This Saturday, the (19-9) Memphis Grizzlies will travel to Oklahoma City, OK to take on the (11-17) Oklahoma City Thunder. Tipoff will be at 8:00 PM EST inside the Paycom Center. This will be the third time that these two teams have matched up this season, as the Grizzlies won 123-102 the last time they played.

The Grizzlies are coming into this one after defeating the Milwaukee Bucks, 142-101. They were incredible on the offensive end of the floor, as they shot 54.9% from the field. They will have to stay hot in this one if they want to challenge the Thunder on the road.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are entering this matchup after falling to the Miami Heat, 110-108. They looked great in that game, but they collapsed in the fourth quarter. They will have to play for the full 48 minutes if they want to challenge the Grizzlies at home.

Can the Grizzlies Stay Hot on the Road?
The Memphis Grizzlies currently sit at the top of the Western Conference standings, as they have a one-game lead over the New Orleans Pelicans. On offense, Memphis is scoring 116.5 points per game and they are shooting 47.1% from the floor. This is the sixth most points scored per contest and the 15th-highest shooting percentage. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Grizzlies have an adjusted offensive rating of 114.3, which is the eighth-highest rating in the NBA. Ja Morant continues to lead the way on the offensive end of the court, as he is scoring 27.6 points per game on 45.7% shooting from the field. Memphis has also shown that they have multiple players that can heat up from behind the arc. They are shooting 36.1% from deep, which is the 14th-highest three-point shooting percentage in the league. Unfortunately, they have been horrible at the charity stripe, as they keep missing out on free points. They are only shooting 70.4% at the line, which is the lowest team free-throw shooting percentage in the league. They have to take advantage of these looks at the basket if they want to consistently win these games.
On the defensive end of the court, the Grizzlies have also been tough to beat. According to dunksandthrees.com, Memphis has an adjusted defensive rating of 109.8 which is the fifth-lowest rating in the NBA. They are also allowing their opponents to score 111.3 points per game and shoot 44.8% from the field. This is the lowest shooting percentage allowed in the league and the 10th least amount of points given up per game. The Grizzlies have shown that they will contest shots near the rim and on the perimeter, as they have continued to pressure shooters on the outside. Their opponents have only shot 35.4% from behind the arc, which is the 16th-lowest three-point shooting percentage allowed in the NBA. The Grizzlies have also snatched 48.9 rebounds per game, which is the most in the league. They will have to crash the defensive glass if they want to keep the Thunder from scoring second-chance points.

Injury Report: Vince Williams Jr. (Hip) is questionable for this game. Desmond Bane SG (Toe) and Danny Green SG (Knee) are out.

Will the Thunder Show Up at Home?
The Oklahoma City Thunder have not had the start to the season that they were hoping for, as they are currently in 13th place in the Western Conference standings. They are also eight games back from the first-place Grizzlies. On offense, the Thunder are scoring 115.5 points per game and they are shooting 46.2% from the floor. This is the eighth most points scored per contest, but the 21st-highest team shooting percentage. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Thunder have an adjusted offensive rating of 111.4, which is the 19th-highest rating in the NBA. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to lead the way on the offensive end of the court, as he is scoring 31 points per game on 50.6% shooting from the field. The Thunder have had more success when they are attacking the basket, as they have struggled to shoot from behind the arc. OKC has only made 34.1% of their shots from deep, which is the 22nd-lowest three-point shooting percentage in the league. Luckily, they have taken care of business at the charity stripe. They are shooting 79.9% at the line, which is the 11th-highest percentage in the league. They can’t miss out on these free points and still expect to hang in these games.
On the defensive end of the court, the Oklahoma City Thunder are allowing 117.4 points per game and their opponents have shot 46.6% from the floor. This is the 28th most points surrendered per contest, but the 13th-lowest shooting percentage allowed from the field. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Thunder have an adjusted defensive rating of 112.8, which is the 17th lowest rating in the NBA. They have struggled to consistently contest shots near the rim and on the perimeter, as they have allowed their opponents to heat up from deep. They are giving up the 22nd-highest three-point shooting percentage in the league, as their opponents have shot 36.4% from behind the arc. The Thunder have also continued to crash the glass, as they are averaging 44.6 rebounds per game. This is the eighth most in the NBA, as they have to secure the ball after missed shots if they want to challenge the Grizzlies in this one.

Injury Report: Kenrich Williams SF (Knee), Jeremiah Robinson-Earl PF (Ankle), Ousmane Dieng F (Wrist), and Chet Holmgren C (Foot) are all listed as out for this game.