These are two young and flashy teams who meet this night at 2 am French time on the floor of Memphis. On the one hand, the Grizzlies are the hosts and on the other, the Minnesota Timberwolves on the move for an opposition that promises to be crisp and electric.
A wind of freshness and rebirth,
They are, if not themselves, the greatest attraction to date in the NBA. The Grizzlies since it is who they are are arguably the biggest surprise of the season as they gaze dizzily at the top of the conference currently holding the No. 3 seed in the West while we weren’t really expecting them. The T-Wolves meanwhile are out of the box for the time being in the playoffs area but seem much better than in recent years. It must be said that they have finally matured and acquired after many setbacks a conqueror’s mentality. Indeed, a real change has taken place since the arrival of Anthony Edwards, with Minnesota as a corollary, which is undeniably increasing in power. And when we look more closely, we are entitled to think that the opposition of this night could become very frequent in the play-offs the next few years as the two franchises are promised a flashy future.
The forces involved and the current dynamics,
On January 12, the Timberwolves hunkered down for their last game against the New Orleans Pelicans after four straight wins. They had victory at their fingertips before a 03 point shot from Brandon Ingram in the last second pilloried a consistency of victories they longed to perpetuate. It must be said that their previous performances have been rather refreshing because Minnesota has disposed during the last confrontations of the Clippers, OKC twice without forgetting Houston.
This new failure could resurface their lifelong demon: inconstancy. A recurrence in the non-repetition of victories which has already played many tricks on Chris Finch’s foals in the past. This is why they must find the verve to set off again in the face of the Grizzlies even if the mission promises to be thorny. However, they can count on an Anthony Edwards found, author against New Orleans by 28 points making six three-pointers on 12 attempts. What about the other caciques? KAT scored 26 points and received eight rebounds while D’Angelo Russell added 18 points and 10 assists. Malik Beasley also contributed to the game with 18 points, all coming from the center including 6 of 8 shots.
The Memphis Grizzlies have won 10 straight games, most recently against the Golden State Warriors at home, 116-108. This victory is the ultimate proof that this team must be considered as a talkative outsider and that it has what it takes to make sparks in the play-offs. It is not hyperbole to think so and especially to affirm it as their scout Ja Morant is currently surfing in the dynasty of the sphinxes. We can always argue to be sissy in view of this confrontation that they will not have Steven Adams and Dillon Brooks but this is not a problem for the team of Taylor Jenkins, one of the most resistant and more opaque to injuries in the NBA. We’ve seen them win playoffs even without Morant around, let alone unavailable sidekicks.
The previous confrontations this season,
Le 09 novembre 2021 : Memphis Grizzlies 125 – 118 Minnesota Timberwolves
Le 21 novembre 2021 : Minnesota Timberwolves 138 – 95 Memphis Grizzlies
The statistical leaders of each team
Points :
Ja Morant (Grizzlies) 24.9 points
Karl Anthony Towns (Timberwolves) 24.6 points
Rebounds:
Steven Adams (Grizzlies) 9.4 rebonds
Karl Anthony Towns (Timberwolves) 9.3 rebonds
Assists :
Ja Morant (Grizzlies) 6.7 passes
D’Angelo Russell (Timberwolves) 7.0 passes
The NBA night program (Thursday, January 13, 2022)
Milwaukee Bucks – Golden State Warriors à 01h30
New Orleans Pelicans – Los Angeles Clippers à 02h
Brooklyn Nets – Oklahoma City Thunder à 02h30
Denver Nuggets – Portland Trail Blazers à 04h
Aremou Rare