Memphis Grizzlies Look to Take 3-1 Lead Over Golden State
The Memphis Grizzlies have their final regular season matchup with the Golden State Warriors tonight. Up 2-1, could they take the dreaded 3-1 lead?
The Memphis Grizzlies go into tonight’s game inconsistent per usual. This month, they’ve experienced a five-game losing streak, four-game winning streak and have now lost their last two games.
After their loss in San Antonio, the Grizzlies travel to Golden State to take on the Warriors. So far, this season, Memphis has the 2-1 series advantage. After getting clobbered on their home-court in their last meeting, a win in Oakland would give the Grizz a 3-1 series victory.
With Kevin Durant out, now is a great time to step up their game. Without Durant, the “Death Lineup” isn’t nearly as effective against Memphis – a team with two elite big men.
About the Warriors (58-14)
Once they lost Kevin Durant, the Warriors began to look vulnerable. Their offense wasn’t nearly as good. Their defense was subpar. In addition, they were exposed for their lack of depth – something that was sacrificed when signing Kevin Durant.
Now, the Warriors look like … well … the Warriors.
They’ve won their past six games, winning each contest by an average of 14.5 points. More importantly, the Splash Brothers are heating up – a scary sight for the entire league. During this winning streak, Steph Curry is averaging 24.8 points and has hit 28 3’s. His backcourt Robin, Klay Thompson, 23.8 points and has drained five or more triples in four of the past six games.
If the Splash Brothers get hot, you might as well call it a night.
About the Grizzlies (40-32)
March has been wildly inconsistent and subpar. Aside from Mike Conley and the never-aging Vince Carter, everyone seems flat.
Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph have experienced their worst month of the season. After averaging 20 points or more the past three months, Gasol is only scoring 15.7 points a game this month. In addition, he’s experiencing season-low shooting numbers (41.5/28.9/70.3).
More from Grizzlies News
- Dillon Brooks speaks out after beating former Grizzlies teammate in World Cup
- Jaren Jackson Jr. puts ex-Grizzlies teammate on notice
- 3 players Grizzlies would consider trading Ja Morant for
- Grizzlies star Jaren Jackson Jr. put on blast following FIBA elimination
- Ex-Grizzlies guard signs with title favorite, joins forces with 6-time All-Star
His frontcourt compadre, Zach Randolph, may have lost some steam in the Sixth Man of the Year race after this month’s performance. He’s only scoring 11.7 points and hauling in 7.4 rebounds a game this month. In addition, he’s been oddly inefficient from the field, shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from the free throw line.
With Mike Conley heating up (21.8 points and 6.4 assists this month), the Memphis Grizzlies need contributions from the rest of the team if they’re expecting a strong postseason outing.
Keys to the Game
- Minimize Draymond’s impact on defense. In their last matchup, Draymond Green pulled out a triple-double, something that’s not uncommon for him. However, he accomplished this with only four points. Green had a tremendous stat-line of four points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 steals and five blocks. Many would look at that game as validation for his “Defensive Player of the Year” case. For the Grizzlies to remotely succeed in this game, they must minimize his impact on defense. Furthermore, they need to make him uncomfortable on that end by placing a taller Marc Gasol in prime scoring position or getting Dray into foul trouble.
- Win the role player matchup. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson can get hot. It’s inevitable. Other than that, there aren’t many scoring threats. The Grizzlies need big games from their role players in order to make this a contest. Guys like Troy Daniels and James Ennis must bring it on both ends of the court, locking down the perimeter on one end and splashing beyond the arc on the other. If the Warriors receive big help from Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston or Ian Clark, good luck trying to pull out a W.
- Control the tempo. We all know that the Grizzlies aren’t a run-and-gun team. As Fizdale is trying to morph them into one, they need to stick to their game and control the tempo in this one. If the Warriors control the pace, Oracle Arena would become a Splash Zone.
Game Info
WHO: Memphis Grizzlies @ Golden State Warriors
WHEN: 7:00 PM – Central Time
WHERE: Oracle Arena – Oakland, CA
HOW TO WATCH: Fox Sports Southeast (or any online stream)
HOW TO LISTEN: 92.9 Memphis – ESPN
BETTING ODDS: Warriors (-10); Over/Under (208)
The Memphis Grizzlies have the chance to win the season series against Golden State – something that only one team (Boston Celtics this season) has done in the past three years. The bright side to taking this 3-1 lead: there’s no chance to blow it.