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The Memphis Grizzlies stormed to the No. 2 seed in the West behind a relentless collective effort from a collection of young players who have come together brilliantly this season. They’ll meet the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs. Here’s everything to know about the matchup.
No. 2 Grizzlies vs. No. 7 Timberwolves
Head-to-head record: Tied 2-2
Overall record: Grizzlies 56-26, Timberwolves 46-36
Leading scorer on Grizzlies: Ja Morant
Leading scorer on Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns
Odds to win series: Grizzlies -330, Timberwolves +250
The Memphis Grizzlies are back in the postseason for the second year in a row. For the first time in franchise history, they have won their division and they are looking to use that momentum to make a deep playoff run. Memphis finished with the second best record in the Western Conference, sitting only behind the Phoenix Suns. The Grizzlies haven’t made it to the Conference Finals since the 2012-2013 season. Ja Morant has been dealing with a knee injury, but he is expected to be ready for the Grizzlies first postseason game. They will welcome back his 27.6 points and 6.7 assists per game with open arms.
The Timberwolves looked beat against the Clippers when Karl-Anthony Towns fouled out in the fourth quarter, but Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell put together a massive run which resulted in a Minnesota victory. This core group has the chance to become something special over the next few seasons, similar to what has happened in Memphis this year. This series pits two young, up-and-coming rosters against one another and should be highly entertaining.