Grizzlies Look to Cut Down the Nets in Brooklyn

Posted on February 13, 2017 by Elizabeth Smith

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Who: Memphis Grizzlies vs Brooklyn Nets

Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY

When: Monday, February 13 at 6:30 PM CST

Where to watch/listen: Fox Sports Southeast, 92.9 ESPN Radio Memphis

Tonight the Memphis Grizzlies take on the Brooklyn Nets for the first time this season in Barclays Center. Memphis (33-23) is coming off a tough loss to Golden State on Friday night. Brooklyn comes into the night having lost 12 in a row with a record of 9-25 and have the dishonor of owning the worst record in the NBA. Memphis has won the last four matchups against the Nets by an average of 24.5 points. The Grizzlies have no injuries to report (saying that never gets old) while the Nets will be without Jeremy Lin (hamstring) and Quincy Acy (ankle).

Keys to Victory:

*Contain Brook Lopez. Lopez is leading the Nets with 20.5ppg and 1.7bpg. He is also averaging 5.3rpg and has a 20.99per this season. These Nets are not a squad that has much of anything together right now. If the Grizz can manage to contain Lopez, who has been productive despite trade rumors, they should be able to leave New York with a W in the books.

*Mike Conley continues to show that he is one of the most underrated players in the league. Conley is shooting 43.9% from the field and 41.3% from beyond the arc. This is in stark contrast to Nets point guards Isaiah Whitehead (38.1% from the field; 31.4% from the arc) and Spencer Dinwiddie (41.9% from the field; 37.5% from 3) who are holding down the spot while Jeremy Lin recovers from a hamstring injury. As long as Conley plays his game, he should have little trouble in this matchup.

*Don’t play down to the opponent. We all know the Grizz sometimes fall into the trap of letting their guard down with supposedly inferior opponents. It’s the NBA. Any team can win at any time. Memphis must come in hungry, lock down, and punish the Nets from the opening tip.

As Memphis eases their way into the All Star break, it would be nice to get back on the winning path against the Nets. Expect the Grizz to make their way to Memphis and their matchup with the Pelicans with a solid win.