Golden State Warriors vs Memphis Grizzlies

Both the Warriors and Grizzlies wrapped up the regular season with matching 48-34 records, landing them in seventh and eighth place, respectively, in the Western Conference.

This game marks the third postseason clash between these teams in the past five years. The Grizzlies took the play-in victory in 2022, but the Warriors bounced back to win in the Western Conference semifinals the following year.

Golden State finished the regular season on a high note but stumbled in a critical overtime loss to the Clippers, 124-119, on Sunday. That defeat cost them a top-six seed.

Stephen Curry led with 36 points and six assists, while Jimmy Butler contributed 30 points and nine assists. The Warriors shot an impressive 54% from the field and sank 15 of their 33 three-point shots.

Under Steve Kerr, Golden State dominated the season series against Memphis 3-1, though their one loss was a blowout, falling 144-93 in mid-December last year.

The Warriors averaged 113.8 points per game offensively (17th in the NBA) but shone defensively, allowing just 110.5 points per game (eighth in the league).

On the other hand, the Grizzlies closed their season with a strong 132-97 victory over the Dallas Mavericks at FedExForum on Sunday, clinching the eighth seed in the West.

Stephen Curry managed to play for 38 minutes when the Clippers game happened despite his thumb injury but he seems ready to start this matchup.

Draymond Green will need to perform exceptionally this week because the Grizzlies excel at offensive rebounding and hold the third-best rebounding percentage in the regular season.

The Grizzlies will play this match without Brandon Clarke since he continues to recover from a knee problem while his teammates Bane and Jackson Jr. prepare for their return.

Morant has participated in 50 regular season games this year while maintaining averages of 23.2 points along with 4.1 rebounds and 7.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game at 45.4 field goal percentage and 30.9 three-point percentage.