Schedule and 2021-22 Results
Regular Season Records: Memphis 56-26, Minnesota 46-36
Game 1 on Saturday, 16 April: Minnesota wins at Memphis, 130-pts-117
Game 2 on Tuesday, 19 April: Minnesota loses at Memphis, 124-pts-96
Game 3 on Thursday, 21 April: Memphis wins at Minnesota, 104-pts-95
Game 4 on Saturday, 23 April: Memphis loses at Minnesota, 119-pts-118
Game 5 on Tuesday, 26 April: Minnesota loses at Memphis, 111-pts-109
Game 6 on Friday, 29 April: Memphis wins at Minnesota, 114-pts-106

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 6: The Memphis Grizzlies visited and bested the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-pts-106 to complete a 4-games-2 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1505 victory. With the series 1505 win, the Memphis Grizzlies improve their best-of-7 NBA playoff series record to 5-11 overall and 4-8 in the Preliminary round. With the series 1505 loss, the Minnesota Timberwolves see their best-of-7 NBA playoff series record fall to 2-4 overall and 1-3 in the Preliminary round. The win order for the victorious Memphis Grizzlies in series 1505 was LWWLWW: Series 1505 thus becomes the sixth NBA Preliminary-round series, the 15th NBA series (all rounds), and the 40th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion. The series 1505 victory by the Memphis Grizzlies ends their best-of-7 NBA playoff series losing streak at four. In series 1505 Game 6, the Memphis Grizzlies trailed the Timberwolves in Minnesota by ten points after three quarters, but rallied to win the game (and thus the series as well): In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff games since 1947 and prior to series 1505 Game 6, road teams trailing by ten points after three quarters had a game record of 2-80 (.024); so it is that Memphis achieved a Grade-A (.000 - .099) comeback in series 1505 Game 6, complementing their Grade-A+ comeback in Game 3 and their Grade-B comeback in Game 5.

After Game 5: The Memphis Grizzlies hosted and defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 111-pts-109 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1505 lead of 3-games-2. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Memphis Grizzlies have a series record of 2-1 and a Game 6 record of 2-1. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Minnesota Timberwolves have a series record of 0-2 and a Game 6 record of 0-2. The Grizzlies trailed the Minnesota Timberwolves in Memphis by eleven points after three quarters in series 1505 Game 5, but prevailed: In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff games beginning in 1947, home teams down eleven points after three quarters had a game record of 6-40 (.130); so it is that the Memphis Grizzlies achieved a Grade-B comeback (.100 - .199) in series 1505 Game 5. Leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2 (as they now do in series 1505), the Memphis Grizzlies have seen their Game 6 outcome presage their series outcome in each such series (two wins, one loss).

After Game 4: The Minnesota Timberwolves hosted and defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 119-pts-118 to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1505 at 2-games-all. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Memphis Grizzlies have a series record of 1-4 and a Game 5 record of 2-3, while the Minnesota Timberwolves have a series record of 1-1 and a Game 5 record of 1-1. The sole Memphis Grizzlies best-of-7 NBA playoff series victory in the wake of a 2-games-all tie occurred in series 1210, in the 2013 NBA Preliminary round over the Los Angeles Clippers. When the Minnesota Timberwolves were previously tied 2-games-all after four games of a best-of-7 NBA playoff series, their Game 5 outcome presaged their series outcome (one win in series 931, in the 2004 NBA Quarterfinals; one loss in series 895, in the 2003 NBA Preliminary round).

After Game 3: The Memphis Grizzlies visited and defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 104-pts-95 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1505 lead of 2-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Memphis Grizzlies have a series record of 2-3 and a Game 4 record of 2-3. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Minnesota Timberwolves have a series record of 0-2 and a Game 4 record of 0-2. The Memphis Grizzlies trailed the Timberwolves in Minnesota by 16 points after three quarters of series 1505 Game 3, but prevailed. In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff games beginning in 1947, road teams down 16 points after three quarters prior to series 1505 Game 3 had a 0-54 (.000) game record. So it is that the Memphis Grizzlies achieved a Grade-A+ comeback (.000 - .099) in series 1505 Game 3. Leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-1, the Memphis Grizzlies have seen their Game 4 outcome presage their series outcome in all five such series in which Memphis found itself in that situation (two wins, three losses).

After Game 2: The Memphis Grizzlies hosted and topped the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-pts-96 to knot best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1505 at 1-game-all. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Memphis Grizzlies have a series record of 2-5 and a Game 3 record of 5-2, while the Minnesota Timberwolves have a series record of 1-2 and a Game 3 record of 2-1. In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff series, teams such as the Memphis Grizzlies which lose Game 1 at home by any margin but win Game 2 at home by a 28+ point skunk have a 7-1 series record (with an active six-series winning streak). The sole home team to accomplish this feat but lose the series: The Minnesota Timberwolves, in series 895 (in the 2003 NBA Preliminary round) to the Los Angeles Lakers; so it is that the 2022 Minnesota Timberwolves hope to make their series 1505 opponents emulate the 2003 Minnesota Timberwolves, in terms of series outcome.

After Game 1: The Minnesota Timberwolves visited and defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 130-pts-117 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1505 lead of 1-game-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Minnesota Timberwolves have a series record of 1-0 and a Game 2 record of 1-0. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Memphis Grizzlies have a series record of 2-9 (with an active five-series losing streak) and a Game 2 record of 4-7. The Minnesota Timberwolves scored 41 first-quarter points against the Grizzlies in Memphis, in series 1505 Game 1: The 41-point first quarter represents the most first-quarter points by a road team in a best-of-7 NBA Preliminary-round series Game 1, breaking the old record of 39 first-quarter points set by the Los Angeles Lakers (against the Timberwolves in Minnesota, in series 895 Game 1 - in the 2003 NBA Preliminary-round). In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff series (1947-2021, inclusive), road teams winning Game 1 by 13 points (such as Minnesota in series 1505) had a 2-1 series record; the sole series loss in this situation was sustained by the Memphis Grizzlies (to the Oklahoma City Thunder in series 1147, in the 2011 NBA Quarterfinals) - so it is that the 2022 Memphis Grizzlies hope their 2011 counterparts set a precedent for the 2022 Minnesota Timberwolves. The only previous 1-game-nil lead held by the Minnesota Timberwolves in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series occurred in series 925, in which Minnesota won Game 2 and the series against the Denver Nuggets in the 2004 NBA Preliminary round.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2021-22 NBA regular season, the Memphis Grizzlies finished ten games ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves. From 1947 through the 2021 NBA Finals round, when NBA teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by ten regular-season games, they have posted a best-of-7 playoff series record of 20-4 (.833) in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1505 is the 16th best-of-7 NBA playoff series for the Memphis Grizzlies, and the sixth for the Minnesota Timberwolves. In best-of-7 NBA playoff series, the Memphis Grizzlies have an all-rounds series record of 4-11 (with an active four-series losing streak), a Preliminary-round series record of 3-8, and a Game 1 record of 4-11, while the Minnesota Timberwolves have an all-rounds series record of 2-3, a Preliminary-round series record of 1-2, and a Game 1 record of 1-4. Series 1505 is the first best-of-7 NBA playoff series meeting between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Minnesota Timberwolves.