The Memphis Grizzlies welcome the San Antonio Spurs to the FedExForum for Game 3 of the Western Conference Quarlerfinals. The game begins at 9:30 pm ET on Friday, Apr. 22 and will air on ESP, FSW and FxS.
The Grizzlies lost big to the Spurs 94-68 on Tuesday. Zach Randolph put in a solid effort despite the loss for Memphis, recording 11 points and 12 rebounds to earn his 18th double-double of the season.
The Grizzlies might struggle to find the bottom of the net as they face off against one of the league’s best defenses. The Spurs rank first in the NBA in defensive efficiency, while Memphis ranks 26th in offensive efficiency. 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 47.5%), while the offense of the Grizzlies ranks 29th in effective field goal percentage (47.5%).
The Grizzlies enter the game with records of 42-42 Straight Up (SU) and 40-41-3 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 3-7 ATS over their last 10 games, but have found ways to get wins, going 7-3 SU. Over their past 10 games, Memphis’s defense has been playing lights out, only allowing 91.0 points per game, well under their season average of 101.3.
As for their opponent, the Spurs have a record of 46-38 ATS and 69-15 SU. Most recently, San Antonio is a meager 3-7 ATS over the last 10 games. Offensively, the Spurs have really sputtered in the last 10 games. Their season average has fallen to 103.5 points per game after averaging only 93.7 during that stretch. San Antonio is one of the top foul-shooting teams in the league, hitting .804 of their shots from the line. The Spurs are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking second in the NBA at 1.94. The Spurs are the top defensive team in the league, essentially shutting down opponents to the tune of 92.4 points allowed per game. Teams seem to consistently miss shots against the Spurs, who are the fourth-best team in the league in terms of opponent field goal percentage allowed at .435. Blocking shots is an area where San Antonio has excelled. The Spurs average 6.0 blocks per game, making them one of the best in the league. One advantage for the Spurs could be Memphis’s high fouls per game average of 22.2.
With the Spurs’ last win against Memphis, their SU record rises to 8-2 over the Grizzlies in the last 10 games. The Spurs also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 7-3.
Predictions: SU Winner – SA
Notes
On average, San Antonio scores 103.5 points per game (ranked 10th). Memphis ranks 11th in points allowed per game with 101.3.
Memphis ranks 16th in points allowed per home game (101.5 PPG), while San Antonio ranks 12th in points per away game with 101.9.
The Grizzlies have a 28-12 record when they allow fewer than 100 points. The Spurs, however, have performed well when they don’t hit triple digits, with a record of 19-12 in such contests.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Grizzlies are just 14-30 this season. San Antonio is a tremendous 50-3 when it hits the century mark.
The Spurs have the league’s top defense, with a defensive rating of 96.7. The Grizzlies have an offensive rating of 102.7 (ranked 26th).
Memphis averages 95.9 possessions per game, scoring 1.027 points on each possession. While San Antonio averages fewer possessions per game with 94.9, the team scores more points per possession with 1.090.
The San Antonio Spurs have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking second in the league with an EFF% of 52.7%. When their opponents record a similar or higher EFF%, the Memphis Grizzlies have a poor 11-27 record.
Memphis makes an average of 20.6 assists per game (ranked 25th). San Antonio ranks higher in assists with 24.4 (ranked fifth).
Memphis makes an average of 4.2 blocks per game (ranked 22nd). San Antonio ranks higher in blocks with 6.0 (ranked fifth).
Memphis ranks in the top half of the NBA in offensive rebounding at eighth, while San Antonio ranks near the top of the league (fifth) in defensive rebounding.
Making 8.9 steals per game, Memphis is ranked sixth in the NBA. San Antonio has a formidable 24-8 record when it allows at least 8 steals.
