Nobody is going to catch San Antonio in the Southwest Division, but the games still need to be played. New Orleans looks to snap out of its season-long slump and build off a rare road win when they visit Memphis, looking to even the season-series between the division rivals.
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SCHEDULING
A win over Sacramento on Wednesday stopped a four-game slide and ended a three-game road trip for the Pelicans, who get back on the road for a stop in Memphis following a home game with the Hornets. The Pelicans’ road struggles are a big reason why they are battling the Lakers and Minnesota to stay out of the basement in the Western Conference. The win in Sacramento was just their fifth outside the Big Easy this season, and they are 9-13 ATS in 22 road games.
The Grizzlies put a bow on their season-long six-game home-stand by hosting the Pelicans. The once dominant Griz have been anything but at the FedEx Forum this season, winning 13 times in their first 20 home games. Memphis plays six of its next 10 games at home in advance of the All-Star break and a little winning streak could get them separation in the conference playoff race heading into the second half. The division rivals meet for the second time and the first in Memphis after the Grizzlies posted a 113-104 win in New Orleans on Dec. 1.
INJURIES
Pelicans guard Tyreke Evans injured his right knee in the first quarter at Sacramento and didn’t return to that game. The extent of the injury is unknown at this time.
The Grizzlies have some injury concerns with Matt Barnes dealing with a thumb injury and Mike Conley shelved with a sore Achilles. It’s unclear if either player will be available Monday, but Conley missed each of the first three games of the home-stand, suggesting his injury may be more severe.
KEY MATCHUP
It’s been a nightmarish season for the Pelicans so far, one coach Alvin Gentry said he didn’t see coming. It would be much worse if the Pels had to go an extended amount of time without Anthony Davis, who missed the first two games of a three-game California trip last week. Not surprisingly, New Orleans lost both to fall to 0-5 without Davis in the lineup. The effort was there, but Davis wasn’t, thus the Pels were saddled with defeats by the Clippers and Lakers. Davis returned for the final stop on the trip. Although it wasn’t one of his better games, his presence made a major difference. He wasn’t as sharp as normal, but that could be expected after missing a pair of games. He dropped 24 on 8 of 23 shooting and also had 10 rebounds with two steals in 109-97 win over the Kings. “He’s our best player, our go-to guy. We rely on him a lot,” Ryan Anderson said. With his back feeling better, Davis could have a big night against the Grizzlies, who really don’t have an answer for him. He scored 17 points with 14 rebounds when the teams met at the beginning of December.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
Maybe the Pelicans are getting close to turning the corner, or maybe they’re just this awful. Coach Alvin Gentry praised his team’s effort saying they showed their potential in a 109-97 win over Sacramento. It also helped having Davis back in the lineup after he missed the previous two. The Pelicans were driven to perform better after Gentry criticized their effort following a loss to the Lakers in which they wasted a seven-point fourth quarter lead. As poorly as New Orleans has played for most of the season, it’s hard to believe they suddenly became a playoff contending team by beating the Kings. Sure, Sacramento was playing well, but, they are the Sacramento Kings and they’re just a few games ahead of the Pels in the standings. Back on the road isn’t a good thing for New Orleans, and the Grizzlies take advantage.
Memphis 104, New Orleans 99
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Don’t miss out on getting paid because you couldn’t bet, click here and deposit at BookMaker now! Bet on the NBA today as the New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies square off Monday, January 18, 2016, at 2:30 p.m. ET at FedExForum. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
