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After an arduous 82-game regular season, the 2022 NBA Playoffs are officially upon us and we have a fun matchup in the Western Conference. The No. 7 seed Minnesota Timberwolves will face the No. 2 seed Memphis Grizzlies beginning on Saturday, April 16.
The Timberwolves took down the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night in a five-point win and captured the No. 7 seed. The Grizzlies were by far one of the best teams in the Western Conference with a record of 56-26, which was the second-best record in the Association.
No. 2 Grizzlies vs. No. 7 Timberwolves predictions
Odds to win series: Grizzlies -330, Timberwolves +260
Regular season record: Grizzlies (56-26), Timberwolves (46-36)
Head-to-head record: Both teams split the four-game series (2-2)
This is going to be a fun series that features a few young star players on both teams, who are looking to make a name for themselves in NBA postseason lore. The Grizzlies shocked the world this season, vaulting up to the No. 2 spot and looking like a serious contender to make a deep postseason run. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves got their playoff journey started with an exciting win over the Clippers and won’t be any slouch in the first round.
Pick: Grizzlies in 5 games
The Timberwolves will give the Grizzlies as they can handle with D’Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards, and Karl-Anthony Towns. However, the better defensive team in the Grizz should be able to close this series out in five games. In the regular season, both teams split the season series, which tells you how competitive these games have been. For the Grizz to get this done in five, they will need Jaren Jackson Jr. to match or come close to the production of KAT. If he can do that and Morant plays up to his standard, Memphis should move onto the semis.
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