The No. 5 Memphis Grizzlies (4-2 SU, 3-2-1 ATS) will attempt to even their Western Conference semifinal series with the No. 1 Golden State Warriors (5-0 SU, 2-3 ATS) Tuesday. You can watch the game live on TNT.
The Grizzlies will try and even the series by doing what only two other teams accomplished all season – win at Oracle Arena. It won’t be easy if starting point guard Mike Conley remains out of the lineup. Without Conley the Grizzlies fell 101-86 Sunday in Game One and its unlikely he plays on Tuesday.
After waiting eight days to play its first game of the second round, the Warriors showed no rust in easily handling the Grizzlies to get an early jump in the series. The Warriors won their 21st straight game at Oracle and improved to 42-2 this season by knocking off the Grizzlies for the second time. The teams cashed the under on Sunday and three of four games this season have ended below the total.
KEY INJURY
Grizzlies guard Mike Conley is not expected to play Tuesday as he recovers from surgery to repair multiple fractured facial bones. Conley has missed the last three playoff games with the Griz going 1-2 and said he has “no idea” whether he’ll play on Tuesday.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“Whether it’s a flashy up-tempo game or whether it’s an 87-83 game, we feel like we have enough pieces and versatility to win all sorts of ways now. Our defense is going to show up. That’s what we’re going to bank on for the whole series.” – Warriors guard Stephen Curry
BETTING TRENDS
- Memphis is 6-2-1 ATS in its last nine games overall.
- Golden State is 2-6 ATS in its last eight home games.
- The UNDER is 3-1-1 in Golden States five postseason games.
KEY STATS
21: The Warriors won their 21st straight home game with Sunday’s triumph and are 42-2 at Oracle Arena this season.
12: Memphis attempted just 12 three-point shots Sunday and had fewer attempts than the Warriors 13 made three-point baskets in the game. The Griz made three three-pointers and the Warriors launched 28 threes.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Even at full strength it’ll be tough for Memphis to win this series. Take starting point guard Mike Conley out of the equation and the Grizzlies’ chances decrease even more. The Griz are built around dominating frontcourt players Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph and don’t expect the backcourt to win games. But Conley adds an element that extends defenses with his long-range shooting and makes proper decisions getting the ball to teammates who have an edge on the offensive end. His defense was missed in Game One as the Warriors shot over 50 percent from the field.
The Warriors didn’t skip a beat after a six-day layoff, jumping on the Grizzlies early and extending their lead to as many as 20 points in the second half before settling for the 101-86 victory. The sweet-shooting backcourt of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson again led the Warriors, who shot a blistering 50.6 percent. Curry, who scored a game-high 22 points, pushed the pace from start to finish and the Grizzlies never could slow Golden State down.
Don’t map out the Warriors’ championship parade route just yet, however. Memphis delivered one of Golden State’s 15 losses this season and proved they can play with West’s top-seeded team. The Griz had the league’s second-best scoring defense during the regular season but they need to be more efficient on offense and score better than 86 points to keep pace with the Warriors. Without Mike Conley, Memphis just doesn’t have enough firepower and it’s hard to keep the Warriors off the scoreboard with the shooters they have.
Golden State 104, Memphis 96
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 Tuesday, May 5, 2015, at 10:30 p.m. ET at Oracle Arena. The game will be televised nationally on TNT.
