Memphis Grizzlies: Contributor play-in predictions @ GSW

The Memphis Grizzlies won their first game of the play-in tournament against the San Antonio Spurs. It wasn’t pretty, but when has Memphis Grizzlies basketball ever been easy on the eyes?

The win against San Antonio looked like a game from the 1980s. However, the Grizzlies’ next matchup might not go so swimmingly.

Memphis is set to play the Golden State Warriors in the second game of the play-in tournament. Without being too offensive toward the Spurs, the Warriors are a much more threatening team, with MVP candidate Stephen Curry leading the charge.

The Grizzlies are 1-2 against the Warriors on the season, so they’ll look to even the series. Each game has been close, meaning that we should expect another tight contest to determine who will earn the 8th seed in the Western Conference Playoffs.

The Grizzlies will need to play their best basketball of the season, as Steph Curry lit the squad up in the last game of the season just a few days ago.

Can the Memphis Grizzlies win the most important game of the season? Our contributors weigh in.

Jack Williams (Site Expert): The Warriors have a 2-1 advantage against the Grizzlies this season and have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA. All signs point to the fact that Memphis will lose this game. That said, these are the games that the Grizzlies tend to hang around in. I think this team knows how important this game is, resulting in another energized performance against a disjointed Warriors team. I think Draymond Green will create issues for Ja Morant scoring down low, but he won’t be able to match Jonas Valanciunas’s size. It may be wishful thinking, but I see the Grizz stealing a win here.

Final Score: Memphis Grizzlies 119, Golden State Warriors 114

Taylor Goebel: With Memphis winning against the Spurs, they now have the daunting task of taking on the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors are 8-2 in their last 10 and had won 6 straight games prior to falling against the Lakers. They have been playing some of their best basketball as of late and a big reason for this is MVP candidate Stephen Curry. The Warriors do however lack size, so expect another big game from Jonas Valanciunas, who went off against the Spurs. I don’t think Jonas can carry Memphis by himself though, and think ultimately the Warriors will come out on top.

Final Score: Memphis Grizzlies 104, Golden State Warriors 118

Caleb Anglin: The Memphis Grizzlies are in their second Play-in game to determine who makes the playoffs as the 8th seed. Unfortunately, they will be going up against Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in Chase Center. I do not see Jonas Valanciunas getting another 20/20 stat line, but I do see Steph Curry going for 35+ points. He is going to be the best player on the court and there’s not much this Grizzlies team is going to be able to do to stop him. It has been an up-and-down season for the Grizzlies, but this is where it all comes to an end. There should be no disappointment, this young team exceeded expectations and have a very bright future.

Final Score: Memphis Grizzlies 92, Golden State Warriors 105