Memphis vs Oklahoma Prediction: the Thunder is Losing on the Road

The showdown between Memphis and Oklahoma City is particularly intriguing as the two regular season MVP contenders will meet on the floor. Who will win for their team - Ja Morant or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander?

The Grizzlies still can't quite get their optimal lineup, as one of the Bears' offensive leaders, Desmond Bane, recently checked out for 2-3 weeks. Danny Green and Ziaire Williams are also out, but Jaren Jackson Jr. is back sooner. His return is exciting regarding team rebuilding and redistribution of playing minutes. In all likelihood, Steven Adams, who fell out of the rotation back in the last playoffs, will lose the most. Santi Aldama, who has been excellent this regular season, will remain an essential part of Memphis' game.

The Grizzlies have failed their last two regular season games and now share 5th place in the Western Conference with New Orleans. First, Memphis didn't cope with Washington (92-102), and then with the same Pelicans (102-131). Jaren Jackson Jr. didn't have much success on his debut: although he made five blocked shots, his 3 of 14 shots hurt the Bears' offense. Dillon Brooks also missed a lot, and Jah Morant was the one to blame for everyone, with 36 points. Brandon Clark and Santi Aldama did well off the bench, although winning the battle on the opposite side of the floor didn't help the Grizzlies.

After 15 games, Oklahoma is in 10th place in the Western Conference, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is dragging the team from the mire. Right now, Shai, with 32.3 points, is 4th in the NBA in scoring average, behind Luka Doncic, Steph Curry, and Joel Embiid. He earns the lion's share of his points in the paint, led only by Zion Williamson and Giannis Antetokounmpo, while Anthony Davis, Nikola Jokic, and Joel Embiid are just behind him.

The Thunder have won 3 games in their last four regular-season games, defeating Toronto, Washington, and Boston. A lot has already been saying about Gilgeous-Alexander. Aleksej Pokuševski and Luguentz Dort, who made over 50% of his three-pointers, are worth mentioning as role players. Josh Giddy also performed well, averaging 16.5 points and eight assists.

Mark Daynolt's team defeated Washington in the last game, 121-120. Oklahoma was trailing by 13 points after the first half but eliminated the handicap in the 3rd quarter, making five three-pointers and shooting 66.7 percent from the field. Gilgeous-Alexander was once again the main character. In addition to his 42 points, he had seven assists. The starting five looked good, but the reserves also helped. Four bench players gained 8+ points: Lindy Waters, Kenrich Williams, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and Jaylen Williams.

The Thunder have outscored their opponents in 4 of 5 games, consistently scoring over 120 points. This opponent, however, is not very comfortable for Oklahoma. Memphis had big problems with defense in the paint, but now that Jaren Jackson Jr. is in the lineup, that flaw is corrected. Oklahoma is scoring under the basket, and it will be difficult to win without that weapon. Additionally, the Grizzlies have a good defense at the arc, and Dort and Pokuševski won't have much room to play, either. Offensively, Morant will likely have another great match, and a lot will depend on his teammates. The visitors are far from good in defense, so even without Bane, the Bears will have someone to punish the Thunder.

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