No longer under the radar, Grizzlies face Timberwolves

The NBA’s best-kept secret might be the Memphis Grizzlies, who opened the season 9-10 but now have the league’s third-best record.

After a welcome All-Star break, Memphis will return to action against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night in Minneapolis.

Memphis’ young squad is led by one of the league’s emerging stars in Ja Morant, who is averaging 26.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.9 assists a game.

The third-year point guard tallied a season-high 44 points, with 11 assists and five rebounds, in the Grizzlies’ final game before the All-Star break, a 123-119 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Feb. 16.

Morant started and played 18 minutes in Sunday’s All-Star game, scoring six points, before he quickly turned his attention back to the Grizzlies.

«Our goal is to win the championship, and I feel like as long as we stay locked in, continue to grow together, play together, that goal can be achieved,» Morant said. «We’ve just got to stay the course, take it day by day and let it play out.»

Memphis won two of the first three meetings this season against Minnesota, which is seventh in the Western Conference standings. The Wolves are intent on securing only their second playoff berth since 2004.

«We’re in a position where a lot of people on this team have never been,» guard Patrick Beverley said. «We just don’t want to be complacent and settle with obviously just a 7 seed. We want to catch Denver. We want to catch Dallas. We want to catch those teams, and in order to do that we need to be consistent offensively and defensively.»

The Timberwolves hobbled into the All-Star break after playing seven games in 11 days.

Guard Anthony Edwards played through a sprained ankle in the team’s final game before the break, finishing with six points in a 103-91 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Feb. 16.

Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns, fresh from his third All-Star appearance, continues to impress while averaging 24.4 points and 9.7 rebounds a game.

«One of the things I’m realizing is just how much I’m letting the game come to me,» Towns said. «I’m not really chasing anything. I’m just letting the game come to me, making the right plays and just trusting our team that everything will come back around.»

Thursday’s matchup figures to be a high-scoring affair. Minnesota has the best offensive efficiency in the NBA over the past 15 games and should have Edwards back at full strength.

The Timberwolves will look to keep pace with Memphis, which is tied with the Charlotte Hornets for the league scoring lead at 113.8 points per game. They’re 19-0 when scoring at least 120 points.

The Grizzlies also lead the league in rebounds (48.9), steals (10.1) and blocks (6.3) per game. No longer a secret, the team drew raves during All-Star weekend.

«They’re a handful,» Detroit coach Dwane Casey said. «I don’t see a lot of weaknesses. You look at other teams in the West, and you see the Memphis Grizzlies right there at the top.»

–Field Level Media