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KEY POINTS
- The Memphis Grizzlies are tipped to end their losing streak and prevail over the Indiana Pacers Sunday
- Ja Morant is expected to anchor the Grizzlies anew against the struggling Pacers
- The Pacers need to improve on their offense against a good defensive team like the Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are second in the Western Conference standings but have lost five straight games. They hope to change that when they host the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.
It will be a battle between two reeling teams. The Grizzlies are coming off a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, 100-111, Friday. The Pacers lost to the Milwaukee Bucks on the same day, 131-141.
In their regular season series matchup, the Grizzlies are up 1-0. They won their first meeting against the Pacers, 130-112, earlier this month.
In that loss to the Timberwolves, the Grizzlies’ Ja Morant finished with 27 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. Backing him up were Dillon Brooks with 17 points and Brandon Clarke with 15 markers.
“I called it the road trip of revelations,” Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins stated. “We’re just learning a lot about ourselves, meat of the season. Told the guys at the end of the game, we’ve put ourselves in a still really good spot. We’ve got 30-plus games left and this happens during a season where you have ups and downs.”
Memphis is averaging 116.8 points per game and is seventh in the NBA. They own an offensive rating of 113.8, 12th in the league.
The Grizzlies are giving up 112.5 points per contest, 13th in the league. They are also one of the best defensive teams in the NBA right now, with a defensive rating of 109.7.
For the Pacers, getting back in the win column may not be easy over a top defensive team like Memphis. Their offense needs work, and things are bound to get tougher in their next assignment.
In that loss to the Bucks, the Pacers’ Myles Turner led the way with 24 points, five rebounds and four blocks. Buddy Hield chipped in 22 points, while Bennedict Mathurin contributed 21 markers.
The Pacers are averaging 115.4 points per game, 10th in the league. They have an offensive rating of 112.7, 20th in the NBA.
Defensively, Indiana is surrendering 117.3 points per contest, 25th in the league as of this writing. They tote a defensive rating of 114.8, 25th in the NBA.
The Memphis Grizzlies are -7.5 favorites to win over the Indiana Pacers, which are at +7.5, according to USA Today’s For The Win. The Moneyline for this game is -305 for Memphis and +255 for Indiana.
The Grizzlies will try to get that coveted win when they host the Pacers at the FedEx Forum on Sunday at 6 p.m. EST. The game can be viewed via NBA League Pass. Live streaming is also available via FuboTV.
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