Game: Memphis Grizzlies @ Golden State Warriors
Time: 10:00 p.m.
Odds: Grizzlies +3, Warriors -3
Total: 245.5
It is one of the NBA’s best-emerging rivalries. Tonight, the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies will square off once more in San Francisco. The Nos. 2 and 3 seeds in last year’s Western Conference playoffs will face off for the second time this year. On Christmas Day, Golden State defeated the Grizzlies 123-109 thanks to a 40-point third-quarter outburst.
That was the first time the two teams had played since a contentious Western Conference semifinal series in May of last year. The Warriors’ Gary Payton II injured his elbow after being fouled hard by the Grizzlies’ Dillon Brooks, who earned a one-game suspension as a result. Golden State, of course, prevailed in the series 4-2 to win their fourth NBA championship in the previous eight years.
Memphis has lost three straight games, but it still seems to be in a good position to contend for the Western Conference and even the NBA this season. The three-game losing streak comes on the heels of an 11-game winning streak. Memphis is second in the Western Conference standings with a 31-16 record. They are 2.5 games behind first-place Denver. The Grizzlies have climbed into that position thanks to a 20-3 home record.
The Grizzlies’ first two losses of their current losing streak were tough ones. The Grizzlies fell short of the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday by one point and the Phoenix Suns on Sunday by two points. On Monday night in Sacramento, Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins decided to rest Ja Morant and Steven Adams. It was the second game of a back-to-back and the Grizzlies’ third game in four nights. The result was a 133-100 pounding by the Kings. Memphis ends its five-game road trip on Friday in Minnesota.
Golden State played without Stephen Curry in the Christmas Day win over Memphis. Jordan Poole’s 32 points helped the Warriors beat the Grizzlies, who got 36 points from Morant. Klay Thompson added 24 for the Warriors who got double-digit performances from four other players and Draymond Green did his usual with 13 rebounds and 13 assists.
The Warriors, like the Grizzlies, have performed far better at home than on the road this year. That wasn’t the case on Sunday when Golden State lost to the Brooklyn Nets 120-116 to begin a three-game homestand. In the loss, Curry scored 26 points, but Thompson and Andrew Wiggins combined for just 14 points on 6-of-26 shooting overall and 0-of-10 from three-point range. Head coach Steve Kerr has been starting Poole who has averaged 26.3 points in his last four games.
Golden State is just 3-6 SU in its last nine games. They are, however, 5-0 SU in their last five games against Memphis at home. The Warriors are 4-2 ATS in their last six games.
Memphis is 1-4 ATS in its last five games and just 1-4 SU in its last five against the Warriors. However, the Grizzlies are 8-4 ATS in the last 12 games against Golden State.
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