Spoiler:
ESPNClippers' high-scoring offense faces Grizzlies' tough defense
The Memphis Grizzlies hope for a fairer shake from the referees when they seek to avenge an earlier overtime defeat in a rematch with the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.
The clubs met Nov. 23 in Los Angeles, with the Clippers rallying late in regulation to tie before earning a 112-107 overtime win in a game in which they were awarded 27 free throws and the Grizzlies just 18.
The matchup pairs the NBA's fourth-leading defense (Grizzlies, 103.1 points per game) against the third-leading offense (Clippers, 117.7).
The Clippers have scored 100 or more points in 22 straight games after being held to 98 by Denver in the opener. The Grizzlies, meanwhile, have held eight opponents under 100.
The game features two of the league's top rookies.
The Clippers have gone 11-3 since inserting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander into the starting lineup. The 11th overall selection of the draft has averaged 12.1 points and shot 47 percent over that stretch.
The Grizzlies, meanwhile, inserted their No. 4 overall pick, Jaren Jackson Jr., into the starting lineup in the third game of the season.
Stats LLCThe Memphis Grizzlies are experiencing their first speedbump in a quick start while the Brooklyn Nets are encountering massive struggles in fourth quarters of late.
Off to a respectable start after losing 60 games, the Grizzlies take a three-game losing streak into Friday's visit to the Brooklyn Nets, who are on a five-game home losing streak after a pair of nightmarish fourth quarters.
The Grizzlies bolted to a 12-5 start. Since then, Memphis dropped games to the Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors. The losses to the Clippers and Knicks featured third-quarter collapses while Tuesday's 122-114 loss to the Raptors saw the Grizzlies blow a 17-point lead and get outscored 29-17 in the fourth quarter.
"I think it's a blip," Memphis coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "There's no reason to panic. We'll be fine. It's not like we're out here getting our doors kicked in. We're putting ourselves in position. We just have to finish."
Against the best team in the league, the Grizzlies held a 76-59 lead on a tip-in by Kyle Anderson with 10:09 left in the third. Then they were outscored 63-38 the rest of the way.
While winning 12 of their first 17 games, the Grizzlies allowed 99.6 points per game on 44.8 percent shooting, including 34.6 percent from 3-point range and forcing 17.3 turnovers. In the three losses, Memphis allowed 108.6 points, 45.7 percent shooting and 11.6 turnovers.
it's the greatest rivalry in Canadian Basketball lore.
The Sports ExchangeThe Toronto Raptors will seek to improve upon their unbeaten road record against Western Conference teams when they visit the resurgent Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night. In the Grizzlies, Toronto will be seeing a team that also has a winning record against Western teams this season (8-5) while compiling a 7-2 home record.
Memphis has lost two in a row, after a five-game winning streak that included a win over another of the East's top teams, the Milwaukee Bucks. The Grizzlies are coming off an emotional home loss to the New York Knicks in fired coach David Fizdale's return to Memphis.
Grizzly Bear BluesMatchup of the Night
The easy answer here is Kyle Anderson versus Kawhi Leonard, a battle of former Spurs members. You can even go with Mike Conley and former Grizzly Kyle Lowry. Let’s get a little edgy here though, because I got something that NBA Twitter will salivate at.
The Jaren Jackson and Pascal Siakam matchup isn’t necessarily the sexiest pick in the world. However, both of these players give you a glimpse of both the modern NBA and the future of basketball as a whole. Siakam looks like a frontrunner for the Most Improved Player award, as he’s transformed his entire game. He has evolved into a position-less maestro — bringing the ball up in both half-court and fast-break scenarios, becoming a deft playmaker, improving his 3-point shooting touch, and serving as a dangerous switchable defender. As the Raptors have evolved into a juggernaut, the arrival of Kawhi Leonard surely helps, but Siakam’s emergence into a two-way beast gives Lowry and Leonard a legitimate third-wheel.
Meanwhile, in Memphis, Jaren Jackson has turned heads, especially with his recent performance (16 points, 6-6 shooting from the field, 4-4 from downtown, 6 rebounds and 7 blocks).
