Wizards at Grizzlies
After a stretch in which it seemed to lose its way on the defensive end, Memphis has rediscovered its strength. The Grizzlies continue their pursuit of the second seed in the Western Conference on Saturday when they take on Washington in the continuation of a four-game homestand.
Memphis, so often known for its stingy nature, gave up an average of 107
points during a recent three-game losing streak, but it has stifled its
first two opponents on the homestand. Jeff Green scored 22
points and helped the Grizzlies limit Oklahoma City superstar Russell
Westbrook to a dismal 5-of-20 shooting performance in a 100-92 win over
the Thunder on Friday, pulling Memphis into a tie with Houston for
second place in the Western Conference. The Wizards have also won two
straight following a rough patch and sit two games behind fourth-place
Toronto in the East. Saturday marks the opener of a three-game road trip
for Washington, which plays five of its final six games on the road.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington), SportSouth (Memphis)
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (43-33): John Wall handed out a career-high 18 assists in Friday's 101-87 win over New York as Washington wrapped up a 3-2 homestand. Marcin Gortat added 19 points and is 19-of-24 from the floor over his last two games. Those two combined for 43 points, 16 rebounds and five blocked shots in the Wizards' 107-87 win over the Grizzlies at home on March 12, when Memphis rested big men Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph.
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (52-24): The two-game win streak has featured increased contribution from reserve center Kosta Koufos, who has played at least 20 minutes in both games after appearing in fewer than 20 in nine consecutive contests. The veteran has 23 rebounds and four blocked shots in that span and teamed with Nick Calathes on Friday to provide some solid bench play. Calathes, who was 1-of-9 from the floor in a season-high 28 minutes at Washington last month, hit all five of his field-goal tries in just 13 minutes of action against the Thunder.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Memphis has won nine straight meetings at home.
2. Wizards SF Paul Pierce (rest) has sat out the last two games.
3. Grizzlies SF Tony Allen has missed three straight games with a hamstring injury.