OKC Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies preview – Jan 11, 2017
By Chris Hughes
Fresh off the back of a victory against the Chicago Bulls, the OKC Thunder will host the Memphis Grizzlies tonight, in the second match-up between the two sides this season. Tip-off is 7:00 PM C.T.
The Chesapeake Energy Arena will be rocking tonight, as the OKC Thunder will be looking to make it three wins on the bounce as they host the Memphis Grizzlies.
But fresh in the players’ minds will be their blow-out loss to the fellow Western Conference side just two weeks ago. That night the Grizzlies strolled to a 80-114 victory, in a game that saw Russell Westbrook ejected.
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However since the win, the Grizzlies have been relatively indifferent, with three wins from five. Among those include a huge comeback against the Golden State Warriors, however before that they produced disappointing performances against the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers.
A win for OKC Thunder tonight would see their 23-16 record equal that of their opponents, whilst a win for Memphis would see them close the gap on the Clippers currently seeded fourth.
At home this season the OKC Thunder have won 14 out of a possible 20 which will give them hope, especially as the Grizzlies boast an indifferent 10-9 record on the road.
Meanwhile Oklahoma’s points per game average has dropped slightly to 106.9 with a 1.9 plus/minus differential. Despite having a plus/minus of 0.7 themselves, the Grizzlies have one of the worst points per game averages in the league, with 99.3.
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Previous Meetings
Despite their loss at the end of the calendar year, the OKC Thunder are still the dominant side against the Grizzlies, with a complete game log reading at 53 wins in favor of OKC. Meanwhile the Grizzlies have won 26, despite winning five of their last eight against tonight’s opponents.
In each of the last three games between the two franchises, one side has been limited to a double-digit points return, with the narrowest margin of victory being 18 points.
Russell Westbrook has led the Thunder in scoring in two of the last four occasions against Memphis, and last season led the side in assists in each match up against the franchise.
However in the only match-up this season, the MVP candidate was ejected, having failed to land a single assist in the entire game.
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Key Players and Predicted Starters
For the Thunder, they will be ever-reliant on Russell Westbrook tonight, who will look to make amends for his disappointing display against the Grizzlies last time out.
Russ is still narrowly averaging a triple-double for the season, with a stat-line of 31.2 points, 10.4 assists and 10.6 rebounds. After stepping up his game from beyond the arc in the games against the Houston Rockets and the Denver Nuggets, the point guard returned to the norm against the Bulls on Monday, converting just one-of-seven from three-point range.
Meanwhile Cameron Payne will hope to lead the second unit having returned from injury against Denver. The young guard scored eight points off of a 75-percent conversion rate against the Nuggets, before producing a less impressive performance against Chicago.
As ever, Enes Kanter will look to produce off the bench, with the big man having shot double figures in each of his last four appearances.
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Predicted line-up:
- Point Guard: Russell Westbrook
- Shooting Guard: Victor Oladipo
- Small Forward: Andre Roberson
- Power Forward: Domantas Sabonis
- Center: Steven Adams
Notable Substitutes: Enes Kanter (C, PF), Cameron Payne (PG).
Meanwhile for the Memphis Grizzlies, they will look to duo Mike Conley and Marc Gasol to lead the way en-route to victory. The latter is leading the side in points per game with just shy of 20, whilst Conley is averaging 18.7 on top of a team-high 6.0 assists.
What’s more, Memphis have been helped along the way thanks to solid roster depth, with both Zach Randolph and Troy Daniels averaging double-figures off the bench. The former is leading the side in rebounds with an average of 7.8 per game, despite getting just 23.2 minutes of basketball per game.
Randolph led his side in scoring during the Grizzlies’ sensational over-time comeback against the Warriors last week, with the experienced Indiana native having scored at least ten points in all of his last nine games.
Predicted Line-up:
- Point Guard: Mike Conley
- Shooting Guard: Tony Allen
- Small Forward: James Ennis
- Power Forward: JaMychal Green
- Center: Marc Gasol
Notable Substitutes: Zach Randolph (PF), Troy Daniels (SG).
Injuries and Game Specifics
For the first time all season, the OKC Thunder boast a clean bill of health, with guards Victor Oladipo and Cameron Payne both back and playing after their respective setbacks.
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Meanwhile for the Grizzlies, they will remain without power forward Brandan Wright, however the 29-year-old is reportedly hoping to make his season debut later this month. Both JaMychal Brown (injured) and Chandler Parsons (DNP coaches decision) will be featured, with the duo having fully returned after missing the loss against the Clippers last week.
The game tips off at 7:00 PM central time and can be watched on both Fox Sports Oklahoma and Fox Sports South East. You can also listen along at WWLS 98.1FM OKC.
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