Grizzlies vs. Warriors NBA Playoffs Game 4 Predictions and Pick (Archive)
The Golden State Warriors can take a 3-1 lead over the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 4 on TNT this Monday evening. Golden State shot lights out in Game 3’s 142-112 blowout win, a game that saw Ja Morant leave late with a knee injury. Is the season slipping away from Memphis?
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Golden State Warriors
Monday, May 9, 2022 – 10:00 PM EDT at Chase Center
The Warriors (45-41-4 ATS) are a 10-point favorite over the Grizzlies (57-33-1 ATS) at BMR’s top-rated sportsbooks. Memphis is 13-7 ATS as an underdog of at least three points this season, but this may be too much to overcome with the Warriors playing so well.
Game 3 Recap: Warriors 142, Grizzlies 112
At the start of Game 3, it looked like the Grizzlies were going to keep their hot three-point shooting alive while the Warriors were shooting blanks again after a terrible Game 2 performance. But in typical Golden State fashion, the Warriors came storming back and turned a 13-point deficit into a 30-point blowout win.
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Golden State shot 63.1% from the field, the team’s best game all season. This was even with Steph Curry shooting 2-of-8 from three. He still scored 30 points thanks to making all 14 of his free throws. Klay Thompson also had his best game of the series with 21 points and nine rebounds. It was the first time all season the Grizzlies allowed over 140 points in a game.
Ja Morant had another 34-point game for Memphis as he continued to shoot the three the best he ever had in this series. But he limped off the court about halfway through the fourth quarter after coming into contact with Jordan Poole. Morant tweeted, which has since been deleted, that Poole broke the code on this play.
This was in reference to Golden State coach Steve Kerr saying that Memphis’ Dillon Brooks “broke the code” when he injured Gary Payton II on a flagrant foul in Game 2.
Incredibly, there has been a player ejected in all three games of this series as the tensions are running high. Memphis’ Kyle Anderson drew two technical fouls after arguing with a referee. No flagrant hit this time, but it was still an ejection.
Similar to how Klay Thompson was struggling, Desmond Bane found his shot for the first time this series and made four threes, but overall, it wasn’t enough support behind Morant for the Grizzlies to overcome such an incredible shooting night from the Warriors.
Can the Grizzlies Win Without Morant?
It would be a shame if Morant does not return to action in this matchup because he has been sensational to watch. It would also be ironic if Memphis’ season came down to winning without Morant, because doing so well without Morant was a major part of why the Grizzlies are the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
Memphis started this season 20-2 in games without Morant, a mind-bending record for a roster that does not feature anyone with a single career All-Star selection outside of Morant.
Memphis played so well without Morant that the Grizzlies are actually 1.7 Net Points worse with Morant on the court this season compared to when he is off according to Basketball-Reference. But the playoffs have been a different story as Memphis is plus-19.9 Net Points better with Morant on the court.
Morant has especially been a dominant figure in this Golden State series as he has made four or more threes in all three games, something he’s never done before in his career.
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Desmond Bane and Dillon Brooks had a lot to do with Memphis’ success without Morant, but Bane has been having a poor series and Brooks was doing very little even before he got ejected in Game 2 and suspended for Game 3. He is going to have to do so much more, but he has been feast or famine this postseason.
The Grizzlies are well-coached and have adjusted after losses and without playing with Morant this season. But if the Warriors come anywhere close to shooting as they did in Game 3, this series is not going to last much longer regardless if Morant heals like Wolverine.
Predictions
Memphis was 19-10 ATS after a loss this season, the third-best record in the league. It would seem likely that the Warriors win this game at home but look for the Grizzlies to fight hard without Morant in what is essentially a must-win game for the team. The Warriors will cool down from Saturday night and the Grizzlies should have enough to not lose by double digits and cover this spread for your NBA picks.
Score Prediction: Warriors 117, Grizzlies 108
NBA Pick: Grizzlies +10 (-110) at Bovada (visit our Bovada Review)
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