The Grindhouse was rocking on Monday night, but the Memphis Grizzlies (61-30 SU, 45-43-3 ATS) just didn't bring their intensity to the table in what turned out to be a dud of a game.
This series isn't over though, and they still have yet another shot to tame the Golden State Warriors (73-17 SU, 50-39-1 ATS) on Wednesday back in Oakland.
ONE SHINING MOMENT
It's a little cheesy to think about, but the bottom line is that it only takes a moment for Stephen Curry to change a game at the flip of a switch.
Curry knocked down a three-pointer late in the first quarter against Memphis in Game 4, ending his frustration of a really bad nine or so quarters of basketball. From there, it was all over.
Curry finished out the night shooting 11-of-22 from the field with 33 points, and he was clearly the best player on the court on either side with his effort.
Here's what we fear for the Grizzlies: If the same thing happens with Klay Thompson, they're as good as dead.
Thompson wasn't spectacular on Monday night, but he did hit three triples and scored 15 points. If he can get going with that one really good look at the basket and Curry keeps it up, the Splash Brothers will be back, and there will be no slowing them down.
Tony Allen, to his credit, did play a fantastic game defensively once again versus Curry and Thompson, but what happened instead was that others ended up wide open in the rotation. From there, we saw him get a bit frustrated, and that gave Curry all the opening that he needed.
If either Curry or Thompson hit that shot that just feels like a big one to sway some momentum, you want to get on Golden State as quickly as possible for live betting purposes.
END OF QUARTER CRUISING
It happened at the end of the first quarter on Monday night, and it happened at the end of the second quarter as well. Golden State went on a little mini-run of five points to end the first quarter, and it did the same in the second quarter by scoring seven of the last nine points.
Those two runs didn’t feel like they were much at the time, but the Grizzlies looked up at the scoreboard, and they were down 17 at the break.
That's how Golden State does it to you, though. You just have to really be aware of where you're at in live betting and do a lot of quick calculations. Know at that last television timeout of the quarter, Golden State is going to try to make a push, so backing it in live betting at those intervals, particularly in the first three quarters, might not be a bad idea.
NO THREE ZONE
The other big concern we have with the Grizzlies is what happens when they fall behind. They have proven to us in four games that they don't have the three-point shooters to knock off a big deficit, as they still don't have more than five triples in any game yet against Golden State.
That's why that a lead which may have seemed manageable for the Warriors in that 15-18 range in the second half on Monday night felt impossible for the Grizzlies.
That said, the oddsmakers didn't line matters any differently in live betting. Constantly during timeouts, Memphis was a dog by fewer points than it was trailing by at the moment, and outside of a point in the third quarter when the Grizz were +21.5 in live betting, virtually every step of the way, you could have found yourself a winner on Golden State.
Memphis just isn't equipped to come from behind by big margins, and if Golden State opens a 15+ point lead, know that it is now 51-0 SU in games where it leads by that many in the regular season and the playoffs.
BookMaker will have the spread for this Wednesday soiree the night before the game. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The showdown between the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies will start at 10:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 13, 2015, at Oracle Arena in Oakland, CA. The contest will be broadcast on TNT.
