2006 Memphis Grizzlies: A Playoff Loss & The End of An Era

Memphis made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history in 2004. In ’04, and then again in 2005, the Grizzlies lost in the first round of what was then a ruthlessly deep and competitive Western Conference. The 2006 Memphis Grizzlies were hoping to take the next step, and they improved on their regular season record. But a quirk in how the playoffs were bracketed condemned them to another early exit and a brief end to this era of emergence.

Pau Gasol was the centerpiece of the team, and the great power forward averaged 20 points/9 rebounds/5 assists per game. Gasol was surrounded by mostly supporting players—from Shane Battier to Eddie Jones to Damon Stoudamire. While they were limited offensively, this group could defend—Memphis ranked first in the NBA for defensive efficiency.

The Grizzlies got off to a strong start and were 19-10 by the end of the calendar year. That record included a win over Phoenix, who would eventually be the 2-seed in the West, and Dallas, who ultimately reached the Finals.

Memphis slowed a bit over January and February. A sequence of back-to-back games with defending champion San Antonio resulted in two quick losses and led to a four-game losing streak. In February, the Grizzlies lost five straight, mostly to playoff teams. A 100-99 win over the playoff-bound Los Angeles Lakers ended the dry spell and started a four-game winning streak. Memphis had a 31-26 record as the calendar flipped to March.

The Grizzlies heated up as springtime arrived and won seven in a row. Their record reached 41-29. After briefly stepping back with a three-game losing streak, Memphis ripped off eight consecutive wins. Their final record was 49-33, fourth-best in the West.

You might think that set them up to get homecourt advantage for the first round of the playoffs. You would be wrong. Memphis still trailed Dallas and San Antonio in the Southwest Division—both of whom had won 60 games or more–and that mattered more in the world of 2006 than it does today. The three division winners in each conference were guaranteed the top three seeding positions.

Thus, Dallas—the runner-up in the Southwest—had to be the 4-seed. That pushed Memphis to the 5-line. The Grizzlies had gotten the worst of both worlds—losing homecourt advantage, and also drawing a legitimate championship contender right out of the chute.

The Grizzlies were overmatched by Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks. Memphis was outrebounded 40-29 in the first game and lost by ten. They committed twenty turnovers in the second game and lost by 15. Playing on their home floor in Game 3, Memphis brought the defensive effort. But their offensive shortcomings were being exposed, they again got outrebounded and dropped a 94-89 overtime decision.

It was all but over, and a 102-76 blowout loss in Game 4 ended the season. Gasol had come close to his season numbers for the series—20 points/7 rebounds over the four games—but he only shot 43 percent, and no one else produced.

This disappointment ended the good times in Memphis for a little while. The team collapsed to 60 losses in 2007. A year later, Gasol was traded to the Lakers, where he won two championships. Memphis didn’t return to postseason play until 2011, the year they finally won their first playoff series.