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The Memphis Grizzlies are on the road to face the in-form Washington Wizards in an enticing 2020-21 NBA in the Capital One Arena in Washington DC on Tuesday. The Memphis Grizzlies are coming off a convincing win against the Houston Rockets on Sunday,
Meanwhile, Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook have been unstoppable in recent games for the Washington Wizards. Thanks to the duo's exploits, the Washington Wizards are back in the reckoning for a playoff berth, something that didn't seem likely only a month ago.
The Memphis Grizzlies, despite their stronger season record, have struggled for consistency this season in a stacked Western Conference. They roll into Washington after a mixed week that produced two stellar wins and as many disappointing losses.
Match Details
Fixture - Memphis Grizzlies vs Washington Wizards | 2020-21 NBA Season.
Date & Time - Tuesday, March 2nd; 7:00 PM ET (Wednesday; 5:30 AM IST).
Venue - Capital One Arena, Washington, DC.
Memphis Grizzlies Preview
In their last outing against the Houston Rockets, the Memphis Grizzlies ensured that no player played more than 28 minutes on the night. That resulted in valuable rest for their starters and a huge 85 points off the Memphis Grizzlies bench.
The Memphis Grizzlies, however, continue to be inconsistent this season, as a 10-point loss to the Dallas Mavericks was followed by a blowout victory over the LA Clippers.
The Memphis Grizzlies have been on the periphery of the Western Conference playoff berths for a while. But it could be tough to breach the stacked top eight unless they bring in a second star alongside Morant.
Key Player - Jonas Valanciunas
While Morant has had a stellar season, Memphis Grizzlies center Jonas Valanciunas is grabbing most of the recent spotlight due to his impressive performances.
Entering his ninth year in the league, Valanciunas has continued to step up his game this season for the Memphis Grizzlies. He has been a consistent performer all along, but it wasn't until last season the Lithuanian began to put up a double-double every night.
Valanciunas has put up six double-doubles in his last seven outings for the Memphis Grizzlies, which includes two powerful displays against the LA Clippers, where he averaged 13 rebounds and 24 points.
As part of the league's continued evolution, there is still a vital need for a powerful big man, especially with the top talents like Anthony Davis, Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo dominating recently.
Memphis Grizzlies predicted lineup
G Ja Morant, G Desmond Bane, F Dillon Brooks, F Kyle Anderson, C Jonas Valanciunas.
Washington Wizards Preview
The Washington Wizards have been on a tear recently, getting back into the playoff conversation in the Eastern Conference after an awful start to their season. The Washington Wizards have dramatically turned around a 3-12 start to a more decent 13-19; they are now only five wins behind the fourth-placed New York Knicks.
A one-point loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday shows how far the Washington Wizards have come in recent games. Their turnaround has been aided by astounding victories over the LA Lakers, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Denver Nuggets twice, which is no mean feat.
While their defense remains a work in progress, as well as scoring from their additional cast, the Washington Wizards do have two superstars in Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook. The two guards have begun to really turn it on during this run, combining for 65 points in the win against the LA Lakers.
Key Player - Bradley Beal
Bringing in Russell Westbrook in the off-season has worked wonders for the Washington Wizards franchise star Bradley Beal.
While Westbrook has been happy to play his role as the facilitator, frequently grabbing triple-doubles, Beal has stuck to shooting the ball and getting on a tear.
The ninth-year guard is averaging a staggering career-high and league-high 33.2 points per game. While not shooting particularly effectively from downtown, Beal is averaging his highest field-goal percentage (48.5) while leading the East's backcourt voting for the All-Star game.
With a fit Beal at their disposal, there is every chance the Washington Wizards could make a push for the playoffs, as opponents have struggled to contain his scoring.
Washington Wizards Predicted Lineup
G Bradley Beal, G Russell Westbrook, F Rui Hachimura, F Garrison Matthews, C Moritz Wagner.
Grizzlies vs Wizards Match Prediction
With two well-matched offenses set to lock horns on Tuesday, predicting the outcome of this fixture is a challenging proposition.
Based on current form and home-court advantage, though, the Washington Wizards are the marginal favorites. The Memphis Grizzlies could have little answer for the star talent of Westbrook and Beal unless Morant rediscovers his scoring form.
Where to watch the Grizzlies vs Wizards game?
The coverage of the game in the USA will be shown locally on Fox Sports Southeast - Memphis and NBC Sports Washington. The match can also be streamed live with an NBA League Pass.
Guess the Lakers players!
