by Ben Perks
Ja Morant’s absence has hit Memphis’ odds for Game 4 against Golden State. Although the Grizzlies have proven they can win games without their star player, Vegas oddsmakers have made them +390 underdogs against the Warriors on Monday. Morant suffered a knee injury in the second half of the Game 3 loss against Golden State (142-112).
Could Memphis pull off a shock to level the series at 2-2, or will Curry and co. get another blowout victory in the NBA playoffs?
Get insights and view the latest betting lines for Memphis Grizzlies @ Golden State Warriors.
Memphis Grizzlies @ Golden State Warriors
- When: Monday, May 9 at 10pm ET
- Top NBA betting sites favor Golden State by 10 points
- Ja Morant is unlikely to feature for Memphis because of a knee injury
- The Warriors lead the series 2-1
- Bovada has the Warriors at +200 to win the NBA Championship
- The Grizzlies are huge longshots to lift the title at +3000
Injury News for Game 4
Despite Memphis not commenting on the severity of Morant’s injury, he will almost certainly be out for Game 4. It’s not the first time the 22-year-old’s right knee has caused him issues this year – he missed nine games during March and April because of the same problem.
In the 25 games without Morant, Memphis went 20-5 and even beat Golden State 123-95.
The Grizzlies blame Jordan Poole for the injury after he grabbed Morant’s knee when going ball on a trap in Game 3. However, Poole has insisted that it was unintentional – the video footage seems to back this up.
Yet that didn’t stop Morant from tweeting that Poole “broke the code” – a tweet he later deleted.
In the 25 games without Morant, Memphis went 20-5 and even beat Golden State 123-95. Yet it’s worth noting that Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green didn’t play for the Warriors
Golde State players Gary Payton II and Andre Iguodala will also miss the game on Monday. Payton is expected to be sidelined for three to five weeks with a broken elbow, and Iguodala is still recovering from his neck injury.
Memphis Grizzlies @ Golden State: Betting Insights Taken From Game 3
Even before Morant left the court in their last meeting, the Warriors were in cruise control. Golden State took a 21-point lead into the fourth quarter – nearly breaking the postseason record for true shooting percentage.
The Warriors shot 63% from the field and had a 76.1 true shooting percentage – just short of the 77.8% NBA playoff record.
Steph Curry was the main man on Saturday, scoring 30 points. Poole was close behind, adding 27 points, and Thompson chipped in with 21 points. Entering the game shooting 29% from the field for the series, Thompson made eight of his 13 shots – four of which were three-pointers.
Steph Curry was the main man on Saturday, scoring 30 points.
Despite starting hot, the Grizzlies finished just 40-of-92 (43.5%) from the field. The Warriors were dominant inside and on the glass, outscoring Memphis by 18 in the paint, and outrebounding them by nine.
Golden State also ended the game with 13 more assists to win for the fourth time in a row at home in this year’s playoffs.
There is some light at the end of the tunnel for Memphis: Dillon Brooks, who was suspended for Game 3 for his flagrant foul on Payton in Game 2, will be back.
Brooks back in the lineup should help fill in the gap left by Morant. Interestingly, Brooks has a usage rate of 25.2 with Morant on the court. However, without him, Brooks’ usage rate is 30.4.
Although Golden State’s offense has been leather in the playoffs, their defense isn’t on the same level. During the playoffs, the Warriors rank fifth out of the remaining eight teams in defensive rating. Considering that the Grizzlies have decent firepower even without Morant, this game could be much closer than the odds suggest.
In the 25 games without Morant, Memphis averaged 117.8 points – two points higher than they averaged when he did play. Also, the Grizzlies were 18-7 against the spread – winning outright as an underdog seven times.
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Ben is a sports journalist & part-time trader with a passion for finding +EV bets. Ben lives in Madrid, Spain where he enjoys the live poker scene, and sunshine where he covers UFC, MLB, NHL, NBA, as well as tennis betting.
