The Memphis Grizzlies spent most of Friday night in control. When it mattered most, that control disappeared again. In a 133-127 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans at FedExForum, Memphis blew a double-digit lead for the 12th time this season, the most in the NBA. What started as a poised, physical performance unraveled into another late-game collapse that has become far too familiar.
The Grizzlies led by as many as 13 in the third quarter, leaning on interior efficiency, steady ball movement, and a frontcourt that consistently imposed itself. Jaren Jackson Jr. anchored the effort with 26 points and 12 rebounds, while Jock Landale continued his strong stretch with 24 points and 11 rebounds, including a dominant first half that kept Memphis comfortably in front.
Ja Morant was ruled out with a left elbow UCL sprain, adding to a growing list of absences as the Grizzlies once again played without several key contributors.
For three quarters, Memphis dictated the terms. The ball moved. The pace stayed under control. Defensive rotations were connected enough to keep New Orleans from finding rhythm, and the Grizzlies looked settled on both ends of the floor.
Then the fourth quarter hit.
New Orleans exploded for 40 points in the final frame, flipping the game behind hot shooting and relentless pressure. Saddiq Bey caught fire, pouring in 19 of his season-high 36 points in the fourth quarter, repeatedly punishing late rotations and drawing fouls as Memphis scrambled to recover. Trey Murphy III added timely shot-making of his own, and suddenly the Grizzlies were chasing a game they had spent most of the night dictating.
“Teams turn it up, and we got to be ready for that when they do, especially late in the fourth quarter,” Jackson Jr. said. “Shoot, the whole game, but especially late in the fourth quarter.”
Turnovers again tilted the floor. Memphis committed 19 giveaways, many of them live-ball mistakes that fueled New Orleans runs and drained the building of its early energy. The Pelicans, meanwhile, protected possessions in the second half, committing just two turnovers as they steadily erased the deficit.
Head coach Tuomas Iisalo pointed to breakdowns that compounded quickly.
“Forty points,” he said of the fourth quarter. “Several communication mistakes in transition, unmarked guys, offensive rebounds, getting to the strong hand. That’s a lot of mistakes.”
Offensively, Memphis generated looks but could not convert enough of them once momentum swung. Cam Spencer finished with 21 points and 11 assists, and all five Grizzlies starters scored in double figures, but the production never arrived in time to stop the bleeding.
Landale described the frustration of watching another winnable game slip away. “We’ve let some big leads go,” he said. “For whatever reason, we just cannot seem to put together a full 48. It feels like we put together 30, 35, and then there’s just a stretch there that’s just brutal.”
Even Jackson Jr.’s two-way night felt incomplete in the aftermath. “It wasn’t enough,” he said.
The loss dropped Memphis to 18-25 and underscored a season-long issue that continues to overshadow individual performances. Twelve of the Grizzlies’ last 17 games have been decided in clutch moments, and too often those moments have exposed the same problems: turnovers, defensive lapses, and an inability to close.
“We all only have one choice,” Jackson Jr. said. “Clear your head and come with a fresh mindset. Be ready to go to war.”
The chances will keep coming. Memphis has shown it can control games. Whether it can finally finish one remains the unanswered question.
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