Memphis Grizzlies meeting Golden State Warriors on season-worst stretch
The Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies will renew their rivalry on Wednesday when they meet at Chase Center for the second time this season, with both teams having come off losses over the past few days.
Memphis have solidified themselves as a top two team in the Western Conference at 31-16, while the reigning champion Warriors have battled to a surprisingly poor 23-24 record through 47 games this season.
Despite their impressive record to date, the Memphis Grizzlies will meet the Golden State Warriors on the back of a three-game losing streak.
The Grizzlies’ have losses to the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings to open their West Coast road-trip, with it also signifying their first three-game losing streak of the season. They collapsed to a 133-100 loss to the Kings on Monday, though superstar Ja Morant was absent for the matchup.
Morant isn’t listed on the injury report, meaning he’ll resume his battle with Stephen Curry for the first time since last year’s Western Conference Semifinals. Golden State got an upset win over Memphis on Christmas Day without Curry and Andrew Wiggins.
Speaking of Wiggins, the Warriors’ forward will need to find some form if his team is to get another one up on the Grizzlies. The Canadian is averaging just 12.4 points on 34% shooting from the field and 22.7% from three-point range in seven games since since returning from an adductor strain.
There’s contrasting fortunes for a couple of opposing big men — James Wiseman is ‘probable’ to return for Golden State after missing 11 games with an ankle sprain, while Steven Adams will miss an extended period for Memphis with a knee injury. Xavier Tillman started in Adams’ absence in the loss to the Kings.
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The Grizzlies can afford multiple losses in a row, particularly given they’d just gone on an 11-game winning streak. But for the Warriors, they can ill-afford to lose consecutive games again and fall even further into the pits of the Western Conference.