Memphis Grizzlies vs Oklahoma City Thunder Prediction, 4/9/2023 Preview and Pick

Game: Memphis Grizzlies vs Oklahoma City Thunder

Date: Sunday, April 9, 2023

Location: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK

TV: Bally Sports Oklahoma

The Oklahoma City Thunder will go up against the Memphis Grizzlies at Paycom Center on Sunday.

The Grizzlies faced the Pelicans and ended up losing by a score of 138-131 in their last game. Memphis finished with a 48.1% FG percentage (50 of 104) and converted 12 out of their 36 shots from beyond the arc. At the free throw line, the Grizzlies converted 19 of their 25 attempts for a rate of 76.0%. In relation to rebounding, they earned 49 with 15 of them being of the offensive variety. They also doled out 33 dimes in the game while creating 16 turnovers and getting 10 steals. When talking about defending, Memphis allowed the other team to go 50.0% from the floor on 44 of 88 shooting. New Orleans recorded 35 assists and had 9 steals in this contest. Additionally, New Orleans totaled 44 rebounds (8 offensive, 36 defensive) and got 6 blocks. New Orleans walked away from this one shooting 74.4% at the free throw line by making 29 of 39 attempts. They also made 21 out of their 39 shots from beyond the arc. When it comes to personal fouls, the Grizzlies ended up walking away with 25 while the Pelicans had 22 personal fouls.

Jaren Jackson Jr. is a player who played a role for the contest. He accounted for 40 points on 13 of 28 shooting. He saw the court for 41 minutes and also pulled down 9 rebounds. Jackson ended up going 46.4% from the field and earned 3 dimes.

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Memphis heads into this one with a record of 50-30 on the year. They average 116.9 points per outing (9th in the league) on 47.4% from the field. The Grizzlies are hitting 35.1% on shots from downtown (958 of 2,728) and 73.3% from the free throw line. As a team, Memphis is pulling in 46.7 boards per game and has accumulated 2,071 assists for the year, which has them ranked 10th in the league in terms of passing. They lose possession via turnover 13.7 times per game and as a group are committing 20.1 personal fouls on a nightly basis.

On the defensive end, the Grizzlies are forcing 15.1 turnovers per contest while drawing 20.2 personal fouls. They are currently ranked 26th in the league in giving up assists with 2,107 relinquished on the campaign. The Grizzlies defensively are allowing an opponent shooting percentage of 45.3% (3,253 of 7,183) and they relinquish 44.4 boards per game as a basketball team. They are surrendering 35.4% from beyond the arc and they are ranked 14th in the league in PPG allowed (112.9).

For their last game, the Thunder went home victorious with a score of 114-98 against the Jazz. In the matter of rebounding, Oklahoma City permitted Utah to collect 45 overall (7 offensive). They went 16.1% from 3-point land via 5 of 31 and finished the game at 11 of 16 from the charity stripe (68.8%). The Thunder permitted the Jazz to convert 41 of their 83 tries from the floor which gave them a percentage of 49.4% in this matchup. When all was said and done, the Thunder ended up shooting 39 for 97 from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 40.2%. Concerning shooting from beyond the arc, Oklahoma City made 15 of their 45 attempts (33.3%). They were able to convert 21 of the free throw attempts for a rate of 80.8%. The Jazz committed 23 personal fouls for the game which got the Thunder to the free throw line for 26 tries. They also turned it over 12 times, while recording 12 steals in this matchup. The Thunder collected 33 defensive rebounds and 17 offensive boards for a total of 50 in this contest.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was important for the Thunder in the game. He knocked down 7 out of 19 for this game for a field goal rate of 36.8%, and tallied 7 rebounds. Gilgeous-Alexander accumulated 22 points in his 38 mins of playing time and had 7 dimes in this contest.

Oklahoma City has a win-loss mark of 39-42 this year. The Thunder have committed 21.0 fouls per game and they shoot 80.9% from the free throw line. Their rate of earning assists is at 24.3 times per contest (21st in the NBA) and they lose possession via turnover 13.0 times per contest. Oklahoma City has scored 9,518 points so far this year (117.5 per game) and they grab 43.6 rebounds per game. As an offensive team, the Thunder are shooting 46.5% from the field, which has them ranked 24th in basketball.

The Oklahoma City defense gives up 36.1% on 3-pointers (1,052 of 2,918) and their opponents are making 77.1% of their free throw attempts. They have given up 25.9 assists and 46.7 total rebounds per game, ranking them 21st and 30th in the league. The Thunder are ranked 19th in basketball in PPG given up with 116.6. They are able to force 16.8 TO's per game and have let teams shoot 47.4% from the field (17th in the NBA).

Who will win tonight's NBA game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Memphis

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