There are only three undefeated teams in the NBA, and unfortunately for the Memphis Grizzlies, they’ll be taking on one of those teams after suffering their worst loss in recent memory.
Memphis is coming off of a 116-96 loss that was somehow even worse than the score would indicate. Ja Morant had his first bad game of the year, while the Grizzlies were eaten alive by Portland’s bigs in the paint. The Grizz held a six-point halftime lead but fell way behind by the end of the third quarter.
The Golden State Warriors, on the other hand, look like they might be unbeatable. After Memphis knocked them out of the NBA’s Play-In Tournament last season, they’ve bounced back with a resurgence. They may be seeking revenge.
Can the Memphis Grizzlies bounce back against the hottest team in the NBA? Our contributors weigh in.
Jack Williams (Site Expert): I’ve picked the Grizz to win in all three games thus far this year. I think I’ve run out of optimism after a gut-wrenching loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Because the Grizzlies are missing their Stephen Curry-killer in Dillon Brooks still, it’s hard to see a world where Memphis is able to slow down Golden State’s offense. Pair this with the fact that the Grizzlies tend to perform poorly on the second night of back-to-backs and I think you’ve got a recipe for disaster. For the first time this year, I’m picking Memphis to lose.
Final Score: Memphis Grizzlies 112, Golden State Warriors 126
Jacob Ellerbee: A near triple-double from Ja Morant was not enough to overcome Portland last night. The entire team struggled to score and turned the ball over way too much. These same mistakes cannot be repeated against Steph Curry and the Warriors— they’ll make you pay dearly (more so than the Blazers did). The Grizzlies are on the second night of a back-to-back. I fully expect the Warriors to take advantage.
Final Score: Memphis Grizzlies 115, Golden State Warriors 128
Justin Churchill: The Memphis Grizzlies are coming off of a tough loss to the Blazers in which the game saw several players not able to get their offense going. The Grizz will need to fine-tune things for the game against Golden State as this is a team who can score in bunches and will leave you behind if not careful. Memphis will extend their losing streak to three in a row.
Memphis Grizzlies 115, Golden State Warriors 120
Will Jones: After the home opener the Grizzlies headed west for a brutal week-long road trip composed of two back-to-backs against opponents all predicted to make the playoffs. An added challenge is that Golden State, like the Lakers before, had the night off before to rest while Memphis played grueling games. Golden State has looked nothing short of a title contender led by MVP contender Steph Curry to a blazing 4-0 start. The Grizzlies looked tired, frustrated, and out of sync as they got routed by the Blazers last night. If all of that wasn’t enough, the Grizzlies eliminated the Warriors in the play-in last year for the 8th seed in the playoffs. All signs point to this being a blowout but the Grizzlies keep it closer than they should.
Final Score: Memphis Grizzlies 102, Golden State Warriors 112