Timberwolves @ Grizzlies

Who will WIN this matchup?

Minnesota Timberwolves (46-36)

@ Memphis Grizzlies (56-26)

Current odds:

Minnesota Timberwolves: (+205)

Memphis Grizzlies: (-250)

• The line for this game is Memphis by 6 points.

• All even in their first-round Western Conference playoff series, the Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves head back to Memphis for a pivotal Game 5 on Tuesday. After squandering leads of 26 points in the second quarter and 25 in the third quarter of a 104-95 Game 3 loss, Minnesota rallied to knot the series 2-2 with its 119-118 win on Saturday.

• Karl-Anthony Towns proved instrumental in the turnaround. He recorded a team-high 33 points, including the victory-sealing free throws in the closing seconds, and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds. Towns’ own reversal of fortunes mirrored Minnesota’s rebound. Towns scored just 15 and eight points in the team’s Game 2 and 3 losses, respectively.

• Reserve Jordan McLaughlin’s role in Game 4 was also central to tying the series. McLaughlin shot 4 of 4 from 3-point range and scored 16 points in 14 minutes of Saturday’s win after not playing in Game 3.

• Big contributions off the bench have been evident the past two games and figure to be vital to the eventual winner of the series. Memphis boasted a 41-22 edge in bench points in Game 3, thanks in part to Brandon Clarke’s 20.

• Perhaps more significant is the scoring efficiency of Ja Morant, the Grizzlies’ regular-season leader at 27.4 points per game. Since posting 32 points in a Game 1 loss, Morant has scored less than his season average in each of the following contests and finished with just 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting Saturday.

• Desmond Bane picked up the scoring load for the Grizzlies with a game-high 34 points, and Morant continued to play a part in the offense with 15 assists, marking the third consecutive game dishing at least 10.

• Still, Morant’s ability to put up points for the remainder of the series could prove critical. The All-Star said following Saturday’s loss he is dealing with lingering soreness from a knee injury that sidelined him for 12 games at the end of the regular season. Morant also expressed frustration with his inability to get to the free-throw line in Game 4. He shot a series-low three foul shots in the loss.

• Memphis shot 19 of 25 from the foul line Saturday, while Minnesota finished 31 of 40. Towns’ 14 of 17 from the free-throw line set the pace.