Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs continues on Tuesday night and we will see Memphis Grizzlies travel to the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in game 5 of their best-of-seven series. The game has a start time of 9:00 pm (Eastern) and will be televised on NBATv. Vegas odds have the Thunder listed as 6 point favorites, while the total sits at 187.5.
Stat Packs: Last year the Grizzlies shocked the Thunder by taking them out of the playoffs and they have a shot at doing so again as the series is tied at 2 games apiece. The Grizzlies are a decent 24-19 SU on the road this year and they have gone 7-3-1 ATS in their last 11 games played at Oklahoma City. During the regular season the Grizzlies ranked 27th in the league in scoring, averaging just 96.1 ppg and through 4 games thus far they have averaged just 96.1 ppg on 41.8% shooting. Zach Randolph (18.3 ppg) leads the team in scoring in the playoffs, while Mike Conely (17.3 ppg) and Marc Gasol (17.3 ppg) are close behind. Tony Allen is 4th in scoring (12.8 ppg), while leading the team in rebounding at 9.0 rpg. Defensively this was a very solid team in the regular season, ranking 3rd in the league in points allowed (94.6 ppg) and 9th in defensive FG% (45.0%) and they have done a good job vs the Thunder, allowing them just 98 ppg on 39.9% shooting.
The Oklahoma City Thunder were looking for revenge for last year playoff loss to these same Grizzlies, but with the series tied at 2-2 they now realize they are in a fight for their playoff survival. The Thunder have gone 35-8 at home this year, outscoring foes by 9 ppg on this floor. The Thunder averaged 104.6 ppg on the year, but so far vs Memphis they have been able to put up just 98 ppg, while shooting under 40%. In the playoffs, Kevin Durant leads the team in scoring, averaging 28.5 ppg, while Russell Westbrook is second, at 23.3 ppg. Serge Ibaka (14.0 ppg) and Reggie Jackson (11.8 ppg) round out the double digit scorers on the team. Kevin Durant leads the team in rebounding at 10.3 rpg. Defensively the Thunder have held the Grizzlies to 96.1 ppg on 41.8% shooting so far.
Pick: Hard to look at the Over in this one, so I won't. Neither team is shooting the ball all that well as the Grizzlies are shooting just 41.8% for the Series, while the Thunder have hit just 39.9% in the series so far. That isn't surprising, considering the fact that the Grizzlies were 9th in defensive FG% this year, while the Thunder were 3rd in that category. This is a crucial game for both and that should lead to a slower paced game and some good defensive intensity. 3 of the 4 games have played under this total (In Regulation) in this series and provided we don't have a 4th OT in a row I can see another low scoring game here.
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LVH Super Contest Update
Steve Fezzik from Pregame.com gives an update on the LVH Super Contest with a prediction on how many entries he feels there will be.