Memphis Grizzlies and the Minnesota Timberwolves square off in the NBA playoffs and Hedgeout.net Team previews the series and picks the winner.
The series tips off on Saturday afternoon in Memphis, as the Grizzlies have the home-court advantage.
Yiannis Bouranis
The Memphis Grizzlies have been unstoppable all year long. Led by superstar guard Ja Morant, the Grizzlies had the second best record in the entire league at the end of the regular season (56-26).
With a young core of talented and extremely motivated players, Memphis is considered the only team that can stop the Phoenix Suns from reaching their second straight NBA Finals.
For that reason, they enter their matchup with the Timberwolves as the favorite not only to qualify, but also dominate the series and make a statement.
On the other hand, Minnesota has had a successful season so far. Thanks to their victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in the play-in game, they advanced to the playoffs for just the second time since 2004.
Despite splitting the season series (2-2), the Timberwolves know they are the underdogs in that battle. However, the performance of their superstar trio will determine how competitive they will be.
If Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards combine for more than 70 points in every game, then the Timberwolves can stretch the series to a potential Game 6 or 7. If not, then I can’t see how Minnesota could win more than one game.
With that in mind, a 4-1 series win for the Memphis Grizzlies is a feasible option.
Alexandros Tsakos
Another interesting matchup between two young and exciting teams that took the NBA by storm in the second part of the season. The Grizzlies are the “Grind” kings of the NBA season, leading the league in all categories regarding effort and hustle.
On the other hand, Minnesota has a delicate trio of superscorers in their squad in Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell.
Considering we did not see Memphis in many close-knit games during the second part of the season, the playoffs will be a new challenge for a young up-and-coming team.
In any case, I expect Ja Morant, who is the best player in the series, to carry his team to the second round, beating the Wolves in six games (4-2).
Filippos Kassotis
The series between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Memphis Grizzlies has a clear favorite and outsider, even though the two teams split the season series (2-2).
Memphis finished second (56-26), matching its best record since the 2012/13 season, when they managed to get till the Western Conference Finals.
The team has gone into a rebuild mode since 2019 and the project has worked perfectly so far, with Ja Morant leading the way. Based on what we saw in the regular season, Memphis looks like the only team capable of eliminating the Phoenix Suns in the West.
Οn the other hand, Minnesota managed to secure a spot in the playoffs, for just the second time in 18 years, finishing seventh (46-36).
Karl-Anthony Towns (24,6 ppg) is the scoring leader of the team, playing alongside D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards. The team is well balanced, but this may not be enough to get past the Grizzlies.
I expect Memphis to dominate the series (4-1) and easily advance to the Western Conference semifinals.
Dimitris Georgiopoulos
Memphis Grizzlies enter the playoffs as Southwest Division champions for the first time ever. They put on a great performance throughout the season (56-26).
Star player Ja Morant (averaging 27.4 points and 6.7 assists) became the first player in Grizzlies’ franchise history to be named an All-Star starter.
For their part, the Minnesota Timberwolves qualified for the playoffs, after their 109-104 win against the Los Angeles Clippers. This will be their second postseason presence in 18 years.
After a rough start, Chris Finch’s guys secured the seventh place in the Western Conference. Key players Karl-Anthony Towns (averaging 24,6 points and 9.8 rebounds) and Anthony Edwards (averaging 21.3 points) have to maintain their performance up versus the Grizzlies.
The two teams split the regular season series (2-2). However, I think that Memphis has more talent, confidence and lust to achieve more in this season. My prediction is that they will win this series in 5 games (4-1).
Aggelos Nikolopoulos
Personally, I find the series between the Grizzlies and the Timberwolves very interesting. It’s a clash between two really good teams, a fact that was proved in the regular season.
In Memphis, they dream again. With their first stunning season in many years and having possibly the next big thing of the association, Ja Morant (he has an amazing year till now), the Grizzlies want to go as far as they can.
The clash with Minnesota can keep the dream alive. But, of course, it won’t be an easy job for the Grizzlies at all.
Besides, they split the season series (2-2). They both won two games at their home court. This fact probably shows that it’s a tougher clash than a usual 2-7 series.
When it comes to the Wolves, it is clear that Karl-Anthony Towns is in a superb situation. Generally, I think they could avoid some painful defeats and enter the playoffs directly, but, of course, we can only talk about the current situation.
For sure, I can’t expect an easy qualification from neither team. I can’t see less than 6 games too. But, I would give the Grizzlies a small lead, considering them more likely to defeat the Wolves on the road.
I could bet a series handicap -1.5 for Memphis (win the series at least 4-2), which I can find in an odd near 1.65 and predict a 4-2 series win for them.
