The Memphis Grizzlies and the Chicago Bulls will face off in this Sunday's prime time slot, live on Sky Sports Arena and on Sky Sports YouTube's free live stream from 8:30pm.
Sunday 2 April 2023 15:07, UK
The Memphis Grizzlies and the Chicago Bulls take to the court this Sunday, live on Sky Sports Arena from 8:30pm and on Sky Sports YouTube, where you can watch for free.
Both teams will have the luxury of rotating their rosters in the final week of the regular season, having already secured safe passage to the playoff and play-in tournaments.
The Chicago Bulls have the Washington Wizards to thank for their progression. With Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma out of the picture and 2.5 games separating them, they'll likely be able to hold down the number 10 seed in the Eastern Conference.
This means that they can look at ironing out the kinks in their starting five ahead of the postseason rush.
Part of that lies in addressing the inconsistency that plagues the team. Every time it starts to feel like the Bulls are building a head of steam, they promptly remind us why they are below .500.
That much was evident when Patrick Beverley "too-smalled" LeBron James in a convincing victory over the Los Angeles Lakers - and then the Bulls lost back-to-back games to the Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers.
This form that's been passable in the last few months but won't be passed up by opposing teams in the upcoming play-in matchups.
This Sunday's prime time clash with the Grizzlies could be the perfect occasion to prove that it's a flaw that won't hold them back.
Indeed, having clinched the South West division and a playoff berth to match, the Grizzlies have looked to return to winning ways now that Ja Morant is back from his suspension.
Taylor Jenkins' team are already back on track in terms of wins and losses, averaging a 4-1 record since his return.
Morant has also taken very little time to dust himself off and get back to picking apart rival defences. Despite his reintegration being partly rotational, he's still notched 24.5 points and seven assists in just 27 minutes across five games.
The good form has been contagious. Tyus Jones has also rediscovered his talents (he's at 14.8 points, 7.9 assists, and 2.0 threes per game, with a 40.0 three-point percentage since Morant's suspension started) and should be a dangerous addition to the Memphis offence.
The Bulls have to find ways to keep both out of the passing lanes to prevent them from connecting on the counter. They'll also need individual markers to keep Morant out of the paint where he can devastate on the dunk.
On a good day, they might be tipping our predictions. Beverley's inclusion can be pivotal if he is left to his own devices.
But there's just too much about this Bulls team that leaves a lot to doubt and speculation - something the Grizzlies have very little tolerance for.
If you want to catch all this drama and suspense live, you're in the right place. Sky Sports will be live streaming the game on their You Tube channel.
...and it will also be ready to watch on Sky Sports Arena.
