The Golden State Warriors and their second-ranked offense visit Memphis to take on the Grizzlies and their top-ranked defense in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Saturday, May 9 and can be seen on ABC.
The Grizzlies enter this game hoping for similar success after topping the Warriors 97-90 on Tuesday. Mike Conley was the game’s leading scorer with 22 points on 8-for-12 shooting. Andrew Bogut played well for Golden State, recording eight points, 12 rebounds, and two assists.
Baskets could be hard to come by as Memphis ranks second in the league, allowing just 99.6 points per 100 possessions, while Golden State is first (98.6). Also, the Warriors’s second-ranked offense (offensive efficiency of 108.6) will face off against the second-ranked defense of the Grizzlies (defensive efficiency of 99.6).
The odds for Memphis and Golden State are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available. The Grizzlies come into this game 55-27 Straight Up (SU) and 40-40-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 35-17 SU and 26-26 ATS against the Western Conference.
In the other locker room, the Warriors have 67-15 SU and 47-34-1 ATS records. Against the Western Conference, Golden State is 42-10 SU and 32-20 ATS. The Warriors rely heavily on three-pointers on offense, ranking second in the league with 883 made (10.8 per game). The Warriors are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking second in the NBA at 1.94. The Warriors are a problem for teams on the defensive side, allowing only .337 shooting from three-point range to their opponents. Blocking shots is an area where Golden State has excelled. The Warriors average 6.0 blocks per game, making them one of the best in the league. Golden State is the best team in the league at scoring points off turnovers with 19.5 per game.
The Grizzlies’ win over Golden State in their last game brought the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over the last 10 meetings. With a 6-4 record, the Grizzlies have the advantage ATS. Golden State held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers twice, while Memphis was never able to do so in their most recent 10 games.
Predictions: SU Winner – GS, ATS Winner – GS
Notes
Golden State’s offense and Memphis’ defense are well matched, ranking zeroth in points per game and points allowed per game respectively. Golden State puts up an average of 0.0 points per game, while Memphis gives up 0.0 points per game.
Golden State and Memphis are well matched, ranking zeroth in points per away game and points allowed at home respectively. Golden State scores an average of 0.0 points on the road, while Memphis allows 0.0 points at home on average.
Golden State is undefeated when limiting opponents to fewer than 100 points (40-0). Memphis has a 22-24 record when it scores less than 100.
When the Warriors give up at least 100 points to their opponent, they are 27-15. When the Grizzlies hit the century mark, they also have a winning record (33-3).
Golden State’s offense and Memphis’ defense both rank second this season. Golden State has an offensive rating of 108.6 and Memphis has a defensive rating of 99.6.
The Memphis Grizzlies have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking eighth in the league with a FG% of 45.8%. The Golden State Warriors have a solid 14-9 record in games where opponents have a similar or higher FG%.
The Memphis Grizzlies rank higher in field goal percentage (eighth) than effective field goal percentage (20th), while the Golden State Warriors rank the same for both metrics (first).
Golden State ranks near the top of the league with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.94 (ranked second). Memphis is ranked 11th, with an A/TO of 1.67 this season.
The Memphis Grizzlies rebound 42.6 times per game and are ranked 21st. Ranked sixth, the Golden State Warriors rebound 44.7 times per game.
Memphis is ranked 15th in defensive rebounds, while Golden State ranks 23rd in offensive rebounds.
Though Memphis is one of the best in the league in forcing turnovers with opponents averaging a TOV% of 15.3% (ranked sixth), Golden State has a tremendous 17-5 record SU when its TOV% is 15.3% or greater.
