As one of only two NBA teams that have never won a division title, the Memphis Grizzlies are in prime position to cut that number in half this season.
Since joining the NBA as the Vancouver Grizzlies in 1995-96, Memphis have finished second five times but have never captured a division crown. The Charlotte Hornets are the only other franchise never to win a division title, though they did finish in a three-way tie for first place in the Southeast in 2015-16 but lost the title to the Miami Heat on a tie-breaker.
Roughly two months into this season and Memphis sit atop a weak Southwest Division with the franchise's first division title a distinct possibility.
No division has a worse composite record than the Southwest with Memphis (17-11), the Dallas Mavericks (14-13), San Antonio Spurs (10-16), Houston Rockets (9-18) and New Orleans Pelicans (8-21) combining for a 58-79 record (42.3). Weaker division opponents certainly will not hurt the Grizzlies' cause, but they appear more than capable of beating just about any team, evidenced by their 13-6 record against the Western Conference.
While Ja Morant has established himself as one of the game's young superstars in his third season, what is most impressive about the Grizzlies is how they have performed without him.
Morant has not played since November 26 due to a sprained left knee and he then entered the NBA's health and safety protocols after testing positive for COVID-19 on December 8.
Somehow, Memphis have been even better with their leading scorer on the shelf, going an inspired 8-1. Prior to this stretch, Memphis were 6-9 in Morant's career when he missed a game.
It has been a dominant run for the Grizzlies, who have outscored opponents by 176 points in those nine games. Since November 28 in their first game without Morant, the Grizzlies rank fifth in the NBA in points per game (113.7), ninth in three-pointers made (112) and lead the league in total rebounds (449) and total steals (108).
Clearly, Memphis are much more than just Morant.
During a five-game winning streak – all without Morant – the Grizzlies led every game from wire-to-wire before the run ended with a 104-96 loss to visiting Dallas on December 8. Included in that five-game surge was a stunning 152-79 thrashing of the Oklahoma City Thunder for the largest margin of victory in league history.
Memphis only rank 20th this season in opponent points per game (109.2) but something has clicked with the defence allowing a league-best 94.1 points during this 8-1 stretch. In the first 19 games this season, Memphis held foes to 101 points or fewer just twice but have done that seven times in the past nine contests.
Memphis are 13-1 (92.9) this season when holding opponents under 110 points. Only the Phoenix Suns (18-0), Charlotte (7-0) and Brooklyn Nets (15-1) have a better winning percentage in such games.
Maybe it was Morant's absence that forced the rest of the team to turn up the defensive pressure, but whatever the reason Taylor Jenkins' team now know they can win either with offense as they rank sixth in the league in scoring (111.0) as well as at the opposite end of the court.
Perhaps no victory was more indicative of what the Grizzlies can do than last Thursday's 108-95 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite missing Morant and starting guard Dillon Brooks (health and safety protocols), Memphis set a franchise record with nine steals in the second quarter en route to a season-high 18 and became just the second team in the past 13 games to hold star-laden Los Angeles under 100 points.
Several players have stepped up to fill the void left by Morant and none bigger than second-year guard Desmond Bane. A serious contender for the Most Improved Player award, Bane has taken a huge step forward in his sophomore season to become much more than a shooter with his usage rate going from 16.1 to 22.3 per cent.
In the nine games without Morant, Bane has averaged 17.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and shot 44.8 per cent from three-point range (26 for 58). He averaged 15.5 points and 3.8 rebounds while connecting on 37.4 per cent (46 for 123) from deep in the season's first 19 games. His points per game average has risen from 9.2 in 2020-21 to 16.0 this season – his plus-6.8 improvement only bettered by Reggie Jackson (+6.9), Miles Bridges (+7.1) and Tyrese Maxey (+8.7) among players to have played in 70 per cent of team games in both campaigns.
When a team's leading scorer misses time, the second-leading scorer is asked to pick up most of the slack and Jaren Jackson Jr. has answered that call.
During the 8-1 stretch, Jackson is scoring 21.1 per game on 50.4 per cent shooting, including 38.5 per cent (20 for 52) from beyond the arc. In 19 games played with Morant this term, Jackson averaged 14.8 points on 39.7 per cent from the field and 33.7 per cent from long range.
Jackson has scored 25 points or more in four of his last seven games after having only one such game through his first 20 this season.
With 25 points and five blocks in a win over the Toronto Raptors late last month, Jackson became just the third Grizzlies player to reach both those totals in a game since the team moved to Memphis. Pau Gasol (six games) and Marc Gasol (four games) are the only others.
Memphis' defensive improvement is clearly a team-wide concept, but Dillon Brooks may be the player most responsible. Brooks did not make his season debut until November 10 due to a broken left hand and the team clearly missed his intensity and leadership.
In 14 games this season with Brooks in the line-up, Memphis have surrendered 103.6 points per game and held opponents to 44.0 per cent shooting. In the 14 games he has missed, the Grizzlies have given up 114.9 points with opponents making 48.3 per cent of their shots.
Taking over at the point in Morant's place has been Tyus Jones, who had the best assist-to-turnover ratio in the league each of the last three seasons and is on his way to doing it again with 119 assists to 21 turnovers (5.67).
The biggest improvement in Jones' game has been his three-point shooting, making 40 percent of his first 65 attempts after he hit on just 32.1 per cent last season.
One area where Memphis have excelled all season is on the boards.
The Grizzlies rank third in the NBA in total rebounds (1,323) and tied for second in offensive rebounding (358). Steven Adams leads the way with 8.6 per game but gets plenty of help as Memphis are tied for second in the league with seven players averaging at least four boards per contest.
Those rebounds play a role in helping Memphis top the NBA in both second-chance points (479) and points in the paint (1,504).
With Phoenix and the Golden State Warriors looking like world beaters right now and the Utah Jazz not far behind, Memphis have been able to fly under the radar in the Western Conference.
While there is no telling how Morant's return will affect the Grizzlies, the team have done all the little things in his absence and that can only help them in their quest to finally hang a division championship banner at FedEx Forum.
Villarreal 4-4 Real Madrid: LaLiga's top scorer Sorloth scores four in thrilling comeback
Villarreal forward Alexander Sorloth struck four times in 17 minutes to help his side fight back and snatch a 4-4 home draw against LaLiga champions Real Madrid on Sunday.
Madrid opened the scoring in the 14th minute when Turkey youngster Arda Guler slotted home a low strike off a Brahim Diaz pass before Joselu doubled the lead with a close-range header on the half-hour mark.
Sorloth pulled one back for Villarreal with a towering header in the 39th minute, but Lucas Vazquez restored Madrid's two-goal advantage a minute later, before Guler made it 4-1 in the final seconds of the first half.
But the hosts rallied after the break, with Sorloth scoring three goals in eight minutes, between the 48th and 56th minutes, as he reached 23 league goals this season to take LaLiga's Golden Boot award.
A second-half collapse will frustrate Carlo Ancelotti in the final league game of the season, with a Champions League final to come against Borussia Dortmund on June 1, but Madrid still achieved another record here.
Los Blancos surpassed the best unbeaten run in their entire LaLiga history after making it 31 games undefeated, eclipsing the previous record set between May 1988 and April 1989 with Leo Beenhakker as coach.
Data Debrief: Shot-heavy Sorloth delivers
Sorloth attempted nine shots in this game, the joint-highest total for a player in LaLiga this season, but those efforts paid dividends for his eye-catching four-goal haul.
He had played five games against Madrid and failed to score in all of them before this, against no other opponent has he played more games without scoring in the competition, but delivered emphatically here.
Edwards salutes 'special club' Luton after relegation confirmed
Rob Edwards paid tribute to "special club" Luton Town after the Hatters' relegation from the Premier League was confirmed on the final day.
Luton's brief but eventful stint in the top flight came to an end following a 4-2 defeat by Fulham at Kenilworth Road, with Edwards' side finishing 18th and six points adrift of 17th-place Nottingham Forest.
Last-day survival was always going to be a big ask for the Hatters, who needed a victory and an ambitious 12-goal swing to stand any chance of usurping Forest.
Luton have gained many new admirers with their tally of 52 goals the second-most by a side during a 20-team Premier League season in which they were relegated - after Blackpool's 55 in 2010-11.
However, a leaky defence proved to be their undoing as they conceded 85 times - their highest tally in a top-flight campaign.
Nevertheless, Edwards saluted the club's supporters, and believes his side have a solid foundation to build on next season in their quest for an immediate return from the Championship.
"We're a special club, we've got unique support. We've had that all season long," he told Match of the Day. "Everyone that's travelled has shown their best. We've given our best this year, and ultimately we've just come up short.
"If one game could almost tell a season's story, that would be today - full of endeavour, some really good quality at times as well, but a little bit too fragile.
"We've scored a lot of goals this year. We've been good to watch, we've been involved in loads of great games, but we've conceded too many. That balance is something that we've got to try to address, and we know where we need to keep improving.
"We have changed and evolved so much. There is a lot of good stuff we can take to attack the Championship next season. We work hard, we give absolutely everything. We just have to be us, go and be Luton."
'Closer to leaving than staying' – Guardiola unsure on Man City future after title glory
Pep Guardiola says there is a greater chance of him leaving Manchester City than staying, despite the Spaniard wanting to continue in charge after Sunday's Premier League title triumph.
City manager Guardiola offered a cryptic description over his future after his side lifted their fourth successive top-flight trophy following the 3-1 victory over West Ham at Etihad Stadium.
That success marked Guardiola's sixth Premier League title, with only Alex Ferguson (13) managing more in the competition's history, though speculation persists over his future.
When pressed on his plans by Sky Sports after the title celebrations, Guardiola said: "The reality is I am closer to leaving than staying.
"We have talked with the club – my feeling is that I want to stay now. I will stay next season and during the season we will talk, but eight or nine years – we will see."
City ended the season after going 35 matches unbeaten in all competitions (W29 D6), the longest run ever by a Premier League team, as they broke further records with this triumph.
Guardiola's side are the first team in English top-flight history to win the title in four consecutive seasons, having won the league in 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24.
Yet the former Barcelona boss says credit must be shared for City's title-winning heroics.
"A lot of work, I'm not saying I'm a bad manager but I have incredible support from the club," he added.
"We have this work ethic, everyone does their job and every department is so important. This is the truth and the reality."
City once again pipped Arsenal, whose final-day victory over Everton proved meaningless, to the title – just as they did last season in a battle with Mikel Arteta's side.
Guardiola warned Arsenal are a side on an upward trajectory, though, as Arteta continues to excite with his youthful Gunners.
"For Arsenal to push us to another level – before it was Liverpool – and the last two seasons it's been Arsenal," Guardiola continued.
"This one has been incredible. We get the message, we know they will be there for many years.
"They have a young manager with big talent – they sent us a message that you have to be careful for the next few years.
"When I moved here if someone had said I would win six leagues in seven seasons I would say you're insane – no way.
"All these players for Manchester United and Liverpool and Chelsea, all these teams. Now is our period, we are part of that."
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