The Grizzlies need to make an offering to the basketball gods; they need their fortunes to change.
Memphis has lost three games in a row. The first to the Knicks by a point on an OG Anunoby 3-pointer with five seconds left. They lost to the Spurs on a De’Aaron Fox jumper with two seconds left. However, Monday night’s loss to the Hawks was the most painful — Desmond Bane was stripped of the ball by Dyson Daniels (who will make an All-Defensive team this season), who scoops it up and makes the look-ahead outlet to Caris LeVert, who finished the layup despite two players contesting it. Hawks win.
LeVert was on fire, scoring the Hawks’ final seven points.
Atlanta was led on the night by rookie Zaccharie Risacher, who scored 27, but the veterans took over late. Bane led the Grizzlies with 25.
Sitting as the No. 9 seed in the East, the Hawks need the wins to make their postseason path easier. Atlanta now sits just half-a-game back of Orlando for the No. 8 seed and 1.5 behind Miami at No. 7. Finish seventh or eighth and a team just needs to win one of two play-in games to advance to the playoffs; finish ninth or 10th and teams have to win two games in a row to advance (and can only do so as the No. 8 seed).
