Whenever the Grizzlies and Cavaliers clash, there’s always a little extra spice—and Sunday’s showdown at Rocket Arena delivered plenty of drama. Things got chippy in the third quarter when Desmond Bane and Donovan Mitchell went at it over a loose ball. With Cleveland up 74-71 and 7:28 left in the quarter, neither player was willing to let go. They wrestled on the floor, yanking at the ball while teammates and staff tried to break it up. Maybe the NBA TV ratings will go up, eh?

But before anyone could calm things down, Ja Morant jumped in, shoving Mitchell from behind as he stood over Bane. That set off even more chaos, with Cavs big man Tristan Thompson stepping in to go at Morant. All hell broke loose!

Officials weren’t about to let it slide—Mitchell, Bane, Morant, and Thompson all got slapped with technical fouls. That means a $2000 fine for everyone. The NBA fines $2000 for every technical foul up to 5 instances. After that, it increases. With the referees looking to maintain the decorum on the basketball court, many players fell prey to the strict officiating. Take Anthony Edwards, for example – he’s got 13. Thus, the Cavs and the Grizzlies players went all in.

It’s just another day in the growing rivalry between these two teams. Because ever since Mitchell sent home the Grizzlies in the 2021 playoffs when he was with the Jazz, things have been bitter. The last time Spida was involved in a fight like this? Also against the Grizzlies.

In Cleveland on Feb. 2, 2023, chaos broke out after Dillon Brooks, formerly with Memphis, took a low blow at the 5x All-Star. Both players hit the shower during the game. The Cavs did have the last laugh as they beat the Grizzlies 129-123.

Donovan Mitchell torches the Grizzlies, racks up 33 points

Donovan Mitchell wasted no time getting to work, putting up 12 points in the first quarter. With Darius Garland out, he wasn’t waiting for looks—he was hunting them. Cleveland held a narrow four-point lead after one. De’Andre Hunter gave the Cavs some extra juice in the second, knocking down three of his four shots for eight points. Even with that boost, Memphis kept it close, cutting into the lead in the third behind Jaylen Wells’ nine-point burst.

Then came the Ty Jerome takeover.

Jerome caught fire in the fourth, pouring in 15 points while throwing up shots that make you question reality. He plays with a mix of chaos and control—one second, he’s launching a deep three, the next, he’s tossing a cross-court dime that shouldn’t work. And yet, it does.

Meanwhile, Evan Mobley quietly took over in his own way. He didn’t just anchor the defense; he ran the offense, dishing out eight assists while locking down Jaren Jackson Jr. His stat line? 25 points, 13 rebounds, and three blocks. Mitchell led all scorers with 33 points and six assists. Jerome finished with 26 on 9-for-16 shooting.

On the other side, Jackson had 22 for Memphis, while Bane couldn’t buy a bucket, shooting 2-for-13 for seven points. Cleveland’s seventh straight win pushed their record to 47-10, giving them a six-game cushion over Boston. Next stop: Orlando on Tuesday.