The hottest team in the West takes on the hottest team in the East tonight in Boston. Both teams have been playing excellent basketball as of late and have been moving up in the standings. When two teams with incredible momentum face-off, which team will be the winning NBA pick? Let’s break down the NBA odds for this matchup!
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Boston Celtics
Thursday, March 03, 2022 – 07:30 PM EST at TD Garden
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies continue to prove what a fantastic basketball team they are. The Grizzlies are led by Ja Morant, who is coming off a career-high 52 points against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night. The 52 points scored was the first over 50 point scoring performance in Memphis Grizzlies franchise history.
Morant was electrifying, scoring at will, controlling the pace of the game. He provided one of the year's best highlights, a slam dunk over 7 ft. tall Jakob Poeltl. With the way that Morant is playing, it is hard to ignore him as a legitimate MVP candidate.
The Spurs were hanging tough until Morant added 13 consecutive points in the fourth quarter to open up an insurmountable lead. Morant continues to top his own performances because he's coming off a previous career-high of 46 points in Chicago on Saturday night.
The Memphis team is playing well and Morant's elite play is leading the way. The win moved the Grizzlies to 43-20 on the year. The Grizzlies are 8-2 in their last 10 contests. If the Grizzlies continue to play like this they have a great chance to overtake the Golden State Warriors and earn the second seed in the Western Conference.
Ja Morant is not the only player on the Grizzlie playing well. We have seen many cases in the NBA where one player is playing outstanding, yet the team cannot get wins. This is not the case in Memphis where the whole team is raising their level with their star.
Morant's play has also coincided with the development of Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. Desmond Bane is a second-year guard who has definitely raised his level of play this season. Bane's sharp shooting from behind the 3-point line provides space for his teammates and an excellent outlet in the half-court setting. Bane is currently shooting 40.8% from behind the arc this season.
Jaren Jackson Jr. is averaging 16 points and 6 rebounds per game while playing some of the best defense in the NBA. The 6’11” Jackson is strong enough to be a rim protector down low yet quick enough to handle switches on the perimeter against most forwards. Jackson's versatile defensive ability has shut down his opponents on the inside and on the outside. He has definitely been one of the reasons why the Grizzlies are one of the best defensive teams in the league this year.
The Grizzlies are currently 11th in the league in defensive rating, a great improvement from last season. Combine that with their high-powered offense, which is second in the league in points per game at 113.9, you have the recipe for continued success.
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Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics have also raised their level of play in 2022 and are 8-2 in their last 10. They have a higher point differential than the Memphis Grizzlies. Boston is +5.4 Memphis is +4.8. Their current starting lineup has the best net rating of any starting lineup in the NBA. The Celtics starting lineup net rating in 309 minutes played together is +27.8. The next highest net rating is 7 points lower; Minnesota is +20.8.
The Celtics had a scare on Tuesday night, however, when Jaylen Brown had to go to the locker room with an ankle injury. The Celtics were still able to overcome the Atlanta Hawks even with the loss of Brown. In spite of Brown’s injury, the Celtics ended up prevailing 107-98. Jayson Tatum took over the game in the absence of Brown and had 37 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists.
The win was the Celtics’ third win in four games since the All-Star break. This was also their first home game after the All-Star break. Jaylen Brown will miss tonight's game with an injured ankle. Still, even without Brown, they are a formidable team.
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Key Matchup
Marcus Smart vs. Ja Morant. The Celtics have an impressive offense, but their turnaround this season has been keyed on their defensive play. The addition of Derrick White at the trade deadline makes the Celtics backcourt one of the best defensive backcourts in the league. As good as Derek White is on defense though, the Celtics defensive stopper is Marcus Smart. Marcus Smart is a hard-nosed player who has no qualms about getting physical with his opponent. His fierce defensive intensity has shut down many great players. He will now use his defensive prowess to try and slow down the hottest player in the league, Ja Morant.
If Morant is able to continue his record-breaking performances, the Memphis Grizzlies have a great chance to win.
If Marcus Smart is able to shut down Morant, the Celtics will be in a great position to get the victory.
Best Bet
As good a defender as Smart is, the Grizzlies will get the victory tonight. The Grizzlies are a more complete team when you factor in the loss of the Celtics second best player, and they have been playing the best basketball in the NBA.
Ja Morant will have a big game, and the Memphis supporting cast will shine through. Today's Play of the Day is the Memphis Grizzlies -3 with one of BMR's top-rated sportsbooks.
NBA Pick: Memphis Grizzlies -3.5 (-110) at Bovada (visit our Bovada Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
