Memphis Grizzlies have the Philadelphia 76ers coming to town
By Ben Parker
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
The Memphis Grizzlies (30-12) will square off against the Philadelphia 76ers (8-35) tonight in Memphis. The Grizzlies come into this game as the #2 seed in the Western Conference, winning five of their last six games. As for the 76ers, they come into this game having lost their last four games. In addition, the 76ers have also lost their leading scorer Tony Wroten to a torn ACL.
Given the fact that the Grizzlies are competing for a championship and the 76ers are trying to stay ahead of the lowly Knicks to avoid having the league’s worst record, it’s clear that the Memphis Grizzlies should win tonight’s game rather decisively. I would be surprised if the 76ers kept the game within single digits, especially with Tony Wroten out. That all being said, I will still address what the Grizzlies need to do to make sure they win this game as easily as they should.
The first thing the Grizzlies need to do is go all out during the first 8 minutes of the game with the goal of amassing at least a 10 point lead by the end of the first quarter. In their first meeting of the season in Philadelphia, the 76ers led 28-21 at the end of the first quarter, and the game ended up going into overtime before the Grizzlies pulled out the win.
The Grizzlies need to remember that poor start and make sure it doesn’t happen again. If the Grizzlies treat the 76ers like they’re the Spurs during the opening minutes, the Grizzlies should be able to get a double-digit lead after the first quarter, making it almost impossible for the 76ers to come back. If the Grizzlies start off sluggish and let the 76ers hang around, the 76ers may gain the confidence to pull off an upset.
Secondly, the Grizzlies have to focus on preventing Michael Carter-Williams from having a big night. With Tony Wroten out, Michael Carter-Williams is the only serious threat left on this 76ers team. Keeping him quiet will almost certainly solidify the win for the Grizzlies.
Lastly, the Grizzlies don’t need to do much in terms of outside shooting in this game. The Grizzlies just need to stick to their classic formula of pounding the rock inside to Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph for easy baskets. Sometimes when weaker teams come through you can be tempted to experiment or deviate from what you do best. If anything, the Grizzlies should give Gasol and Randolph more touches than usual since the 76ers shouldn’t be able to stop them inside, even with Nerlens Noel patrolling the paint.
If the Grizzlies do all the things I say they should do, then they’ll win this game really easily. You’ll be able to go watch a movie by halftime if you so choose. If on the other hand, the Grizzlies try to get cute by taking a lot of threes and keep the game close early, it’s possible that Michael Carter-Williams inspires this 76ers team to their 9th win of the season.