Steven Adams Won't Suit Up vs. Warriors in Series Opener

On Sunday, the Memphis Grizzlies will continue to go small for Game 1 of its second-round series with the Golden State Warriors. Steven Adams has yet to clear the NBA’s health and safety protocols and will not play in the opener, according to the league injury report.

The former Pelicans man in the middle only played substantial minutes in Game 1 of the first round against the Minnesota Timberwolves. After logging 24 minutes but putting up a plus/minus rating of -13 in a 130-117 Memphis loss, head coach Taylor Jenkins went in another direction. The near seven-foot New Zealander played a combined seven minutes over two games.

Adams played well against Dubs in the regular season, so once he is cleared from the health and safety list, he could be a factor in this Western Conference showdown. This year, the first-round pick from 2013 played over 21 minutes per game, facing Steph Curry and company. He averaged seven rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 0.7 blocks against G-State in 2022.

The FanDuel Sportsbook has Memphis as a +2 point home dog on Sunday while +114 on the moneyline and a game total of 220.5.