Preview: San Antonio Spurs at Memphis Grizzlies – Game #33
Devin Vassell and the Spurs will try to get a win in Memphis (Photo via Twitter)
The San Antonio Spurs have lost two games in a row but will try to get back on the winning track tonight against the Memphis Grizzlies. At 5-27, the Spurs have the worst record in the Western Conference and the second worst record in the entire league. The Grizzlies, who have a record of 10-22, are currently the 13th seed in the West — ahead of only the Spurs and the Portland Trail Blazers.
Most recently, the Spurs were blown out by the Boston Celtics by a final score of 134-101. Rookie big man Victor Wembanyama was productive but a lot of his teammates struggled (see the Grades). After tonight’s road game against the Grizzlies, the Spurs go back to San Antonio to host the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.
The Grizzlies are also dealing with a losing streak. After winning four straight contests, Memphis has now lost three in a row. In their last outing, they got blown out at home by the Sacramento Kings, 123-92.
The Return of Ja Morant
After being suspended for the first 25 games of the season, Ja Morant is back in uniform for the Grizzlies. In his first four games, the Grizzlies were 4-0 and looked ready to climb the Western Conference standings. However, Memphis has now lost two straight games in which Morant has played.
On the season, Morant is averaging 25.2 points, 7.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds. He is hitting 46.7% from the field and 82.9% from the line in his six games, however he has hit only 5-of-29 three-pointers (17.2%).
San Antonio Spurs Injury Update
There is good news on the injury front for the Spurs. Keldon Johnson, who missed the game against the Celtics due to back spasms, is listed as probable for tonight’s game versus the Grizzlies. He is averaging 17.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.
Zach Collins remains out for San Antonio. The Spurs are saying he will miss 2-to-4 weeks with an ankle injury. That means he could be out until the end of January.
San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineup
The Spurs will likely go with the same starting lineup of Victor Wembanyama at center, Jeremy Sochan at power forward, Julian Champagnie at small forward, Devin Vassell at shooting guard and Malaki Branham at point guard. The main players off the bench will be Keldon Johnson (assuming he can play) and Tre Jones.
Replacing Zach Collins in the rotation will be either Dominick Barlow or Sandro Mamukelashvili.
Betting Guide: Spurs at Grizzlies
The Grizzlies are favored by 11 points and the over/under is 236 points. With San Antonio’s defense struggling as of late, the smart money is on the over. The Spurs are also relatively healthy, which should help their offensive attack succeed.