Posted 2/06 at 8:46 AM
There is no question that the Grizzlies are probably frustrated with their performance last night against the Houston Rockets, but luckily they’ll have a chance to correct their errors tonight in Minnesota.
The Grizzlies are by no means desperate for a win with 32 games remaining, but if ever there was a time for Memphis to have a team like the Timberwolves on their schedule the time is now. The Grizzlies have had a grueling schedule of late, with 10 of their last 11 opponents holding a record above .500. The Grizzlies managed to go 6-5 during the stretch, but if they hope to make a push towards the postseason they are going to have to win at a higher clip than that. Which is where the Timberwolves come in. No team in the NBA can be taken for granted, and on any given night any team can walk away with a victory, but at 12-38, the Timberwolves might be just what the doctor ordered for this Grizzlies team. The Grizzlies need to come away with a win tonight, because after tonight there are no breaks on the horizon with four straight games against viable postseason contenders.
Here are a few things to watch for in tonight’s contest…
Remember last time: The last time the Grizzlies met up with the Minnesota Timberwolves they put together arguably their best offensive showing of the season, scoring a season-high 135 points on nearly .600 from the field and .500 from three. The Grizzlies were up-and-down the floor putting on an absolute show at FedExForum. Whether the Grizzlies can duplicate that same kind of offensive effort tonight in Minnesota is the question. In that game on Jan. 13 the Grizzlies got 20+ point performances from Zach Randolph, O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay. In the last two contest none of those three players has cracked 16 points. The Grizzlies will need a big scoring night out of at least one of those three players, especially considering the fact that the Timberwolves have won two of their last three games.
Three-point land tells the tale: For a team that is built from the inside out with the top rebounding duo in the NBA and an All-Star power forward, their ability to hit from behind the arc has become a major indicator of success for this team. The Grizzlies two best months this season have been January (10-5 record, .384 from three) and December (9-4 record, .348 from three). The Grizzlies have struggled in other months, shooting below .300 in November, October and February, all three of which the Grizzlies failed to go above .500 for the month. The Grizzlies will need to turn that trend around tonight against the Timberwolves, and will rely on O.J. Mayo and Mike Conley to put them on the right track.
Matchup of the night: The matchup of the night will be at the four spot, where Zach Randolph will look to get back on track after two sub-par performances by his All-Star standards. It won’t necessarily be an easy task against Kevin Love, but the last time the two met Randolph finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds to Love’s 14 points and nine rebounds. Randolph has failed to reach a double double in consecutive games for the first time since mid-December, so its safe to say that he’ll be locked in tonight as he looks to help create momentum for the Grizzlies heading into the All-Star break.
Stat of the night: The Grizzlies struggles against the best division in basketball, which also so happens to be their own-the Southwest Division, has been documented in this space. The Grizzlies challenges with the Southwest Division pale in comparison to that of the Timberwolves, who are currently 0-10 against team from the Southwest Division, which includes two earlier losses this season to the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies would like to keep that trend going tonight.
Posted 2/06 at 8:46 AM
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C’mon Memphis, go for the win!!!