The Memphis Grizzlies enter their 24th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day game against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 27-15 record. After suffering their third loss to the second-seeded Houston Rockets, the Grizzlies defeated the San Antonio Spurs twice on the road to finish last week 2-1.
As they sit firmly in the third spot in the Western Conference standings, they entered this week with a four-game homestand. This presents a prime opportunity for the Grizzlies to attempt to gain ground ahead of their fourth matchup against the Rockets next week.
Their power ranking stayed steady as their only losses in the last two weeks came at the hands of another elite NBA team.
NBA.com: 5th
The Grizzlies kept their fifth-ranked power ranking from last week while the nemesis that has handed them their only two losses moved up from four to three. Losing to the Houston Rockets isn't bad, but being 0-3 versus them will eat at the Grizzlies, especially after blowing a 13-point fourth-quarter lead in their last matchup.
The Grizzlies' struggles in close games are hindering them from greatness as 10 of their last 12 losses have been in close games. Although they are 27-15, their point differential (+7.5 points per 100 possessions) represents one of a 32-10 team, which would've had them only three games back of the Oklahoma City Thunder for first in the West.
Instead, they are eight games behind the Thunder and 1.5 games behind the Rockets while only one game ahead of the fourth-seeded Denver Nuggets. The team is getting healthier with the return of GG Jackson so they are ready to make even more noise among the best in the West.
ClutchPoints: 4th
The Grizzlies made a huge jump from number seven to four in ClutchPoint's power rankings. Their second-half domination of the Spurs impressed, including the second game without Ja Morant.
No matter who has missed time this season, the Grizzlies' depth has kept them in the upper echelon of the NBA's elite. Following this week's four-game homestand, the Grizzlies hit the road to face the seventh-ranked New York Knicks, followed by their final regular season opportunity to knock off the third-ranked Houston Rockets.
The Power rankings respect the Memphis Grizzlies and it is deserved. The next step is for the team to gain more victories against their elite counterparts, and their chances at those victories are coming up on the schedule.