The Spurs swept the season series with Memphis and continued that level of success into the playoffs. Over their last eight head-to-head meetings, the Spurs have won each game and failed to cover the spread only twice. The latest of those times came on Friday in a nine-point win. Can Memphis cover again with this game at home on Sunday?
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TRAVEL
The Spurs have the second best record in the NBA. Much of that success was built on a 40-1 home record. The Spurs are still a dangerous team on the road, too, but far less so, going just 27-14 in the regular season.
So far this series, we’ve seen the significance of playing on their home court. In the series’ first two games, San Antonio dominated Memphis, scoring 200 total points to the Grizzlies’ mere 142.
Offensively the Spurs actually averaged fewer PPG in those first two games than in the regular season, but the defense was on point. Ranked first in the NBA, the Spurs have a defense that can flat out shutdown a team and they did just that, but either the Grizzlies figured something out in Game 3, the Spurs had a letdown after such a dominating performance in the first two games or being on the road makes that much of a difference.
Either way, the Spurs are back on the road for Game 4 and that’s a boost for the Grizzlies chances; of covering.
INJURIES
The Spurs have the better, deeper team on paper even when both teams are healthy, but that’s not the case for Memphis.
The Grizzlies have been playing this series without Mike Conley, Brandan Wright and Marc Gasol. That’s hurt Memphis and we’ve seen it in their offensive woes. To add to the injury concerns, JaMychal Green has dealt with flu-like symptoms over the last week.
In general, injuries—and trades—have stripped the Grizzlies of nearly their entire starting lineup. Zach Randolph is the lone exception and even he had been silenced prior to Friday night.
KEY MATCHUP
This battle will be waged and won—or lost—inside the paint. The Spurs still have a ton of veteran leadership all over the court with Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker still playing key roles, but the Spurs as a team live and die by the frontcourt duo of LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard.
In Game 3 we saw Memphis hang close for much of the game, even going into the fourth quarter with the lead, but San Antonio was just too strong. Leonard scored 20 and 13 in the first two games with Aldridge adding 27 combined, but that wasn’t enough in Game 3 and they stepped up as a result.
We saw Leonard record 32-points to lead both teams with Aldridge shooting 5-for-10 from the floor and 6-for-7 from the line, notching a double-double to match those put up by Randolph and Barnes.
When the game was on the line, the Grizzlies behind Randolph and Matt Barnes couldn’t stop Leonard and Aldridge consistently enough to give themselves a chance.
ODDS AND PREDICTION
This series is probably the most lopsided one and the spreads for the first three games paint a clear picture.
The Spurs have the nation’s best defense and an offense that’s shooting 48.4 percent from the floor and 37.5 percent behind the arc. Memphis, on the other hand, has a struggling offense plagued by injuries and an average defense. As a result, San Antonio also put up 25 more regular season wins in the same division.
Memphis pulled everything together in Game 3 to make it close, but in the end it wasn’t enough. Don’t look for the Grizzlies to play as tough on Sunday, we’ve seen the best out of them. Meanwhile, the Spurs pretty much have the upper-hand everywhere you look—except for home court.
NBA Odds: Spurs 107, Grizzlies 82
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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 San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies square off Sunday, April 24, 2016, at 1 p.m. ET at the FedExForum. Watch the game live on ABC.
