How to watch Grizzlies vs. Warriors in tonight’s NBA Cup

Saturday 16th November 2024 02:03 AM

Hell hath no fury like a Splash Brother scorned.

Stephen Curry went thermonuclear in Tuesday’s in-season tournament action — 37 points, nine assists, six rebounds and five 3-pointers in a gripping win over Klay Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks.

Simply put, the Golden State Warriors are one of the best teams in basketball right now. They’re 9-2, third in offensive rating and fifth in defensive rating. But they face a formidable opponent in the 7-5 Memphis Grizzlies, who are holding their own in the Western Conference despite injuries to Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and GG Jackson II.

The Warriors are the clear favorites for Friday night’s NBA Cup matchup, but the Grizzlies have covered the spread in six of their last seven games.

Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors

Time: Friday, 10 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Streaming: Fubo (try for free)

How it stays close: Ja Morant’s hip injury is a massive bummer. But Scotty Pippen Jr. looks like the real deal. He’s averaging 14.1 points and 5.3 assists on 52.2 percent shooting over his last seven games. Even though the stats were run up against a dreadful Washington Wizards, Pippen and his dad became the first father-son duo to record a triple-double since Dolph and Danny Schayes.

The Grizzlies play with the NBA’s second-fastest pace under Taylor Jenkins. They are loaded with young players still cutting their teeth in the league. Zach Edey and Jay Huff have been surprisingly effective at the center spot, and Santi Aldama looks comfortable in the starting lineup. Five of Memphis’ major contributors are 24 or younger. They certainly have more to gain in Friday’s action.

How it breaks open: Well, the Warriors are very much not the Wizards. Steve Kerr’s squad is playing majestic basketball, and they’re brutally tough at home — where secondary options like Buddy Hield, Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins get extra comfortable and overperform.

How it gets flavor: The gray Chase Center court will be aesthetically pleasing and a welcome relief after last year’s copper and gold debacle. Kerr and Jenkins went at it from a distance during their 2022 playoff series — which featured three ejections in the first three games and a series of deleted social media posts. Then there’s the litany of agitations from Draymond Green to Jaren Jackson Jr. — the elbow to the face last season and the game-sealing block in those 2022 playoffs. The Michigan State alumni are friends outside of work but consistently get into it on the floor.

John Hollinger on Jay Huff: He isn’t a post threat, but makes an offensive impact in two entirely different ways. First, he’s a rim-runner who gets out in transition and can finish lobs, specializing in reverse dunks. However, he also doubles as a half-court 3-point threat, having made 43.8 percent from distance so far this year. Huff gets them up, too, jacking 48 attempts in his 185 minutes. The 7-foot-1 center also offers rim protection, with a stellar 11.6 percent block rate and, notably, a dramatically reduced foul rate from his previous stops in the NBA.

That package has proven especially effective on an up-tempo Memphis team that has leaned into its depth and pace to stay afloat. At age 26 and on his fourth team, Huff looks like a keeper as a backup center and is under contract for three years beyond this one.

If there were a rivalry trophy, it would be: The Jerry West Bowl

Head-to-head scoring leaders:

Steph Curry — 46 points vs. Grizzlies in 2021
Ja Morant — 47 points vs. Warriors in 2022

Starting five to wear both jerseys (minimum 20 games with each):

G — Toney Douglas
G — Justin Holiday
F — Matt Barnes
F — Brian Cardinal
C — Marreese Speights
Bench — Sam Mack, JaMychal Green, Brandan Wright (plus active players Kyle Anderson and De’Anthony Melton)

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