Memphis Grizzlies: 4 takeaways from their last 4 games

2. They are still dying in the second half

Game in question: Jan. 18 vs. Boston Celtics

As noted before, the Grizzlies have had a tough time closing out games and finishing strong in the second half.

They have the worst offensive rating in the league in the second half, putting up just a 103.1 rating. Their defense is not any better, finishing 16th in the league with a 109.3 rating. This makes for an ugly -6.2 net rating, 26th in the league.

Since the start of January, it’s gotten to “cover your eyes and hide your children” level of scary.

That offensive rating? It’s slipped to 99.6, last in the league. Their defensive rating? Fourth-to-last in the league, with an ugly 117.1 rating. Their net rating of -17.6 is second-worst in the league.

This was all too apparent in their game against the Boston Celtics. By all accounts, the Grizzlies played a very good game. Mike Conley and Jaren Jackson Jr. both had big games, the team hit a season-high 16 3-pointers,  shot 90 percent from the line and had 33 assists to only nine turnovers.

At the half, the team was leading 62-58 — nothing incredible, but a solid first half against a good Celtics team on the road.

Then, the second half started.

Memphis got outscored 38-29 in the third quarter after Kyrie Irving caught on fire. Jackson and Gasol combined to go 0-for-7 in the quarter. The score swung by nine points and the Celtics were up five.

Then, the 4th quarter started.

The Grizzlies shot 40 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from deep, and only got to the free throw line twice. Marc Gasol inexplicably played the entire fourth quarter and missed every shot he took.

The defense fell apart as well, as the Celtics shot 56.3 percent from the field and were seemingly scoring at will. Perhaps the biggest play of the game was when Kyrie Irving hit a dagger 3-pointer after Jackson ran away from him on the play.

Defensive and offensive breakdowns in the second half are becoming all too common for the Grizzlies this year.