Memphis Grizzlies and Teams That Won't Rebound from Tough Losses

Some playoff losses are merely reminders of how many more games are left in the series. No one seriously believes the Boston Celtics will roll over after dropping Game 1 to the Atlanta Hawks—nor is anyone writing off the Indiana Pacers after their initial disappointment at the hands of the Orlando Magic.

Other losses can be far more damaging to a team's psyche.

They can be damaging for any number of reasons. Whether edged out in a tight contest or embarrassed in a blowout, clubs on the losing end may be permanently wounded—or anyway, wounded long enough for an entire series to be affected.

Still other teams—like the Memphis Grizzlies—may struggle with getting over a defeat in which they led by 27 points in the third quarters. Dropping those kind of games never feels good, much less in the playoffs.

The Grizzlies lost more than a game. The Los Angeles Clippers stole home-court advantage along with all the momentum. That could be dangerous for a team that entered the postseason with sky-high confidence.

Memphis isn't alone—here are some other teams that could struggle to get back in their series. 

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks were oh so close to upsetting the Thunder in Oklahoma City on Saturday. It wasn't until Kevin Durant's one-handed jumper bounced through the rim with 1.5 seconds remaining that Dallas ran out of hope.

It won't get any easier to steal a game away from American Airlines Arena, and Dallas might have just watched its season slip away on the most improbable of clutch shots.

Utah Jazz

The Jazz can't be terribly surprised with the outcome of its Game 1 against the San Antonio Spurs, but the 15-point loss was never close enough to leave the team with much optimism. Unless Utah can turn things around and shock the Spurs in Game 2, this series could end very quickly.

Denver Nuggets

It's not just that the Nuggets were manhandled by 15 points in Game 1 against the Los Angeles Lakers—it's that almost nothing went according to plan. Leading scorer Ty Lawson was ineffective, and Denver's typically high-powered offense was slowed to a crawl.

Denver might be able to pull some surprises when the Lakers are forced to leave the Staples Center for a couple of games, but it won't matter where the Nuggets are playing if they continue to play like they did on Sunday.

New York Knicks

It's hard to decide which is worse: Losing by 33 points to the Miami Heat or losing rookie guard Iman Shumpert to a torn ACL in the process.

It's a lot easier to determine the Knicks' chances of turning this series around. After committing 24 turnovers and looking woefully incompetent on the offensive end of the floor, those chances aren't looking so hot.

New York's highly scrutinized psyche is thoroughly bruised at the moment, and it would take an attitudinal sea change for the team to extricate itself from this instant rut.