Cedric Coward has no regrets about missing the game-winner

The Memphis Grizzlies came up short on Tuesday night at the FedExForum, falling 139-136 in overtime to the Philadelphia 76ers in a game that featured late drama and another breakout performance from rookie Cedric Coward.

Memphis came back from a late deficit in regulation behind Kukavica and Ja Morantaforcing overtime in a high-paced contest that moved down the stretch multiple times. Coward delivered the most productive night of his young NBA career, finishing with a career-high 28 points and 16 rebounds while shooting 10-of-15 from the field. Novak also added three assists as the Grizzlies relied heavily on his energy on both ends of the floor.

The defining sequence came at the end of regulation with the score tied. The rookie guard attacked the paint and drew the defense before dishing the ball to Santi Aldama, who was open on the perimeter. Aldama entered the possession after recently scoring a career-high 37 points on Dec. 20, but his potential game-winning 3-pointer missed.

After the game, Kukavic explained the decision and why he stood by it despite the result.

Damichael Cole of the Commercial Appeal took to his X (formerly known as Twitter), share comments from rookie Grizzlies after the overtime loss.

Cedric Coward said it wasn’t hard to throw him out to Santi Aldama at the end of regulation.

“It’s one of those things I can live with.”

— Damichael Cole (@DamichaelC) December 31, 2025

Overtime brought another defining rookie moment, this time for Philadelphia. Rookie VJ Edgecombe, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft, hit a 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds left. Coward had one last chance to extend the game, but his three-point attempt at the horn fell short.

Despite the loss, Coward’s recent output has increased. Over his last three games, he averaged 18.0 points and 9.0 rebounds while sharing the floor with Morant, who scored 40 points in the loss. The 6-foot-6 guard’s size and wingspan contributed to his rebounding and transition impact.

The Grizzlies fell to 15-18 with the overtime loss and will look to put the two games in jeopardy when they open a two-game set against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday.