The San Antonio Spurs are closing in on the sweep. After back-to-back blowout wins, they were finally given a stern test by the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 3, but the brilliance of Kawhi Leonard saved the day on the road. Will the Spurs finally put the overmatched Grizzlies out of their misery in Game 4 of their Western Conference first-round series?
Read on below for our preview of this potential series-clinching game. Meanwhile, don’t forget to also check out our Game 4 preview of the Warriors vs. Rockets.
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San Antonio Spurs vs. Memphis Grizzlies Game 4 Preview
Where: FedEx Forum, Memphis
When: Sunday, April 24, 2016, 1:00 PM ET
Line: San Antonio Spurs (-13) at Memphis Grizzlies (+13); total 183.0 – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: ABC
Betting on the San Antonio Spurs
As good as the Spurs are, it’s still a pretty tough task to get three consecutive blowout wins, especially in the playoffs. And with a massive 12-point spread as road favorites in Game 3, the odds were always against the Spurs to cover for a third-straight game. They eventually fell just short of covering in a 96-87 win.
Thankfully for them, two-time Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard showed he also has some offense to his game. Leonard finished with a career playoff-high 32 points on 11-of-22 shooting (6-of-9 from three), seven rebounds, four steals and five blocks. Very impressive stuff.
The Spurs are only 2-6 ATS in their last eight road games, and 8-12 ATS in the last 20. But they’ve enjoyed good success in Memphis going 8-1 (6-3 ATS) in their last nine visits to the Grindhouse. With a chance to sweep and rest up for the next series, the Spurs should take this Game 4 pretty seriously.
If you’re not fully sold on the Spurs covering, going with the totals is also a good play. The incredible Spurs defense has allowed just 76 PPG in this series, with the under going 6-0 in their last six games.
Betting on the Memphis Grizzlies
After getting straight-up embarrassed in the first two games in San Antonio, the Grizzlies weren’t going to allow themselves to get spanked at the Grindhouse. There’s too much veteran pride on this team, and sure enough, the veterans stepped up big time in Game 3. Zach Randolph led the way with 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Matt Barnes had his own double-double with 17 points and 11 boards.
Memphis is now down 3-0, a deficit no NBA team has ever recovered from. For any other team, that 3-0 deficit would be a signal to pack it in. But these Grizzlies are no ordinary team. Their motto isn’t “Grit ‘n Grind” for nothing. They have too much respect for their fans to get blown out again in what is surely the last home game of the season at the Grindhouse.
It’s a bit much to expect the Grizzlies to go and beat the Spurs, who are far and away the better team. But they can still be reasonably competitive against them, as they were for three quarters in Game 3. They are a tough defensive unit in their own right and won’t make anything easy for the visiting Spurs, who would settle for a win regardless of the margin.
The Grizzlies are 4-0 ATS in their last four home games, and covered the last two as double-digit home underdogs.
Writer’s Prediction
The Spurs win another low-scoring affair, 92-82, but the Grizzlies (+13) manage to cover.
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