Memphis Grizzlies vs. Philadelphia 76ers [Friday, February 7, 2020]
Memphis Grizzlies Look to Keep Rolling
Memphis won their second straight and their sixth in the last seven games to climb over the .500 mark by downing Dallas on the road. The Grizzlies entered Thursday third in the Southwest Division, 6.5 games behind the Rockets for the top spot. In the Western Conference playoff picture, the team held the final playoff spot, three games ahead of ninth-place Portland. Memphis trailed by one after one quarter, led by three at the half and broke the game open with a 41-22 third-quarter advantage. The Grizzlies cruised the rest of the way to the victory. The Grizzlies shot 52.8 percent from the field, including 12 of 25 from three-point range, and controlled the glass 52-42. Ja Morant led Memphis with 21 points in the win.
The Grizzlies are 8th in the league in scoring offense as they put up 113.3 points per game on the year. Memphis stands 14th in the league in rebounding with 45.4 boards a night while the team is first by dishing out 27.6 assists per contest. The Grizzlies are 25th in the league in scoring defense as they allow 114.9 points per game on the year. Ja Morant is second on Memphis with 17.4 points plus seven assists per game this season. Dillon Brooks puts up 16.1 points a night while Jonas Valanciunas contributes 15.1 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. Brandon Clarke (12.1 points) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (17.6 points) are solid secondary options. Justise Winslow, Dion Waiters, James Johnson, Grayson Allen, Kyle Anderson and Tyus Jones are important rotation pieces for the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies are 4th in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 47.5 percent from the floor as a team this season. Memphis is tied for 19th in the league with 11.2 three-pointers a night while the team is tied for 15th in three-point shooting as they hit 35.7 percent from beyond the arc this season. Allen is out indefinitely with a hip injury. As a result, the Grizzlies recalled Josh Jackson from the G League to take his spot.
The Grizzlies made a couple deals leading into the trade deadline. They dealt Andre Iguodala, Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill to Miami. In exchange, Memphis received Dion Waiters, Justise Winslow and James Johnson. The Grizzlies also sent Bruno Caboclo to Houston in exchange for Jordan Bell along with an exchange of 2023 second-round picks, in an effort to bolster their rotation.
Philadelphia 76ers Playing Second Game of Back to Back
Philadelphia was in action on the road as they faced the Eastern Conference-leading Bucks Thursday night. The 76ers entered Thursday third in the Atlantic Division, six games behind the Raptors for the top spot. In the Eastern Conference playoff picture, the team stood sixth, 12.5 games behind the Bucks for the top spot. Philadelphia has been excellent at home this season, posting a 22-2 mark so far. In those games, the 76ers average 111.4 ppg while allowing 101.2 ppg at this stage of the year. Philadelphia is 6-2 in the second game of back to back situations this year, outscoring the opposition by an average of 5.9 ppg. The 76ers are 2-3 against Southwest Division opponents with a -5.8 ppg scoring margin in those contests.
The 76ers are 23rd in the league in scoring offense as they put up an average of 108.4 points per game on the year. Philadelphia is 10th by collecting 45.7 rebounds per contest while the team is seventh by dishing out 25.9 assists per game. The 76ers are 3rd in the league in scoring defense as they allow 106.1 points per game this season. Joel Embiid leads Philadelphia with 23.1 points, 12.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game on the year. Tobias Harris puts up 19 points plus 6.7 boards a game, Ben Simmons adds 16.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 2.1 steals a night while Al Horford (12.2 points, 6.7 rebounds) along with Josh Richardson (15 points) are solid contributors on the offensive end. Furkan Korkmaz, Mike Scott, Matisse Thybulle, Alec Burks, Glenn Robinson III and Raul Neto are key reserves for Brett Brown’s group. Philadelphia is 9th in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 46.5 percent from the field as a team on the year. The 76ers are tied for 23rd in the league as they splash 10.8 triples a night while ranking tied for 20th by shooting 34.9 percent from beyond the arc on the year. Richardson suffered a hamstring injury against Toronto January 22 and will be re-evaluated in two to three weeks. The 76ers made a deal Wednesday night, adding Glenn Robinson III and Alec Burks from Golden State in exchange for three second-round picks.
