Memphis Grizzlies vs Minnesota Timberwolves prediction & match preview - May 5th, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21
The Memphis Grizzlies will meet the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday at the Target Center, hoping to make a clean sweep of their mini-series in the 2020-21 NBA. The Grizzlies beat the Timberwolves in their two previous meetings this season but have struggled to come up with wins lately.
The losses have not been pretty at all for the Memphis Grizzlies. In Monday's game against the New York Knicks, there were several technical fouls assessed, including two each for Ja Morant and coach Taylor Jenkins. In their last five games, the Memphis Grizzlies have lost four of them, with three losses being blowouts.
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves had their four-game winning streak snapped in a 136-140 overtime loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday. The Timberwolves were led by rookie Anthony Edwards, who scored 29 points, nine rebounds and six assists, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 28 points and 14 rebounds.
Match Details
Fixture - Memphis Grizzlies vs Minnesota Timberwolves | 2020-21 NBA Season.
Date & Time - Wednesday, May 5th, 8:00 PM ET (Thursday, May 6th, 5:30 AM IST).
Venue - Target Center, Minneapolis, MN.
Memphis Grizzlies Preview
The game against the Minnesota Timberwolves is the first of a three-game road trip for the Memphis Grizzlies. By the time they return home on May 5 against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Memphis Grizzlies will have a clearer picture of their chances of making the play-in tournament.
Veteran center Jonas Valanciunas is the team’s most consistent player (14.8 points, 11 rebounds in his last six games). He will have to rally his team if he wants to see them make the playoffs.
Key Player - Ja Morant
The 2019-20 Rookie of the Year is in a nasty four-game slump, averaging just 12 points per game on 29.1% shooting from the field. It’s so bad that his 33.3% shooting from the three during this stretch actually looks good.
Ja Morant was sizzling in the five games before this run. But now he has to find a way to break out of his shooting woes for the Memphis Grizzlies to get back on track.
When the Grizzlies visit the Minnesota Timberwolves, Morant will face a couple of wily veterans in Ricky Rubio and D’Angelo Russell, who would challenge the Memphis Grizzlies guard to bring his A-game to the fore.
Memphis Grizzlies Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Ja Morant l Shooting Guard - Grayson Allen l Small Forward - Dillon Brooks l Power Forward - Kyle Anderson l Center - Jonas Valanciunas.
Minnesota Timberwolves Preview
The Minnesota Timberwolves will look to build on their recent string of victories and be a disruptive non-playoff team for the rest of their campaign. Their four-game win streak is part of a longer stretch of competitive basketball they’ve been playing in the past three weeks.
During this span, the Minnesota Timberwolves won six of their nine games, including two straight against the Utah Jazz, the second-best team in the league record-wise. The return of D’Angelo Russell last month boosted the Timberwolves' level of play, and they are 8-7 with him back.
Key Player - D’Angelo Russell
The change in the Minnesota Timberwolves' fortunes happened with D’Angelo Russell’s return.
The 25-year old has been averaging 18.6 points and six assists per game in the 15 games he has played since his return. He scored 23 points or more in six of these contests while coming off the bench. The Timberwolves won five of these six games, which a reminder of how crucial he is to the team’s success.
For the Timberwolves, Russell’s play is a good indication of what their future holds for their star trio, including Rookie of the Year candidate Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns. A strong finish to the season is all they'll hope for now.
Russell will have to outplay the Memphis Grizzlies’ Ja Morant on Wednesday to secure another win for his team, though.
Minnesota Timberwolves Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Ricky Rubio l Shooting Guard - Anthony Edwards l Small Forward - Josh Okogie l Power Forward - Jaden McDaniels l Center - Karl-Anthony Towns.
Grizzlies vs Timberwolves Match Prediction
The Minnesota Timberwolves are playing their best basketball of the season. Even when they lost to the Pelicans, they didn’t throw in the towel at any point in the game. The same can’t be said for the Memphis Grizzlies, though, especially in four of their past five games.
Right now, the Minnesota Timberwolves look like a playoff team, and it seems they will win this game against the Memphis Grizzlies, considering the two team’s recent performances.
Where to watch the Grizzlies vs Timberwolves game?
The Memphis Grizzlies vs Minnesota Timberwolves game will be shown locally on Bally Sports Southeast Memphis and Bally Sports North. The match can also be live-streamed with an NBA League Pass.
Also Read: 5 best isolation players in the 2020-21 NBA season.