The Grizzlies showed these tanking teams what tanking really looks like

MEMPHIS, TN - MARCH 2: Dillon Brooks
MEMPHIS, TN - MARCH 2: Dillon Brooks /
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We all know which teams are tanking by this point in the season, but there’s tanking and then there’s what the Grizzlies did on Thursday.

The Memphis Grizzlies had lost 22 of their last 23 games heading into Thursday’s matchup against the Charlotte Hornets. They left Charlotte with losses in 23 of their last 24 games. It’s not just that they lost, which was somewhat to be expected. It was the manner in which they lost.

The Memphis Grizzlies lost to the Charlotte Hornets 140-79. Yes, you read that right the Grizzlies lost by 61 points. It’s the worst loss a team has suffered in the NBA in the last 20 years. Teams get blown out, and that’s fine because it happens. Sometimes tonight just isn’t your night, but my goodness.

The Hornets were without big man Dwight Howard who was serving a one-game suspension for picking up his 16th technical foul against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday. The Grizzlies were without their big man Marc Gasol.

You would think even with both teams missing one of their best players it’d be more competitive than that. Nope, it turned out to be the Kemba Walker show all night. Walker actually outscored the Grizzlies in a quarter by himself 17-14. He finished the game with 46 points including 10 3s, and he did it in less than 30 minutes.

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We know the Grizzlies are bad, and they’re playing a lot of young guys, but I hope they know they don’t get extra ping pong balls for losing by 61 points. You have to think to yourself, when’s the last time you beat someone in NBA 2k by that many?

They never led in this game, and had two quarters where they scored fewer than 16 points. The Bulls were warned by the NBA to not intentionally tank because they were resting healthy players. The Grizzlies might get a warning for just plain not showing up on game night.