As the Memphis Grizzlies prepare to take on the Phoenix Suns tonight on the road in front of a nationally televised audience on TNT, they will look to snap the bad taste of getting dominated by the Oklahoma City Thunder in their last game. The Grizzlies have responded well after a loss this season with a 13-3 record, which includes only three times they have lost back-to-back games.
They have their final back-to-back set before taking a week off for the NBA All-Star break with a game on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers tomorrow night. In their seven back-to-back sets this season, the Grizzlies are 3-4 on the first night and 5-2 on the second night.
As the team prepares to take on two potential first-round opponents based on the current Western Conference standings (Grizzlies - 2nd, Clippers - 7th, Suns - 11th), the Grizzlies need to clean up an area they have struggled in against top-tier teams.
Domination on Offensive Rebounding
The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Grizzlies up in their own game last Saturday night with a 21-10 offensive rebounding advantage that included 32 second-chance points. It felt like every time the Grizzlies made a run to cut into their deficit the Thunder responded with an offensive rebound and kicked out for an open three, including a couple of instances with two offensive rebounds in the same possession.
The Grizzlies rank second in the NBA in rebounds per game, which includes ranking second in offensive rebounds per game. They only trail the Houston Rockets in those categories, which is the other team they struggled with as the Rockets outrebounded them 50-27 total on the offensive end during their three games in January.
The Grizzlies also rank in the top five in defensive rebounds per game, which should be a sign that they limit their opponents on the offensive glass. However, they rank just 22nd in the NBA in defensive rebounding percentage which explains their rebounding disparities against the Thunder and Rockets in recent games.
Since the team began returning the majority of their roster from injuries beginning with their victory over the Dallas Mavericks on January 6th, the Grizzlies are 12-4 in their last 16 games. Three of those four losses came to the teams mentioned above, who are also the current top-ranked (Oklahoma City) and fifth-seeded (Houston) teams in the Western Conference standings.
While the Grizzlies are in a good position to compete with and be considered among the NBA's elite, their games against top-tier competition remain their downfall. One of their strengths has become their weakness in those battles and that appears to be what they need to ensure doesn't happen to fare better in those games.