David Fizdale: Mario Chalmers' 'Brain Was Gone' in 'Ridiculous' Play vs. Magic

Memphis Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale thought point guard Mario Chalmers had an Invasion of the Body Snatchers-type moment near the end of Wednesday's defeat to the Orlando Magic. 

Fizdale was critical of a play by Chalmers in which he attempted to draw a foul on Magic center Nikola Vucevic instead of trying to score on a breakaway. The Commercial Appeal's Ronald Tillery shared Fizdale's thoughts:

"Well, Mario made a ridiculous play. I don't really need to go too deep into that. He heard it from me, and he understands that. In the heat of the moment, he couldn't own it. And that's exactly what I meant. Twenty-five thousand people were in here and saw that was the most ridiculous play of the whole game, but because his brain was gone [in that moment], he couldn't own that it was a bonehead play."

Had Chalmers made the layup, he would've put the Grizzlies ahead 101-100 with a little over 30 seconds left in the game. He also missed a three-pointer with 17 seconds remaining. Memphis lost 101-99.

After the game, Chalmers apologized on Twitter:

Chalmers also said in the locker room that Fizdale was "100 percent right."

"I take ownership for the last plays—the turnover, the missed three… that's on me," he said, per Tillery. "I have to take control, run the team like Mike runs the team and I didn't do that."

Fizdale has coached Chalmers for almost the entirety of Chalmers' NBA career. Fizdale began as an assistant for the Miami Heat in 2008-09, which was Chalmers' rookie year. Because of their relationship, Fizdale likely knows what buttons to push and when to criticize Chalmers in a public setting.

Fizdale's frustration with the nine-year veteran may extend beyond Wednesday night. Through his first eight games, Chalmers is shooting 29.0 percent from the field and 26.9 percent from three-point range. According to NBA.com, the Grizzlies do, however, have an 89.9 defensive rating with Chalmers on the floor, which is second-best on the team.

With his comments after the defeat to the Magic, Fizdale may hope to light a fire under Chalmers on the offensive end.