The Grizzlies have won four straight games by an average of 14.5 points.
Grizzlies (26-23) at Knicks (25-27)
7:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV
• The Grizzlies enter Friday riding a four-game win streak, all of which have come by 12 points or more, with an average margin of victory of 14.5 ppg. Balance has been key for the Grizzlies during the streak as no player is averaging more than 18.5 ppg (Dillon Brooks and Jonas Valanciunas). Memphis has eight players averaging at least 10 ppg, including six that have appeared in all four games.
• The Grizzlies lead the NBA in points off turnovers (19.4), second-chance points (15.2), points in the paint (55.6) and are tied for first in fast break points (15.9). No other team ranks in the top 12 in all four categories.
• While the Grizzlies lead the league in points in the paint (55.6 ppg), the Knicks allow the third-fewest points in the lane (42.8 ppg). Jonas Valanciunas ranks ninth among all players at 12.2 ppg, while Ja Morant ranks 25th at 10.8 ppg. They will have to contend with Nerlens Noel, who ranks third in rim protection among the 57 players that defend at least four shots at the basket per game. Noel allows teams to shoot just 51.1% at the basket, matching two-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert.
• Both teams rank in the top 10 in percentage of total team points coming off the bench. Memphis’ bench players average 40.1 ppg (3rd), accounting for 35.64% of the Grizzlies total points (3rd). New York’s bench players average 35.6 ppg (13th), accounting for 33.96% of the Knicks total points (9th).
• Ja Morant (18.8 ppg) and RJ Barrett (17.5 ppg) rank second and third, respectively, in scoring among second-year players. The majority of points for both players come in the lane as they also rank second and third (behind Zion Williamson’s league-leading 19.5 ppg) in points in the paint — Morant (10.8 ppg, 2nd), Barrett (9.0, 3rd).
The top two scorers in the league this season – Bradley Beal and Stephen Curry – meet for the first time since January 2019.
Wizards (18-32) at Warriors (24-27)
10 p.m. ET, NBA TV
• This matchup features the top two scorers in the league in Bradley Beal (31.2 ppg) and Stephen Curry (29.7 ppg). While both elite scorers, they get their points in different ways. Curry leads the NBA in 3-pointers made per game (4.7) and scores 47.3% of his points from beyond the arc, compared to 34.5% on 2-point shots and 18.2% at the free throw line. For Beal, he scores the majority of his points (55.9%) on 2-point shots, including 18.5% coming from mid-range (15th in NBA), only 21.5% on 3-pointers, and 22.6% at the free throw line (20th in NBA).
• Curry has scored at least 30 points in each of his four games since returning from a tailbone contusion on March 29. It is the longest active streak of 30-point games in the league and tied for the second-longest of the season, trailing only six straight from Beal from Jan. 6-27.
• While Beal holds the edge over Curry in scoring over the course of the season, the two are trending in different directions. Beal averaged a league-high 32.9 ppg in 32 games prior to the All-Star break, but his average has dropped to 25.7 ppg (13th in NBA) in 10 games since the break. Curry has been more consistent as he averaged 29.7 ppg (4th) in 35 games prior to the break, and 29.6 ppg in eight games since the break to lead all scorers post All-Star.
• Russell Westbrook has recorded a triple-double in six of his last seven games and 10 of his 16 games since the All-Star break, bringing his season total to a league-high 20 and his career mark to 166. He needs 16 more triple-doubles over Washington’s 22 remaining games to break Oscar Robertson’s record of 181 this season.
• The Wizards (104.46) and Warriors (103.02) rank first and second in the league in pace this season. The Warriors rank 10th in fast break points (13.7 ppg), while the Wizards rank 24th (10.6 ppg).
