National Basketball Association
Cleveland 94, Memphis 90
When: 8:00 PM ET, Thursday, January 7, 2021
Where: FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Officials: #25 Tony Brothers, #27 Mitchell Ervin, #53 John Butler
Attendance: N/A

Andre Drummond posted game-highs of 22 points and 15 rebounds, Larry Nance Jr. added 18 points on 7-of-7 shooting and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the host Memphis Grizzlies 94-90 on Thursday.

Both Cleveland and Memphis came into Thursday's matchup with injury-depleted rosters.

Among the Grizzlies' key absences were reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Ja Morant as well as Jaren Jackson Jr. The Cavaliers were without leading scorers Darius Garland and Collin Sexton, the latter of whom was scratched from the lineup just before tipoff due to an ankle sprain.

Their shared absences made for an even, back-and-forth matchup from the tip. The lead never expanded beyond single digits either way: Memphis' largest was eight points, Cleveland's five.

Despite failing to reach 100 points for a sixth consecutive game, Cleveland shook off an especially slow offensive start of 19 first-quarter points. The Cavaliers shot 43.3 percent from behind the 3-point line, 13 of 30, including a key one by Cedi Osman with 2:27 remaining.

Osman's basket capped a 16-point game for the guard, and gave Cleveland a lead it never relinquished. Osman made 4-of-11 from deep, and Nance shot a perfect 4-of-4 beyond the arc to pace the Cavaliers.

Isaac Okoro, who on Wednesday made his return from a five-game absence due to COVID-19 protocol, scored the last of his eight points on a victory-sealing dunk with 10 seconds left. The slam followed Okoro's block of Tyus Jones, initially called a foul but overturned upon review of a coach's challenge.

The win came on the second half of a back-to-back for Cleveland, part of a season-long, six-game road swing. The Cavaliers can finish the trip 3-3 with a win Saturday in Milwaukee.

Jonas Valanciunas' 17 points and 10 rebounds led Memphis, which dropped its third straight. Brandon Clarke added 14 points and nine rebounds, Dillon Brooks tallied 11 points and Kyle Anderson scored 10.

Just before tipoff, both teams and the officials walked off the court and knelt at the sidelines in response to Wednesday's riots on Capitol Hill.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Cleveland   Memphis
Andre Drummond 22 Scoring Jonas Valanciunas 17
Cedi Osman 7 Assists Tyus Jones 6
Andre Drummond 15 Rebounds Jonas Valanciunas 10
Andre Drummond 4 Free Throws Made Jonas Valanciunas 4
Damyean Dotson 3 Steals Grayson Allen 3
Isaac Okoro 2 Blocks Kyle Anderson 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Cleveland 94 45.6 13-30 9-16 24 37 3 11 16
Memphis 90 43.4 11-31 7-8 27 48 6 13 18
Upcoming Games
  • Memphis will play their next game at home against Brooklyn. The Grizzlies have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .333 after a loss.
  • Cleveland will play their next game on the road against Milwaukee. The Cavaliers have a W/L % of .500 after a win and .600 after a loss.