Memphis is 6-2 and sixth after two straight losses, with four games in eight days starting Friday against a Thunder team missing five players. The schedule gives the Grizzlies rest, and Monday brings two injured rotation players back to the list.
Is Friday's Thunder game the one that matters most?
Yes. Oklahoma City is 6-2 with two straight wins, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is scoring 30.1 a game over eight games. But Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, Nikola Topic and Thomas Sorber are all out. Their net rating is 0.8 against Memphis's 10.3 this season, and the Thunder lead this series 66-35. Memphis wants one at home.
Who is Memphis missing this week?
Isaiah Stewart and Scotty Pippen Jr. are both out, and both are listed to return November 9 at Toronto. That means neither plays Friday. Stewart gives 18.3 minutes a night and Pippen 16.0, so 34 minutes of rotation time is gone. Stewart's knee was day-to-day Wednesday and was changed to out. Treat Monday as a target, not a promise.
Does the schedule help the Grizzlies?
It does. Memphis gets a day of rest before the Thunder, has no back-to-back among the four dates, and plays two days later at the Raptors. The Thunder also have a day off, but they are on the road. After Toronto come the Nuggets at home on November 11 and the Pelicans on the road November 13. The grind is three games in the prior seven days, not what is ahead.
Can Memphis stop the losing at two games?
The last two were close. The Grizzlies lost 134-135 to New Orleans, then 103-107 to Indiana, when Cedric Coward shot 8-for-19 and Cameron Boozer had five turnovers. The Pelicans are tenth at 4-4, so the November 13 Cup game is a real seed matter. Memphis is two games ahead of 11th with 74 left.
Will Ty Jerome pass 2,500 career points this week?
Almost certainly. Jerome has 2,473 career points, 27 short, and he is scoring 27.4 a game this season over seven games. Our tracking projects about one game at that pace, which is a projection, not a guarantee. It would fall Friday against a Thunder team that is short on defenders.
When do the Grizzlies play the Thunder?
Memphis hosts Oklahoma City on Friday, November 6, in an Emirates NBA Cup game. The Thunder are 6-2 but without five players.
When are Isaiah Stewart and Scotty Pippen Jr. expected back?
Both are listed to return November 9 at the Raptors. Neither is expected to play Friday against the Thunder.
