The Memphis Grizzlies are the hottest team in the NBA and are riding sky-high on a franchise-best, nine-game winning streak thanks to the exuberant Ja Morant. The Grizzlies battle the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night in a must-see TV matchup on NBA TV, with Klay Thompson back in the lineup for the Warriors, and the Grizzlies on the verge of a double-digit winning streak.
Morant became the NBA’s Player of the Week in the Western Conference in back-to-back weeks, which is the first time that’s happened for the Grizzlies. It’s also the first time this season that any player won the POW in consecutive weeks.
Last week, Morant led the Grizzlies to a 5-0 record, including a big win in Brooklyn against the Nets and a sweep of the Los Angeles teams with back-to-back wins in Tinsel Town against the Lakers and Clippers.
The Grizzlies hold down the #4 spot in the Western Conference playoff seeding, but they’re just a half-game back from catching the Utah Jazz in the #3 seed. Betting-wise, the Grizzlies are the second-best team in the NBA with a 27-15 ATS record.
Morant: the block
Not only did the Grizzlies beat the Lakers on their home court, Morant came away with one of the craziest blocked shots in recent memory. Morant’s highlight is worthy of a Top Shot NFT.
It’s been a couple of days since “the block” from Morant, and people are still talking about how he defied gravity and resembled a superhero with his defensive move.
“They got rockets in his calf muscles,” said LeBron James. “It was a spectacular play. Salute.”
Morant, 22, has emerged as one of the most exciting players in the NBA, and he’s only in his third season. He averages 24.7 points, 6.7 assists, and 24.7 assists per game.
DraftKings listed Morant at +4500 odds to win the MVP, but if he played in a bigger media market like LA or NYC, then he’d be mentioned in the same breath as Kevin Durant and Steph Curry.
On Deck: Warriors, Bulls, Bucks
The Grizzlies won six games on the road during their nine-game winning streak. They return to Grind City for a four-game homestand over the next seven days where we’ll really get to see how the Grizzlies stack up against two top teams in the Eastern Conference, and the best team in the West.
On Tuesday, the Grizzlies (28-14) host the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors are tied with the Phoenix Suns for the best record in the NBA at 30-9. The Grizzlies come into this game as a +2 home dog.
Later in the week, the Grizzlies host the Minnesota Timberwolves (20-20) and Chicago Bulls (26-11) in back-to-back games. They have the weekend off before Giannis “Greek Freak” Antetokounmpo and the defending-champion Milwaukee Bucks (26-17) visit Memphis next Monday.
The Grizzlies are +4500 odds to win the 2022 NBA Championship, and +2200 odds to win the Western Conference. In Southwest Division futures betting, the Grizzlies are the favorite to dethrone the Dallas Mavericks at -280 odds.