Tag: Memphis Grizzlies

Harden scores 41, but Morant leads surging Grizzlies past Rockets

With Russell Westbrook (rest) out, a combined 64 points from James Harden and Eric Gordon weren’t enough against Ja Morant and Memphis.

With Houston guard Russell Westbrook out to rest on the front end of a back-to-back, backcourt co-star and NBA scoring leader James Harden broke 40 points for the fourth time in seven games.

But it wasn’t nearly enough on the road against Rookie of the Year frontrunner Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies (19-22), who extended their impressive winning streak to six games in a 121-110 victory over Harden’s Rockets (26-13) on Tuesday night (box score).

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The Grizzlies were led by their lightning-quick point guard with 26 points and eight assists on 10-of-11 shooting (90.9%), including 3-of-4 on 3-pointers (75%). Backcourt mate Dillon Brooks wasn’t far behind, scoring 24 points on a blistering 6-of-10 clip (60%) from 3-point range.

With Morant setting the tone, Memphis took advantage of leaky transition defense to outscore Houston, 25-7, in fast-break points.

Harden had 41 points, six assists, and six rebounds, and the Rockets were a +3 in the 39 minutes played by the former MVP. Eric Gordon also shot well with 23 points on 9-of-19 shooting (47.4%) off the bench.

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But unlike recent games, when Westbrook had significant success leading the Rockets’ lineups with Harden on the bench, Houston was outscored by 14 points in the nine minutes that Harden sat on Tuesday.

The Rockets simply lacked the scorers in those minutes without Harden to keep up with Memphis’ blossoming young talent in the form of Morant, Brooks, and a pair of athletic forwards in Brandon Clarke and Jaren Jackson Jr., who combined for 29 points.

On the interior, Clint Capela fared well with 16 points (6-of-7 shooting, 85.7%) and 16 rebounds, but he missed time in the second half due to foul trouble with five fouls. Starting center Jonas Valanciunas led the Grizzlies with 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting, or 57.1%.

Memphis won the fourth and final quarter, 36-27, to put the game away. It’s the second loss of three games for Houston, and the eighth win in a 10-game stretch for the red-hot Grizzlies.

The Rockets have a quick turnaround before their next challenge, which takes place Wednesday night from Toyota Center in Houston against the Portland Trail Blazers (17-24). Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Central, and the game will be nationally televised on ESPN.

Westbrook is expected to return to the starting lineup for that game.

Houston Rockets at Memphis Grizzlies odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Tuesday’s Houston Rockets at Memphis Grizzlies sports betting odds, with NBA matchup analysis and picks.

The Houston Rockets (26-12) head to the Volunteer State to play the Memphis Grizzlies (18-22) at 8:00 p.m. ET in the FedEx Forum.

We analyze Rockets-Grizzlies odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Rockets at Grizzlies: Key injuries

ROCKETS

  • C Clint Capela (heel) probable
  • PF P.J. Tucker (shoulder) probable
  • PG Russell Westbrook (rest) out
  • SG Gerald Green (foot) out
  • C Nene (groin) out

GRIZZLIES

  • SF Jae Crowder (hip) questionable
  • SF Kyle Anderson (foot) questionable
  • PF Brandon Clarke (thumb) questionable
  • SF Bruno Caboclo (knee) out
  • SF Andre Iguodala (personal) out

Rockets at Grizzlies: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 4:00 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Rockets 128, Grizzlies 125

Moneyline (ML)

The 2019-20 Grizzlies are ballin’. They’ve won seven of their last 10 games, including five in a row. But the news is getting around the NBA that the Grizzlies are for real and it’s hard for them to sneak up on the current Western Conference 4-seed Rockets. A Houston squad that has played well recently as well—the Rockets are 7-3 straight up in their last 10 games.

Houston wins as away favorites, 9-5 straight up, but not against the bookmakers’ numbers, 5-9 against the spread. I do like the Rockets to win this game outright against the Grizzlies—watch for Harden to go off with Westbrook out and amidst legitimate hype about rookie PG Ja Morant—but the Rockets’ -209 moneyline is junk value.

PASS ON THE MONEYLINE.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The Rockets -4.5 haven’t been money on the road as of late:  they are 0-4 ATS in their last four road games and are 1-6 ATS in their last seven road games vs. a team with a losing home record. Furthermore, the Rockets have a 1-3 record when laying 3-4.5 points whereas the Grizzlies are 4-2 when getting 3-4.5 points. The motivation of the young Grizzlies will keep this one close.

BET GRIZZLIES +4.5 (-106). 

Over/Under (O/U)

Holy smokes, the 240.5 total is through the roof. Too high? Nah, let’s back that both teams get buckets and play mediocre, at best, defense. Houston is ranked first in points per game and Memphis ranks eighth, but Houston is ranked 15th in defensive rating and Memphis 22nd. Also, both teams play at a frenetic pace—Rockets are ranked second and the Grizzlies third in Pace.

The Grizzlies games tend to go Over. They have a 22-18 over/under record, and even though the Rockets games have gone Under a lot this season—17-21 over/under record—I envision a high scoring game with the Grizzlies keeping up with the explosive Rockets.

TAKE OVER 240.5 (-115).

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Omari Spellman critical of Warriors after ‘no effort’ loss in Memphis

Omari Spellman didn’t shy away from being critical of the Golden State Warriors during their eight-game losing streak.

The Golden State Warriors looked like they capped off the end of 2019 on a high note, winning four straight games — their longest win streak of the 2019-20 season. However, since the 2020 new year kicked off, the season couldn’t be more upside down for Golden State.

In a year riddled with losses, the Warriors have surpassed their season-high after their recent loss in Memphis. The Warriors were blown out by The Grizzlies 122-102 to seal their eighth consecutive loss. Golden State has yet to register a win since the calendar turned to 2020.

One of the bright spots during the Warriors struggles has been their second-year center, Omari Spellman. The Villanova product has had double digits scoring nights in six straight contests, good enough to earn him his first start as a member of Golden State.

Even with his steady play and growing role, Spellman is unsatisfied with Golden State’s losing streak. The former Atlanta Hawk spoke to the media after the Warriors’ loss to the Grizzlies and didn’t hold back when it came to his team’s performance in Memphis.

No effort. No intensity. No nothing. We just out there running, that’s it. Them being NBA basketball players, they hit us over the head, that’s all that happened.

Grizzlies center, Jonas Valanciunas, racked up 31 points and 19 rebounds against the Golden State frontcourt. According to Spellman, it wasn’t the Memphis size that hurt the Warriors; it was due to the team not playing hard.

No, we didn’t play hard, he’s just taller than us — If you’re not playing hard and just standing there, that happens.

Spellman doesn’t have a solution to why the young Golden State club is lacked effort.

I don’t know — I really don’t, I’m too young to know stuff like that, but I know what I see.

Spelman will find out soon if his message resonated with the Warriors locker room as they will be challenged right away with Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks up next on the schedule. Following the Mavericks, the playoff-hopeful Denver Nuggets will travel to San Francisco.

D’Angelo Russell shows no rust in return after six game injury absence

D’Angelo Russell scored 34 points after missing the Golden State Warriors’ previous six games due to a shoulder injury.

Injuries have turned the Golden State Warriors 2019-20 season upside down. Each night the Warriors have had to deal with replacing a new player out due to different ailments. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney have been the most consistent figures popping up on the Warriors injury report each night.

Following the trio of injured Warriors is D’Angelo Russell. Russell has had three different stints where injuries ruled him out for a stretch of games. The 23-year-old has been dealing with a shoulder injury that took him out of the Warriors’ last six games.

There’s no coincidence that Golden State has dropped all six contests with Russell out of the lineup. When the team traveled to Memphis on the final games of their quick two-game road trip, Louisville, Kentucky native, made his first appearance of the 2020 new year.

It took one quarter for Russell to shake the dust off, only scoring one point in the opening quarter against the Grizzlies, but after that, he turned it on.

Russell added 17 points in the second period, rallying the Warriors to only a one-point deficit heading into halftime. Russell ended his night in Memphis with 34 points. However, a third-quarter outburst from the Grizzlies spoiled his return with the Warriors falling for their eighth consecutive contest.

Although during the loss, Russell proved his shoulder is feeling fine, shooting 12-of-24 from the field, including 5-of-9 from beyond the arc. Russell added seven rebounds and four assists against Ja Morant and the Grizzlies.

Russell has now had 30 or more points in four of his last five games. The Ohio State product is shooting 47.7 % from the field in that time while going 43.4 % from beyond the arc.

If the Warriors can break their losing streak anytime soon, Russell will need to be a significant factor. Golden State’s schedule doesn’t get any easier while they’re struggling, Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks are next on the docket, followed by the Western Conference playoff hopeful, Denver Nuggets.

Warriors losing streak grows to season high with Memphis loss, 122-102

D’Angelo Russell’s return to the Golden State Warriors lineup wasn’t enough to end their losing streak, falling 122-102 in Memphis

The return of D’Angelo Russell to the Golden State Warriors’ rotation came when the team needed him most. The Dubs were riding a seven-game losing streak and desperately needed the scoring of the former All-Star. However, the 23-year-old’s 34-point night against the Memphis Grizzlies wasn’t enough to stop the bleeding. 

The Grizzlies handed the Warriors a 122-102 loss in Memphis, dropping Golden State’s losing streak to a season-high eight games. 

The Golden State Warriors battled the thriving Grizzlies for 36-minutes, but the 12-minute third quarter was where this game was decided. At halftime, the Warriors only trailed the Grizzlies by one point, but a 35-17 third quarter from Memphis put this game out of reach for the understaffed Dubs.  

Grizzlies center, Jonas Valanciunas, scored 15 of his 31 points in the third quarter alone. Valanciunas added 19 rebounds and two blocks, nine of Lithuanian’s boards came off the offensive glass.  

Things won’t get any easier for Golden State on their losing streak with games against the Western Conference playoff-hopeful Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets next up on the schedule. 

The return of D-Loading

Russell returned to the Warriors’ lineup in Memphis after missing the previous six games with a shoulder injury. In his first game action of the 2020 new year, he did not disappoint.

After only scoring one point in the first quarter, the Ohio State product ended his night with 34 points, adding seven rebounds and four assists. Russell shot 12-of-24 from the field, including five makes from beyond the arc.

Omari Spellman stays hot

Omari Spellman started his second straight game for the Golden State Warriors and continued his impressive play. After scoring 12 against the Memphis Grizzlies, Spellman’s now registered six consecutive scoring nights of 10 or more points. Over those six games, Spellman has shot 15-of-24 from 3-point range, good enough for 62.5 % from beyond the arc. 

Injury Report: D’Angelo Russell (shoulder) will return vs. Memphis

After missing six straight games, D’Angelo Russell will make his return to Golden State’s lineup after suffering a shoulder injury.

Injuries have flipped the Golden State Warriors 2019-20 season from a potential push at the playoffs, to the bottom of the Western Conference standings. However, of late, the Warriors are receiving good news regarding some of their injured All-Star caliber talent.

Stephen Curry has been cleared to travel with the team and made his first road trip since injuring his hand in late October against the Phoenix Suns. Now, against the Memphis Grizzlies, another Warriors’ All-Star will return to action.

D’Angelo Russell has missed the Warriors past six games after suffering an injury against the Dallas Mavericks in late December. Russell collided with Luka Doncic that put him down on the floor for several minutes. The 23-year-old guard took a quick trip to the Golden State locker room but was able to return against the Mavericks and finish the game.

Since then, Russell has been dealing with a shoulder injury that has kept him out while his team has struggled. The Warriors have lost seven straight games after completing their longest winning streak of the season of four consecutive wins.

Russell will return to the starting lineup against Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies, according to NBC Sports Bay Area Warriors reporter, Kerith Burke.

The Warriors will have to lean on Russell in his return as fellow backcourt mate, Damion Lee, has been ruled out against Memphis as the Warriors finalize his contract.

Prior to getting injured, Russell was playing at an elite level, scoring 30 or more points in three out of four straight games.

Golden State Warriors at Memphis Grizzlies odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Golden State Warriors at Memphis Grizzlies sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets.

On Sunday afternoon, the Golden State Warriors (9-31) will travel to FedExForum to take on the Memphis Grizzlies (17-22). Tip-off is set for shortly after 6 p.m. ET. We analyze the Warriors-Grizzlies sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

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Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM.

Warriors at Grizzlies Key injuries

Warriors

  • PG Stephen Curry (hand) out
  • SG Klay Thomson (knee) out
  • PF Kevon Looney (abdominal) out
  • PG D’Angelo Russell (shoulder) probable

Warriors at Grizzlies Odds, lines, picks, and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated 1 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Grizzlies 112, Warriors 103

Moneyline (ML)

The Grizzlies (-278) are big moneyline favorites despite having a losing record this season. That just goes to show how overmatched the Warriors are from night-to-night. While they can hang around in most games, they just don’t have the talent to be consistent. I like the Grizzlies to win reasonably easily Sunday afternoon as the Warriors have lost seven-straight games.

PASS on the moneyline, however, as there’s no value in these odds. A $10 bet returns a profit of just $3.60 with an outright win for the home side,

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The GRIZZLIES (-5.5, -128) somehow are less than two basket favorites despite going 5-1 against the spread over their last six contests. Memphis surprisingly has a top-10 offense this season, while Golden State is ranked 27th on offense. It’s just hard to imagine the Warriors scoring more than 105 points, and the Grizzlies should have no problem scoring at will. I like the Grizzlies to cover this spread and win by at least 6 points at home.

Over/Under (O/U)

The total for this contest is set at 225.5, which feels too high considering just how much Golden State has struggled on offense. In the Warriors’ last five games, they’ve failed to reach 105 points in every contest as they have the lowest field-goal percentage in the league. I expect this to be a somewhat sloppy game with the UNDER 225.5 (+100) hitting in Memphis.

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @Marcus_Mosher and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship, and there is no influence on news coverage.

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San Antonio Spurs at Memphis Grizzlies odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Friday’s San Antonio Spurs at Memphis Grizzlies sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets.

The San Antonio Spurs (16-20) visit the Memphis Grizzles (16-22) Friday at FedExForum for an 8:00 p.m. ET tip-off. It’s a battle of the eighth- and ninth-place teams in the Western Conference, respectively. We analyze the Spurs-Grizzlies odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM.

Spurs at Grizzlies: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 12:00 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Spurs 120, Grizzlies 114

Moneyline (ML)

The Spurs (-110) enter off of back-to-back wins over Eastern Conference powerhouses, beating the Milwaukee Bucks 126-104 at home Monday and the Boston Celtics 129-114 on the road Wednesday. They’re 6-4 across their last 10 games and 5-11 on the road for the season. The Grizzlies (-110) have won three straight games for just the second time all season, most recently beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 119-112 on home court. They’re 6-4 across their last 10 outings and 8-12 at FedExForum for the year.

Take the value with the SPURS (-110) as the better team on offense and defense. They score 114.0 points per game to 114.8 allowed. The Grizzlies score 112.6 PPG against 116.3 allowed. The season series is split at a game apiece entering Friday, with the Grizzlies winning 113-109 in Memphis Nov. 11, and the Spurs responding with a 145-115 rout in San Antonio Dec. 23.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

PASS on the spread and stick with the more profitable moneyline play. The Spurs (+1.5, -121) are getting just one point of insurance in the event of a loss while an outright win would result in $0.73 of lost profit on a $10 wager.

San Antonio is 14-21-1 against the spread overall but 8-7 on the road. Memphis is 19-18-1 ATS overall and 10-10 at home. The Spurs are attempting their first three-game win streak since opening the 2019-20 campaign with victories over the New York Knicks, Washington Wizards and Portland Trail Blazers.

Over/Under (O/U)

Take the OVER 228.5 (-129) after the last head-to-head meeting crushed this number. Both sides are at full health and the Spurs are an uncharacteristic league-best 23-13 against the Over/Under. The Grizzlies are also 21-17 against the O/U and both sides top the projected totals by more than six points per game.

Esten’s NBA betting record: 132-103

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Memphis Grizzlies at Phoenix Suns odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Memphis Grizzlies at Phoenix Suns sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Memphis Grizzlies (14-22) head to Arizona to take on the Phoenix Suns (14-21) with a chance to pass them in the standings. Tip-off is at 8 p.m. ET Sunday at Talking Stick Resort Arena. We analyze the Grizzlies-Suns odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM.

Grizzlies at Suns: Key injuries

Suns

  • F Frank Kaminsky (knee) out indefinitely

Grizzlies at Suns: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 3 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Suns 115, Grizzlies 105

Moneyline (ML)

The SUNS (-250) are coming off a 120-112 home win over the New York Knicks Friday following a 2-2 road trip. They have won three of four since losing eight straight. The Grizzlies (+200) have alternated wins and losses over their last eight games, and are coming off a 140-114 road win over the Los Angeles Clippers Saturday.

Phoenix should win this game. While it is seven games under .500, it is 8-7 when favored. Memphis is 12-20 as the underdog.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the Suns will earn $4 in profit if they win.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The SUNS (-6.5, -106) haven’t been favored in many games this season and will need to win by at least 7 points Sunday. They are one of the best teams at covering the spread at 20-14-1. They are 10-8 ATS at home.

The Suns open a softer part of their schedule, and are missing only Kaminsky in terms of health and are back to playing tough like they did early in the season.

Over/Under (O/U)

The total is set at 232.5 points. Both teams hit the Over more often than not, with Phoenix going 21-14 with the Over and Memphis 20-16. At home, Phoenix has hit the Over in 13 of 18 games. The Suns have three top-scoring threats now with Deandre Ayton in the lineup and healthy. However, both games between the Suns and Grizzlies earlier this season hit the Under.

Go with the UNDER 232.5 (+105).

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Eric Pincus on latest NBA trade buzz, his cap expertise and more

Alex Kennedy and Eric Pincus discuss the latest NBA trade buzz, Pincus’ salary-cap expertise, his hope of working for an NBA team and more.

On this episode, Alex Kennedy is joined by NBA analyst Eric Pincus, who writes for Bleacher Report and helps run the Sports Business Classroom every summer. They discuss the latest trade rumblings from the NBA’s G League Showcase, Pincus’ career, his salary-cap expertise, his hope of someday working in an NBA front office and more. Time-stamps are below!

1:15: Eric talks about his journalism career, which has included stints at the Los Angeles Times, Bleacher Report and Basketball Insiders among other outlets.

4:00: Each summer, Eric helps run the Sports Business Class with Larry Coon. The program teaches students (including current NBA executives and coaches) about the Collective Bargaining Agreement, salary-cap rules and more. Eric talks about how he got involved with the SBC and how he became a CBA/cap expert.

11:25: Eric talks about his hope of eventually working in an NBA front office, as long as it’s the right opportunity.

15:10: Eric and Alex were at the G League Showcase in Las Vegas, so they discuss the trade rumblings from the event (which Eric wrote about here). They start with Andre Iguodala’s situation with the Memphis Grizzlies and the likelihood that he gets traded rather than bought out.

18:39: The Phoenix Suns are a team worth monitoring, especially since many executives would love to make a deal for Aron Baynes. However, it seems that the Suns are leaning toward being buyers rather than sellers. Eric has heard that the Clippers are interested in Baynes, but that Phoenix wants to keep Baynes and try to add a veteran like Danilo Gallinari.

22:45: Will the Oklahoma City Thunder move their veterans for more draft picks and young assets prior to the deadline, or could they actually be buyers (as some reports have suggested)?

26:15: Eric reported that the Sacramento Kings are “unpredictable” as the deadline approaches, which lines up with what we’ve written. Nobody knows if this team will buy or sell at the deadline because they’re so desperate to make the playoffs, but they’re also continuing to fall in the standings. Will the Kings be active prior to the Feb. deadline?

29:49: The New Orleans Pelicans have played better recently and they’ll (hopefully) get Zion Williamson back soon. What they do with Jrue Holiday, Derrick Favors, JJ Redick and others may largely depend on how they play over the next month and a half and how players fit with Williamson.

New episodes of The HoopsHype Podcast drop every Monday and Thursday. If you’re interested in advertising on the podcast, email hoopshype@hoopshype.com for more information.