That matters in April.

The Cavaliers improved to 50-29, reached the 50-win mark for the second straight season, and strengthened their postseason position with a third straight win. More importantly, they looked like a team that understands how to win different kinds of games. A defensive grind. A star-driven finish. Or, in this case, a track meet against a team hitting everything in sight.

What this win means for the Cavaliers

The box score will remember this as the night Memphis tied the NBA record with 29 made threes.

The Cavaliers will remember it differently.

They’ll remember falling behind by 17 and not blinking. They’ll remember turning a sloppy opening into a showcase of offensive discipline. They’ll remember Mobley’s efficiency, Schroder’s command, and a group effort that never let the game become chaos for too long.

Good teams win when the script is familiar. Better teams win when the game gets weird.

On a night when the Grizzlies caught absolute fire from deep, the Cavaliers stayed grounded, stayed sharp, and kept coming. By the end, the record books had room for both facts: Memphis tied history from three, and Cleveland still left town with a 16-point win.

That’s the part the Cavaliers will gladly take.