The San Antonio Spurs visit the FedExForum to take on the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 4 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Action gets underway at 1:00 pm ET on Sunday, Apr. 24 and will air on ABC.
The Grizzlies lost to the Spurs 96-87 on Friday. Matt Barnes recorded 17 points and 11 rebounds, earning his eighth double-double of the year.
The ineffective Grizzlies offense (26th in the NBA with an offensive efficiency of 102.6) will square off against the stingy Spurs defense (first in the league with a defensive efficiency of 96.7). The Spurs figure to have the advantage on that end of the court. 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 (47.4%).
The Grizzlies come into this game 42-43 Straight Up (SU) and 41-41-3 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. Memphis’s defense is doing better against opposing offenses during the last 10 games. It is allowing an average of 90.5 points per game, well under their season average of 101.2.
On the other side, San Antonio has a SU record of 70-15 and an ATS record of 46-39. In divisional games, San Antonio has gone 7-12 SU and 8-11 ATS. San Antonio has been struggling as of late. In their most recent 10 games, San Antonio’s scoring has dropped to 91.9 PPG, compared to 98.3 for the duration of the season. The Spurs are shooting lights out from the foul line so far, with a .803 free throw percentage that ranks second in the NBA. When it comes to making good decisions with the ball, nobody is better than the Spurs. They are the top assist-to-turnover ratio team in the league at 1.95. Shifting to the other side of the court, the Spurs allow just 92.3 points per game, ranking them first in the league. The San Antonio defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing .434 shooting from the field to its opponents. Blocking shots is an area where San Antonio has excelled. The Spurs average 6.1 blocks per game, making them one of the best in the league. The Spurs are in for a physical game against Memphis. The Grizzlies are not afraid to send opponents to the free throw line, averaging 22.2 fouls per game.
San Antonio beat Memphis in their most recent meeting this season, moving its SU record against the Grizzlies to 8-2 in their last 10 head-to-head meetings. Furthermore, the Spurs hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – SA
Notes
“Memphis is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games “.
“Memphis is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Memphis’s last 6 games “.
“Memphis is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home”.
“Memphis is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home”.
“The total has gone OVER in 16 of Memphis’s last 24 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Memphis’s last 6 games at home”.
“Memphis is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing San Antonio”.
“Memphis is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Antonio”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Memphis’s last 5 games when playing San Antonio”.
“Memphis is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games when playing at home against San Antonio”.
San Antonio is 17-2 SU against the division, while Memphis is 7-12 SU.
The Memphis Grizzlies score 101.5 points per home game this season. However, San Antonio is the top-ranked team in points allowed on the road, giving up just 94.5 per game.
When the Grizzlies give up fewer than 100 points to their opponents, they are 28-13. When the Spurs score fewer than 100 points, they also have a winning record (20-12).
The Memphis Grizzlies have a subpar 14-30 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The San Antonio Spurs are 50-3 when they hit triple digits.
The Spurs have the league’s top defense, with a defensive rating of 96.7. The Grizzlies have an offensive rating of 102.6 (ranked 26th).
Memphis averages 95.8 possessions per game, scoring 1.026 points on each possession. While San Antonio averages fewer possessions per game with 94.8, 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 11-28 record.
Memphis makes an average of 20.5 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 6.1 (ranked fourth).
The Memphis Grizzlies are a top-15 offensive rebounding team, currently ranked eighth for the season. The San Antonio Spurs rank near the very top (fifth) in defensive rebounding.
Making 8.8 steals per game, Memphis is ranked sixth in the NBA. San Antonio has a stellar 24-8 record when it allows at least 8 steals.
