With their Western Conference semifinal series tied the No. 5 Memphis Grizzlies (6-3 SU, 5-3-1 ATS) visit the No. 1 Golden State Warriors (6-2 SU, 3-5 ATS) Wednesday in the pivotal Game Five. You can watch the game live on TNT.
Memphis coach Dave Joerger gave his team a history lesson reminding them of previous blown 2-1 leads in the postseason. It didn’t help as the Grizzlies lost their fourth straight Game Four, the third of those on their own court, with a 101-84 shellacking Monday to even the series at 2-2. The Grizzlies won in Oracle Arena in Game Two and will need at least one more to take series and that’s asking a lot against a team that has lost three times in 45 games at home.
The stars are back in alignment after the Warriors made all the right adjustments, reclaimed homecourt advantage and put the pressure back on Memphis to keep pace in this very competitive series with a dominant 101-84 win Monday to even the series at 2-2. The Warriors return home where they are 42-3 this season. The Dubs’ high-powered offense has been held in check in the playoffs with the under 6-1-1 overall and 5-0 in the last five.
KEY INJURY
Warriors forward Marreese Speights may miss the remainder of the series with a moderately strained right calf that was revealed in an MRI taken Sunday. The injury occurred in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game and Speights was wearing a protective walking boot and sitting on the sideline during Monday’s shootaround. The Warriors say he will be reevaluated in a week.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“Tonight we took a step towards understanding that sense of urgency and kind of competitiveness and physicality to the game. It was probably our most competitive effort, definitely of the series, but probably of the playoffs just in terms of understanding you got to play every second.” – Warriors coach Steve Kerr after Monday’s win
BETTING TRENDS
- Memphis is 11-5-1 ATS in its last 17 games overall.
- Golden State is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games overall.
- The UNDER is 7-2 in Memphis’ nine postseason games.
KEY STATS
33: Warriors guard and league MVP Stephen Curry scored 33 points, his ninth career playoff game with at least 30 points. He hadn’t scored more than 23 points in the series and had 21 at halftime.
12: Memphis forward Jeff Green became the first reserve to score in double figures in this series with 12 points and teammate Vince Carter later joined him with 10.
14: After making just six three-pointers in each of the last two games, the Warriors more than doubled their total by sinking 14 in 33 attempts Monday.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
With a chance to take a 3-1 series lead over the top-seeded team more was expected from the Grizzlies on Monday. They failed to execute with consistency and looked uncomfortable, some of that having to do with the Warriors renewed commitment to defense. After two excellent games in his return from facial surgery, Mike Conley was neutralized by Klay Thompson and had trouble controlling the flow of the game. The Griz also struggled down low with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph missing makeable shots in the paint as the team shot just 19 of 49 from the field.
Two straight convincing losses to the Grizzlies forced the Warriors into what coach Steve Kerr called a “moment of truth” prior to Monday’s game. Their performance showed that the best team in the NBA’s regular season is still very much in contention for the title. Playing with confidence, an unusual defensive plan and improved offensive execution the Warriors were able to pull away from the Griz and never let up. “We set the tone in the first quarter and kept the foot on the gas pedal the whole way, and that’s how we play,” Stephen Curry said.
Naturally the series isn’t over. The Grizzlies have fewer options for adjustments than the Warriors but they are a battle-tested group with a clear identity and the ability to play much better than they did on Monday. The Warriors can’t get complacent thinking that their problems are solved. They avoided their first three-game losing streak of the year, but the challenges of the regular season are far different from that of a seven-game series. Another two-game losing streak will have them wondering where it all went wrong. Memphis won at Oracle once and has played the Warriors tough, but the Dubs have cleared the hurdle and will take the series lead.
Golden State 103, Memphis 94
BookMaker will be the first sportsbook to send out NBA odds for this game. Gamble on the game between every commercial break with BookMaker’s live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen on the next play or how many points will be scored in the next half. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! Bet on the NBA today as the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors square off Wednesday, May 13, 2015, at 10:30 p.m. ET at Oracle Arena. The game will be televised nationally on TNT.
