ATLANTA vs MEMPHIS
When: 12/26/2020 5:00 PM
Where:

TV: 5:00 PM
LINE: 1.5
PREDICTION: MEMPHIS , ATLANTA

Oddsmakers currently have the MEMPHIS listed as 1.5 point favorites versus the ATLANTA, while the game’s total is sitting at 238.

The Atlanta Hawks and Memphis Grizzlies saw a lot of each other during the preseason.

Now they meet Saturday in Memphis in a game that counts.

Both teams opened the season Wednesday. The Hawks hammered the Chicago Bulls 124-104 on the road, while the Grizzlies were whipped 131-119 at home by the San Antonio Spurs.

The teams split two games during the preseason with the Grizzlies winning the first game 128-106, but the Hawks winning the return match 117-116.

The Grizzlies easily defeated the Hawks in both meetings last year and have won the last three head-to-head contests at home. Last season, Memphis won by 39 in Atlanta to set a franchise record for its largest road victory. Five days later the Grizzlies won by 17 in Memphis.

In the season-opener Wednesday, the Grizzlies wasted a career-high 44 points from Ja Morant, one shy of matching the franchise record. Last year’s NBA Rookie of the Year scored 34 points in the second half, but was disappointed with the loss.

“I’m not happy at all,” said Morant, who also had nine assists in the opener. “We came up short. So, learning from this game and prepare for the next.”

Morant totaled 37 points and 11 assists in two games against Atlanta last season.

Jonas Valanciunas scored 15 points and had 13 rebounds in the opener. He has been a matchup problem for the Hawks for years and last season had 27 points and 17 rebounds in their second meeting. He averages 12.8 points and 9.2 rebounds in 24 career games against Atlanta.

“We have this group we think is genuinely special,” Memphis GM Zach Kleiman said. “It’s on me, it’s on us to continue to grow this group, to continue to build.”

Atlanta had a great shooting night in the opener, scored 42 points in the first quarter, 41 in the second quarter and led 83-59 at halftime. The Hawks shot 53.8 percent from the floor and had seven players in double figures.

Trae Young scored 37 with seven assists and six rebounds in 26 minutes. Young was 10-for-12 from the field and 5-for-6 on 3-pointers.

“Just being able to go out there and put on a show in the first game was really good,” Young said. “Not every night obviously is going to be like this, but it’s really good to have an opening game like this.”

Free-agent signees Bogdan Bogdanovic (15 points, seven rebounds) and Danilo Gallinari (13 points) had successful Atlanta debuts. Holdovers Cam Reddish (15 points) and John Collins (14 points) were equally dependable.

“All of our guys played well,” Atlanta coach Lloyd Pierce said.

Atlanta held out Kris Dunn (right knee), Clint Capela (sore left Achilles), Rajon Rondo (COVID-19 protocols), Tony Snell (foot) and rookie Onyeka Okongwu (foot).

Memphis was without Killian Tillie (hamstring), Xavier Tillman (knee) and Jontay Porter (knee), but all are day-to-day. Jaren Jackson Jr. (left knee meniscus surgery) and Justise Winslow (left hip displacement) are out.

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HOUSTON ROCKETS vs MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
When: 8:00 PM  ET, Saturday, December 15, 2018
Where: FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee

TV: 8:05 PM
LINE: 2
PREDICTION: MEMPHIS , HOUSTON

Oddsmakers currently have the MEMPHIS listed as 2 point favorites versus the HOUSTON, while the game’s total is sitting at 202.

A week after finishing an 0-3 road trip, the Houston Rockets head back out onto the road for a visit with the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday. The Rockets were held to an average of 95.3 points in their winless trip before finding their footing on the offensive end in a 2-0 homestand capped by a 126-111 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.

James Harden recorded a record fourth 50-point triple-double of his career as Houston pulled away late to improve to 7-11 against the Western Conference after going 41-11 last season. “Winning’s hard in this league, and you have to play hard, and we didn’t (at times this season),” coach Mike D’Antoni told reporters. “We were too uneven before. It’s better now, but again we’ve been here before. You know, we’re trying to get out of the cellar. Let’s keep it in perspective.” The Grizzlies were held under 100 points for the fourth straight time and fell to 1-3 in that stretch with Friday’s 100-97 loss to Miami at home. Mike Conley led the way in the losing effort with 22 points, eight assists and a career high-tying three blocked shots.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston), FS Southeast (Memphis)

ABOUT THE ROCKETS (13-14): While Harden puts up his MVP-caliber numbers, Houston is pleased with newcomer Danuel House Jr., who scored 15 points in the win over the Lakers and averaged 13.5 points in 25 minutes off the bench during the 2-0 homestand. “Nah, I … had that,” House told reporters when asked of his growing confidence. “I mean, I was top 15, top 20 in my class coming out of high school. In college I was a honorable mention All-American, so the confidence part I wasn’t worried about. I just had to correct myself defensively, and continue to lead the defense in energy. That’s my job.” Meanwhile, Harden is averaging 38 points on 50.7 percent shooting over his last three games.

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (16-12): Memphis coach J.B. Bickerstaff began his postgame press conference Friday by declining to comment on a rumored three-team trade that was later called off, instead giving him a chance to talk about a lackluster effort against the Heat. “The issues that we’ve had, that we corrected against Portland (on Wednesday) as far as the defensive rebounding, the extra effort plays, the plays that we make when we’re successful, tonight they made more of them than we did,” Bickerstaff told the media. The Memphis bench was outscored 52-23 on Friday as six reserves combined to shoot 9-for-31 from the floor.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Rockets SF James Ennis III (hamstring) sat out Thursday’s win and is day-to-day.

2. Grizzlies SG Wayne Selden, one of the players rumored to be involved in the canceled trade, is 1-for-9 from the floor in two games since scoring a season-high 17 points against the Los Angeles Lakers.

3. The teams have split the last five season series 2-2.

PREDICTION: Rockets 108, Grizzlies 103

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MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES vs DENVER NUGGETS
When: 9:00 PM  ET, Monday, December 10, 2018
Where: Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado

TV: 9:05 PM
LINE: -1.5
PREDICTION: DENVER , MEMPHIS

Oddsmakers currently have the DENVER listed as -1.5 point favorites versus the MEMPHIS, while the game’s total is sitting at 198.5.

The Denver Nuggets finished a road-heavy portion of their schedule with a whimper and hope to rediscover their winning ways at home. They begin a four-game homestand, tied for the longest they’ll enjoy all season, when they host the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.

Denver climbed to the top of the Western Conference on the strength of a recent seven-game winning streak, which included five straight road victories, before faltering at Charlotte and Atlanta as injuries piled up and makeshift rotations struggled for consistency. “This was one of our worst performances of the year,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone told reporters after Saturday’s 106-98 loss to the lowly Hawks. “We had a lot of guys who had really bad nights. It was by far our worst passing game since I’ve been here. We couldn’t pass the ball from A to B. We couldn’t get the ball inside. It’s just a lack of discipline, lack of awareness, lack of execution. It’s a tough way to finish up a long road trip.” The Grizzlies will be attempting to bounce back from a bad loss as well after they fell 111-88 at home against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday. Memphis made just 6-of-30 3-pointers in its second-most lopsided setback of the season.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Memphis), Altitude (Denver)

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (15-10): Wayne Selden was the leading scorer for Memphis for the first time this season with 17 points against the Lakers, while star guard Mike Conley was limited to 12 on 4-of-12 shooting. The Grizzlies were outrebounded 57-36 overall and outscored by 25 points through the first three quarters in a contest that brought back memories of their 22-60 finish in 2017-18. “We’ve got to bounce back,” reserve forward JaMychal Green told the media. “We can’t play like this ever again this season. We had enough of those games last season.”

ABOUT THE NUGGETS (17-9): Guards Gary Harris (hip) and Will Barton (hip) were already out Saturday, forward Paul Millsap missed his first game since breaking his right big toe at Charlotte and leading scorer Jamal Murray was limited after taking a kick to the shin in the first half. “I thought this was one of the tougher games that he’s had,” Malone told reporters of Murray. “That shin has been bothering him prior to tonight. It’s one of those injuries where you try to protect it, but every kick, hit, anytime it gets touched it’s probably really, really painful for him.” Star center Nikola Jokic remains one of the few healthy key players and finished Saturday’s loss with 24 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Jokic attempted — and missed — only one shot in 26 minutes in an 89-87 loss at Memphis earlier this season.

2. Grizzlies C Joakim Noah is averaging 7.7 points and 4.3 rebounds in three games since signing with the team last week.

3. Nuggets PF Juan Hernangomez recorded two straight double-doubles after having one through his first 23 games.

PREDICTION: Nuggets 104, Grizzlies 99

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MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES vs NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
When: 8:00 PM  ET, Friday, December 7, 2018
Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana

TV: 8:05 PM
LINE: -4.5
PREDICTION: NEW ORLEANS , MEMPHIS

Oddsmakers currently have the NEW ORLEANS listed as -4.5 point favorites versus the MEMPHIS, while the game’s total is sitting at 217.

Opposing styles are set to clash when the high-scoring New Orleans Pelicans host the defensive-minded Memphis Grizzlies on Friday. The Pelicans enter play on Thursday second in the NBA in scoring offense at an average of 118.7 points while the Grizzlies are second in scoring defense at 102.3 points allowed.

New Orleans showed off its firepower on Wednesday in a 132-106 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, shooting 55.4 percent from the floor while knocking down 17-of-29 from beyond the arc and placing six scorers in double figures. “I think we started the game with a lot of energy,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry told reporters. “We moved the ball and we got out and ran. We did everything we had to do to try and replicate everything we did early in the season.” Memphis found its way into the win column on Wednesday by holding the Los Angeles Clippers to 33.8 percent shooting in a 96-86 triumph. “The whole thing we were worried about was just grinding it out,” Grizzlies forward JaMychal Green told reporters. “We knew it was going to be a hard-fought game, and we knew they were going to come to play. Everybody stepped up tonight, we got the game won, playing defense and moving the ball as a team.”

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS South (Memphis), FS New Orleans

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (14-9): Veteran center Joakim Noah made his team debut on Wednesday and collected four points and three rebounds in 13 minutes off the bench while providing the team with an energy jolt. “He’s added energy from the moment he walked into this building,” Memphis rookie forward Jaren Jackson Jr. told reporters of Noah. “You can just feel it. He’s always hyped about whatever it is. Screaming, yelling – you saw it. All that. He’s doing everything. We love that.” Noah was playing in his first game since Jan. 2, when he went scoreless in two minutes for the New York Knicks.

ABOUT THE PELICANS (13-13): New Orleans continues to be led by MVP candidate Anthony Davis but is getting solid production from fellow forward Julius Randle, no matter what his role happens to be. Randle found himself in the starting lineup with Nikola Mirotic (illness) sidelined on Wednesday and contributed 27 points on 11-of-16 shooting and 18 rebounds. “My mindset doesn’t really change (starting),” Randle told reporters. “I just focus on what I can control, which is energy and effort. Any time you can share the floor with a guy like (Davis) it makes the game easier. It’s a different dynamic that teams have to adjust to.”

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Davis blocked five shots on Wednesday and is second in the NBA at an average of 2.82.

2. Memphis C Marc Gasol was held to four points on 1-of-13 shooting Wednesday.

3. The teams split four games last season, with each protecting homecourt.

PREDICTION: Pelicans 110, Grizzlies 96

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MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES vs PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
When: 6:00 PM  ET, Sunday, December 2, 2018
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

TV: 6:05 PM
LINE: -7.5
PREDICTION: PHILADELPHIA , MEMPHIS

Oddsmakers currently have the PHILADELPHIA listed as -7.5 point favorites versus the MEMPHIS, while the game’s total is sitting at 213.5.

The Philadelphia 76ers are winners of seven of their last eight games and took the first two of a three-game homestand by a total of 51 points. The 76ers will try to keep rolling to big wins when they host the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.

Philadelphia had eight players score in double figures in Friday’s 123-98 domination of the Washington Wizards, with Joel Embiid’s 16 points and 15 rebounds leading the way. “We were able to rest guys, eight guys in double figures, defense was pretty good throughout the night,” 76ers coach Brett Brown told reporters. “Did a pretty good job on the boards; the disparity, the difference is what wins games. (Twenty-eight) assists, that’s a good number, all those types of things.” The Grizzlies did not have it so easy on Friday and needed two overtimes to earn a 131-125 win at Brooklyn and avoid a four-game losing streak. “We didn’t play a perfect game by any means,” Memphis coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters. “We’re still dealing with some things internally as far as the style and pace of game we want to play. We’ve had some slippage in terms of controlling the tempo, dictating the game and bringing it where we want to go.”

TV: 6 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Memphis), NBCS Philadelphia

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (13-8): Memphis continues to be led by Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, but rookie power forward Jaren Jackson Jr. is quickly becoming a go-to-scorer. Jackson exploded for a season-high 36 points on 13-of-22 shooting in Friday’s win while adding eight rebounds and knocking down three 3-pointers. “There hasn’t been a moment that has been too big for him,” Bickerstaff told reporters of Jackson. “The guy has a ton of courage. He’s got a ton of skill, obviously. In winning time, to take those shots it takes a unique heart, skill, ability and just cold-blooded nature. Jaren has that.”

ABOUT THE 76ERS (16-8): Philadelphia did not have a starter log more than 25 minutes on Friday but point guard Ben Simmons still managed 13 points on 5-of-5 shooting, 10 assists and eight rebounds in his limited court time. Simmons averaged 16.1 points on 59.5 percent shooting in November with nine double-doubles in 16 games. Simmons is getting some help on the defensive end from swingman Jimmy Butler, who ripped off four steals on Friday and is averaging 2.2 in nine games since arriving in a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Embiid leads the NBA with 22 double-doubles in 24 games.

2. Conley scored a season-high 37 points on 13-of-25 shooting Friday.

3. Memphis knocked off Philadelphia 112-106 in overtime at home on Nov. 10.

PREDICTION: 76ers 121, Grizzlies 116

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MEMPHIS vs SMU
When: 9:00 PM ET, Friday, November 16, 2018
Where: Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas, Texas

TV: 9:00 PM
LINE: 7
PREDICTION: SMU , MEMPHIS

Oddsmakers currently have the SMU listed as 7 point favorites versus the MEMPHIS, while the game’s total is sitting at 73.5.

SMU is in the driver’s seat of the American Athletic Conference’s West Division heading into Friday’s home game against Memphis. Back-to-back wins moved the Mustangs into a first-place tie with Houston and Tulane – teams they have already beaten.

The Tigers, who own an outside chance to winning the division, have won four straight in the series – outscoring SMU 228-62 in that span. Junior Darrell Henderson has recorded a dozen 100-yard rushing performances in his past 15 games for Memphis and leads the FBS with 9.2 yards per carry. He needs 183 yards to tie the American’s single-season record (1,629 by Tulsa’s James Flanders in 2016). SMU junior quarterback Ben Hicks has been solid since regaining his starting job four games ago but the Mustang defense had trouble slowing Connecticut’s ground game last week – allowing 365 yards.

TV: 9 ET, ESPN2. LINE: Memphis -9

ABOUT MEMPHIS (6-4, 3-3 American): Henderson leads the league with 1,446 rushing yards, shares the top spot with 17 rushing scores and is tied for the FBS lead with 20 total touchdowns. Junior Brady White (2,512 yards, 22 touchdowns and three interceptions) has connected with sophomore Damonte Coxie (58 catches, 949 yards) for a team-high seven touchdowns. John “Pop” Williams (28 catches, 275 yards, two touchdowns) leads the league in punt return average (12.9 yards) after a 72-yard return for a score last week against Tulsa.

ABOUT SMU (5-5, 4-2): Hicks (1,919 yards, 16 touchdown passes, four interceptions) has 10 touchdowns and two interceptions in his past four games. Healthy running backs Ke’Mon Freeman and Xavier Jones join Braeden West to combine for 1,110 rushing yards and 13 scores – including six rushing touchdowns in last week’s win at UConn. Sophomore Reggie Roberson Jr. (42 catches, 648 yards, six touchdowns) has at least one touchdown catch in four straight games while leading receiver James Proche (70 catches, 882 yards, nine touchdowns) has three 100-yard games this season.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Memphis is 15-1 in regular-season weeknight games since 2014.

2. Henderson’s 3,082 career rushing yards are second in Memphis history, trailing only DeAngelo Williams’ 6,026 yards.

3. SMU has allowed 10 non-offensive touchdowns (four interceptions returned, three fumbles returned, two kickoff returns, one punt return).

PREDICTION: Memphis 48, SMU 40

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SACRAMENTO KINGS vs MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
When: 8:00 PM  ET, Friday, November 16, 2018
Where: FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee

TV: 8:05 PM
LINE: -7
PREDICTION: MEMPHIS , SACRAMENTO

Oddsmakers currently have the MEMPHIS listed as -7 point favorites versus the SACRAMENTO, while the game’s total is sitting at 213.5.

The Memphis Grizzlies look to post their fourth victory in the past five games when they host the Sacramento Kings on Friday. Memphis continued its stellar season-opening play with a 116-113 road victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.

The Grizzlies bounced back from Monday’s home loss to the Utah Jazz with the impressive showing while handing the Bucks their first home setback of the season. “I couldn’t be more proud of the guys with their effort,” Memphis coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters. “This is a hell of a win for our ballclub coming off a loss and not allowing ourselves to lose two in a row.” Sacramento is also playing well and Monday’s 104-99 home win over the San Antonio Spurs was its seventh in the past 10 games. Second-year point guard De’Aaron Fox has played solidly during the stretch by averaging 19.5 points and 7.2 assists.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Sacramento), FS Southeast (Memphis)

ABOUT THE KINGS (8-6): Shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic recently returned from knee surgery and scored 22 points against the Spurs in his third game of the season. “He’s trying to find his rhythm a little bit and he’s also playing with some guys that maybe he hasn’t played with before,” Sacramento coach Dave Joerger told reporters after Bogdanovic played 25 minutes. “But I thought he was really feeling it and did a terrific job.” Center Willie Cauley-Stein recorded back-to-back doubles and is averaging 18.5 points and 9.5 rebounds over the past four games.

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (8-5): Center Marc Gasol scored a season-high 29 points and point guard Mike Conley added 26 in the impressive win over the Bucks. “That’s who we live and die with. We were riding with those two guys – they are our horses,” Bickerstaff said. “The other guys understand that and play their part. They understand how to make their teammates better, so it works well together.” Gasol needs 16 rebounds to pass Zach Randolph (5,612) – now a member of the Kings – for most rebounds in franchise history.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. SG Buddy Hield scored 23 points as the Kings posted a 97-92 victory over the Grizzlies on Oct. 24.

2. Memphis backup PG Shelvin Mack scored 15 points against Milwaukee to reach double digits for the sixth time in the past eight games.

3. Sacramento backup C Kosta Koufos (calf) could miss his second straight game.

PREDICTION: Grizzlies 104, Kings 102

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UTAH JAZZ vs MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
When: 8:00 PM  ET, Monday, November 12, 2018
Where: FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee

TV: 8:05 PM
LINE: 3
PREDICTION: MEMPHIS , UTAH

Oddsmakers currently have the MEMPHIS listed as 3 point favorites versus the UTAH, while the game’s total is sitting at 205.5.

Despite some shooting woes, Mike Conley’s ability to return from an injury-plagued 2017-18 season has made the Memphis Grizzlies a factor once again in the Western Conference. The Utah Jazz know all about that fact and will try for a third time to defeat Conley and the Grizzlies when the teams meet in Memphis on Monday.

Conley averaged 25.5 points and six rebounds in a pair of wins over the Jazz earlier this season — shooting 34.2 percent — and registered a season-high 32 in Saturday’s 112-106 overtime win against Philadelphia. “I’m not going to lie,” Conley told reporters after finding a rhythm and making 12-of-24 shots against the 76ers. “These whole last couple of weeks have been like just barely missing, barely not making shots, and missing shots I would normally make and feeling good while doing it.” The Jazz were on the mark while shooting a season-high 55.8 percent in Friday’s 123-115 win over the Boston Celtics at home. Joe Ingles matched a career high with 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Utah), FS Southeast (Memphis)

ABOUT THE JAZZ (6-6): Ingles was 6-for-27 from the floor over his previous three games before finding the stroke against the Celtics while chipping in a season-high seven assists. Donovan Mitchell added 21 points and Jae Crowder had 20 for Utah, which won two in a row following a four-game losing streak. “We all have picked it up, picked up our energy defensively, picked our focus up,” Mitchell told reporters. “We’ve been having great practices, but we just didn’t put it into the games. I think over the past couple of games, we’ve done that.”

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (7-4): Although some shots haven’t fallen from time to time, Conley’s presence has a massive impact on the rest of the team, something that was missing for all but 12 games last season. “He’s been working his tail off,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff told the media. “He understands how vital he is to us, the load that he has to bear. He’s been getting in extra work.” The same is true for veteran center Marc Gasol, who recorded his second straight double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds against the Sixers.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Gasol averages 17.8 points on 47.8 percent shooting at home, compared to 12.2 on 33.3 percent on the road.

2. Jazz C Rudy Gobert averaged 14 rebounds and was 7-for-11 from the floor in the two earlier losses to Memphis.

3. Grizzlies F Kyle Anderson had a career-high 14 rebounds in Saturday’s win.

PREDICTION: Grizzlies 107, Jazz 104

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PHILADELPHIA 76ERS vs MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
When: 8:00 PM  ET, Saturday, November 10, 2018
Where: FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee

TV: 8:05 PM
LINE: -1.5
PREDICTION: MEMPHIS , PHILADELPHIA

Oddsmakers currently have the MEMPHIS listed as -1.5 point favorites versus the PHILADELPHIA, while the game’s total is sitting at 210.

The Memphis Grizzlies have established themselves at home early in the season and look to remain perfect at FedExForum when they host the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday. After opening 3-0 at home with wins against some of the league’s struggling units, the Grizzlies made a statement with an 89-87 win over the streaking Denver Nuggets on Wednesday.

Memphis held the Nuggets to 39 percent shooting in a game that harkened back to the physical style of previously successful Grizzlies teams. “We knew it was going to be an ugly game if we were going to have a chance of winning,” Grizzlies guard Mike Conley told reporters. “We tried to get in the mud a little bit, be physical defensively and get the pace where we wanted it.” Memphis should be the better rested team by a pretty good margin after the 76ers were forced to go to overtime Friday night at home before securing a 133-132 win over Charlotte. Joel Embiid scored a season-high 42 points and grabbed 18 rebounds and Ben Simmons fell two rebounds shy of his third triple-double of the season as Philadelphia improved to 4-1 in November.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCS Philadelphia, FS Southeast (Memphis)

ABOUT THE 76ERS (8-5): Philadelphia led by as many as 21 points in Friday’s win but still had to expend plenty of energy, including 39 minutes by Embiid, who used to take off one end of a back-to-back but has no plans to do so anytime soon. “No. Waited two and a half years (to have no restrictions),” he told reporters. “If they ever ask me to take a game off I might kill ’em.” JJ Redick added 17 points off the bench Friday but the sharpshooter is just 3-of-22 from 3-point range over his last three games.

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (6-4): Marc Gasol and rookie Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 20 points to lead the way offensively against the Nuggets. Conley was held to a season-low four points but he handed out eight assists and teamed with fellow guard Garrett Temple to hold hold Denver’s high-scoring starting guards to a combined 12-for-37 showing from the floor. “We’re getting back to the grit and grind mentality, and that’s exactly what this win represents,” Temple told reporters. “Holding this team, as hot as they’ve been, to under 90 points at home and being able to get the win scoring 89 points when Mike only has four points and myself only five, it’s a real big win for us to hang our hats on after a disappointing road trip.”

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Jackson is averaging 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and four blocks over his last two games.

2. Sixers PF Dario Saric is averaging 18 points and eight rebounds over the last two contests while hitting 8-of-14 from long range.

3. The teams split two meetings last season and the all-time series is tied 22-22.

PREDICTION: Grizzlies 106, 76ers 100

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DENVER NUGGETS vs MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
When: 8:00 PM  ET, Wednesday, November 7, 2018
Where: FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee

TV: 8:05 PM
LINE: 3.5
PREDICTION: MEMPHIS , DENVER

Oddsmakers currently have the MEMPHIS listed as 3.5 point favorites versus the DENVER, while the game’s total is sitting at 206.

The Denver Nuggets are playing with a chip on their shoulders after just missing the playoffs the last two seasons, and the results have been very favorable. They will try to continue to match the best start in franchise history when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.

Behind a career-high 48 points from Jamal Murray, Denver picked up a 115-107 win at home over the Boston Celtics on Monday, improving to 9-1 for the first time since 1976. “I think that’s the biggest thing,” Murray told reporters Monday while discussing the team narrowly missing the playoffs. “We talked about it in training camp, but I think everyone has that feeling that if we lose one game now, it’s going to come back and haunt us at the end of the year.” The Grizzlies are 3-0 at home but are coming off a three-game road trip capped by losses at Phoenix and Golden State. They were tied with the mighty Warriors at halftime Monday night before getting outscored by 19 points in the third quarter en route to a 117-101 loss.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Altitude (Denver), FS Southeast (Memphis)

ABOUT THE NUGGETS (9-1): Murray drew some criticism from the Celtics for a late attempt at 50 points but his teammates are all on board with the third-year guard’s willingness to take charge. “Jamal is a gamer,” fellow guard Gary Harris told reporters. “He plays his best in big games, and he came ready to play. He’s the reason why we won tonight.” Center Nikola Jokic was held to single digits Monday for the third straight time but he has 27 assists and 26 rebounds in that span.

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (5-4): The starters combined for just 49 points in Monday’s loss as the team completed its first back-to-back, and stars Michael Conley and Marc Gasol totaled only 17 points. Dillon Brooks provided a spark off the bench with 18 points and he is averaging 17.5 in 26.5 minutes over his last two games. Brooks scored 24 points in a win over the Nuggets in the last meeting of the 2017-18 season.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Murray was 5-for-11 from 3-point range against the Celtics after opening the season 11-for-40.

2. Gasol averages 17 points on 57.6 percent shooting at home, compared to 12.2 on 33.3 percent on the road.

3. Jokic averaged 17 points and 10.5 rebounds to help Denver win three of four matchups with Memphis last season.

PREDICTION: Nuggets 110, Grizzlies 104

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