The Memphis Grizzlies (51-31, 35-6 home) will try to keep the series alive in Game 5 against the Los Angeles Lakers (43-39, 20-21 away). Los Angeles can put the Western Conference 1st Round series away with a victory. The Lakers have won the last two games against Memphis to put themselves in the driver’s seat.
Wednesday’s contest tips off at 7:30 p.m. EST inside the FedExForum in Memphis. Tennessee. The Grizzlies are a four-point favorite, while the over/under total is 222 points.
What to Know – Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles can knock out the two-seeded Grizzlies with a victory on Wednesday to advance to the Conference Semifinals to face the winner of the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors series. The Lakers, who entered the playoffs as the seven-seed, closed out the regular season winning six of their last seven contests.
LeBron James has stepped it up in the postseason to lead the Lakers in scoring. The veteran is averaging a double-double in the playoffs, scoring 24.0 points and grabbing 13.0 rebounds per game. James is coming off a 22-point, 22-rebound effort in the Game 4 victory but is listed as doubtful for Wednesday’s matchup.
If James can’t suit up, the offensive production will turn to Anthony Davis (19.5 ppg) and Rui Hachimura (18.0 ppg). Hachimura opened up postseason play with back-to-back games scoring 20 points or more.
The Lakers are 43-42-2 against the spread this season and 20-22-1 ATS on the road. Los Angeles owns a 4-1 mark ATS over its last five matchups against Memphis.
What to Know – Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies need to string three straight wins together if one of the top seeds in the West want to advance to the next round. Memphis was close to evening the series in the last meeting, before being outscored 13-7 in overtime and losing the game.
The scoring duo of Ja Morant (27.3 ppg) and Desmond Bane (23.3 ppg) have kept the Grizzlies in most contests. Morant missed the only game the Grizzlies won, but has been the leading scorer of the series so far highlighted by a 45-point effort in Game 3.
Bane piled on a playoff-best 36 points in the overtime loss on Monday, hitting 13-of-29 shots from the field and adding seven rebounds. Jaren Jackson Jr. opened the series with a 31-point scoring effort and is another player who could push the series to a Game 6.
Memphis is 38-46-2 ATS this year and 24-18-1 ATS inside the FedExForum. Over their most recent seven games against teams from the Western Conference, the Grizzlies are only 1-6 ATS.
The Pick is In
With the status of James in question and the win-or-go-home situation for the hosts, this contest has Memphis written all over it. The Grizzlies have been a tough team to beat on their home floor, and with the series on the line look for Morant and Memphis to rise to the occasion to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Pick: Memphis Grizzlies -4
