The Golden State Warriors nailed 15 three pointers as they edged past the Memphis Grizzlies last time these teams met on November 3rd.
The Grizzlies were without Zach Randolph though.
The same will not be the case this time around. The phenomenal guard has been instrumental in the Grizzlies revival in the season and they look to win three on a trot as they face off against the Golden State Warriors, a team that
is struggling to find its feet at the moment.
The Golden State Warriors took off to the best start in sixteen years sprinting to 6-2 at the start of the season. The perfect start though soon turned into a nightmare and they slumped massively to lose six of their last seven
games including the last four on a trot.
Match-up
Memphis trail the Golden State Warriors 26-32 in the all-time match-up .The Grizzlies have won three-in-a-row against the Warriors at the FedEx Forum and are 15-14 at home against the Golden State, making the Warriors one of two
Western Conference opponents, Los Angeles Clippers being the other, with a losing record in Memphis.
Off late though, the Grizzlies have been the more dominant of the two as they have taken five of the last eight games versus the Golden State.
Last Encounter
Both the teams grasped the court Wednesday night. While the Golden State lost to the league lightweights Houston Rockets in a closer encounter, the Memphis Grizzlies breezed past the Detroit Pistons.
Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies are currently 6-9 in the season but they weren’t done any favors with the roster at the start of the season. The brutal schedule featured 9 of their first 14 games against opponents that are currently
.500 or better, and their nine losses have come against teams with a combined 73-48 record.
Of the Memphis’ nine losses, two have gone into overtime, while the Nov. 16 defeat against Portland was a single point affair and all this with the least-experienced NBA team (avg. 2.6 seasons) as well as the
second-youngest at an average of 24 years, 225 days behind only the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Grizzlies have set some high standards along the way as well. They lead the league in steals (10.14), forced turnovers (18.6) and rank third in points off turnovers (20.1). Memphis is also second in the
league in points in the paint (46.9) and they are only improving day by day.
Golden State Warriors
Despite their recent lackluster performances all is not so bad for the Warriors and they can pose a serious threat for the Grizzlies if they get into their groove early.
The Warriors have scored over 100 points in eight games, including 132 on the opening night versus Houston, the 2nd most points in the NBA this season. Golden State is also getting out on the fast break, averaging 19.4 fast break
points which is 2nd in the league. They have registered 20-plus points on the break in nine games and are 6-3 in those games.
The Warriors have out-rebounded their opponents in six of their first 15 games and they hold a 6-0 record in those contests. For the season, the Warriors are averaging 42.6 rebounds per game and have also collected 30.9% of their
possible offensive rebound opportunities per game, which ranks 4th overall.
Players to Watch out
Rudy g*y and Zach Randolph lead a
Memphis offense that can send shivers down the spine of any opponent. While Randolph is guiding his team after the injury lay off with 17.1 points and a team high 11.5 rebounds across the board, Rudy g*y has been making the leap to NBA superstardom.
He is ranked 14th in the league in scoring a career-high 21.9 points, 7.4 assists and 1.57 steals.
Monta Ellis has been one of the leagues’ most prolific scorers, scoring at an awesome 25.0 points per game. He along with Stephen Curry is paramount to the
Warriors hopes. For the season, the pair is averaging a combined 44.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 10.3 assists and 4.58 steals while shooting 47.0% from the field.
Verdict
With their present form, the Grizzlies hold a clear advantage and the Warriors will have to pull off something special to prevent Memphis from winning three games in a row.
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