The Southwest Division’s top two teams will collide when the Memphis Grizzlies (41-32) welcome the San Antonio Spurs (61-12) to the FedExForum. The game gets underway at 8:00 pm ET on Monday, Mar. 28 and can be seen on FxS and FSW.
The Grizzlies fell to the Spurs 110-104 on Friday. Chris Andersen had a good game, contributing 13 points, seven rebounds, and two assists for Memphis. The Spurs, meanwhile, are coming off a demoralizing 111-92 loss to the Thunder on Saturday. David West had a good shooting night, leading the team with 17 points.
LaMarcus Aldridge has been on fire for the Spurs, averaging 21.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks over the past five games.
Keep tabs on Memphis’s ability to get to the free throw line. They’re ranked fifth in the NBA in free throw attempt rate (30.3), but San Antonio is among the best in the league at keeping opponents away from the charity stripe (ranking second by yielding a free throw attempt rate of 24.1). Furthermore, the defense of the Spurs should have an advantage in terms of effective field goal percentage. They’re first in the league in forcing misses (opponents’ effective field goal percentage of 47.4%), while the offense of the Grizzlies ranks 29th in effective field goal percentage (48.0%).
The Grizzlies have gone 41-32 Straight Up (SU) and 37-33-3 Against The Spread (ATS). They have gone 11-2 SU and 8-5 ATS against teams from their own division. Whenever a Southwest Division opponent shows up on the calendar, the Grizzlies play better on defense. They allow an average of 100.7 points per game, but allow just 92.0 against teams from their own division.
On the other side, the Spurs head into the game with records of 42-31 ATS and 61-12 SU. In divisional games, San Antonio has gone 7-7 SU and ATS. The Spurs convert their shots at a high percentage, leading the league at .488. The Spurs are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking second in the NBA at 1.97. Moving on to San Antonio’s defense, the Spurs allow just 92.6 points per game, ranking them first in the league. The Spurs have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the league at .435. When it comes to defending the rim, the Spurs are one of the best in the league with an average of 6.0 blocks per game. The Spurs are in for a physical game against Memphis. The Grizzlies are not afraid to send opponents to the free throw line, averaging 22.4 fouls per game.
San Antonio beat Memphis in their most recent meeting this season, bringing its SU record in the past 10 games to 8-2. The Spurs also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – SA
Notes
Both San Antonio and Memphis rank eighth in points per game and points allowed per game respectively. San Antonio scores 104.3 points per game, while Memphis allows 100.7.
San Antonio puts up an average of 102.6 points per away game (ranked eighth). Memphis ranks 16th in points allowed per home game with 101.7.
When the Grizzlies give up fewer than 100 points to their opponents, they are 27-10. When the Spurs score fewer than 100 points, they also have a winning record (16-10).
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Grizzlies are just 14-22 this season. San Antonio is an outstanding 45-2 when it reaches the century mark.
The Spurs have the league’s top defense, with a defensive rating of 96.6. The Grizzlies have an offensive rating of 103.5 (ranked 19th).
Memphis averages 95.9 possessions per game, scoring 1.035 points on each possession. While San Antonio averages fewer possessions per game with 95.3, the team scores more points per possession with 1.095.
San Antonio has an average effective field goal percentage of 53.0% (ranked second in the league}. Memphis is a subpar 10-18 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Memphis makes an average of 20.9 assists per game (ranked 22nd). San Antonio ranks higher in assists with 24.8 (ranked third).
The Memphis Grizzlies average 4.4 blocks per game for a rank of 19th. The San Antonio Spurs rank higher (fifth), earning 6.0 blocks each contest.
Memphis ranks in the top half of the NBA in offensive rebounding at 11th, while San Antonio ranks near the top of the league (fourth) in defensive rebounding.
Making 8.9 steals per game, Memphis is ranked fifth in the NBA. San Antonio has a tremendous 20-6 record when it gives up at least 8 steals.
