San Antonio Spurs vs. Memphis Grizzlies Game 3 Preview
Where: FedExForum, Memphis, TN
When: Thursday, April 20, 2017, 9:30 PM ET
Line: San Antonio Spurs (-4) at Memphis Grizzlies (+4); total: 188.0 – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: TNT
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Betting on the San Antonio Spurs (-170)
Nobody owns the Memphis Grizzlies in the postseason like the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs took Game 2 of the best-of-seven series this Monday, 96-82, to further extend their playoff win streak over Memphis to 10 games.
Nobody from the Grizzlies has been able to stop MVP candidate Kawhi Leonard, who set a new playoff-career-high of 37 points a game after he had just broken that same personal best with 32 points in Game 1. This time around, Leonard was unstoppable from the charity stripe, hitting all 19 of his free-throw attempts. He’s now made a mind-boggling 47 of 51 shots from two-point and free-throw ranges in the playoffs.
For the Spurs to prevent an Game 3 upset in the Music City, they’ve got to continue cashing in on freebies in the series. They made 18 more free throws than the Grizzlies in Game 2, and have just missed a total of one free-throw attempt in 32 trips to the line through the first two contests.
Still, San Antonio shouldn’t let its guard down at all because the team has got to do a better job at finding good looks on the floor. The Spurs shot just 37.8 percent from the field on Monday compared to Memphis’ 45.9 percent. Game 2 also marked the first time in five games that Greg Popovich and his boys won a contest after being held to a double-digit scoring effort.
Betting on the Memphis Grizzlies (+150)
Another showdown against the Spurs, another loss for the Memphis Grizzlies. However, at least the team showed up with much better urgency on Monday than they did in Game 1.
Mike Conley bounced back from a 5-of-14 shooting night in the series opener with 24 points and eight assists in Game 2, while Zach Randolph emerged from the bench as San Antonio’s worst playoff threat once more. Randolph recorded his 21st double-double of the season with 18 points and 10 boards to go with three steals after tallying just six points and three rebounds in Game 1.
As we mentioned earlier, the Grizzlies actually played some fantastic defense by forcing San Antonio to make their shots from the free-throw line rather than the perimeter. Although their foul-happy ways came back to haunt them, it’s still an encouraging sign that they forced the Spurs to commit 14 turnovers while only being called for just eight themselves.
Then again, with shut-down defender Tony Allen (right calf) slated to miss another game, the Grizz would need another dominant defensive showing from the rest of the team on Thursday to stay alive in the playoffs. With the next two games set to be played at FedExForum, there’s no better time than now for them to gain ground in the series. The Grizzlies won both of their regular-season contests at home against the Spurs by a combined margin of 23 points.
Writer’s Prediction
Memphis (+4) wins a close one, 98-94, to finally snap its lengthy playoff losing streak to the Spurs.
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