The suddenly dangerous Grizzlies will face a Knicks team that has won three of its last four games tonight in Memphis. This evening's East versus West showdown is scheduled to get underway at 8:00pm ET at the FedEX Forum; coverage of the game will be provided by NBA TV. The latest NBA Point Spreads have the Grizzlies listed as a -4.5 against the spread home favorite and the game total set at 212.5.
New York garnered its second consecutive win on Monday night with a 131-109 pasting of the Utah Jazz to improve its 
record to 33-29. Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire led the offensive charge for the Knicks as the superstars combined for 65 points on 24-of-31 shooting.
The defensive effort was a mixed bag for Mike D'Antoni's squad, which, shockingly held the Hawks to 79 points in Sunday's win at Atlanta. Utah shot 45.1 percent from the field, pulled down 22 offensive rebounds, and dished out 27 assists, but it also turned the ball over 20 times.
New York (15-16 road) has no shot at the Atlantic Division title as it presently trails the Celtics by 13.5 games, but the Knicks do have an opportunity to improve their Eastern Conference seeding over the next month. They currently own the six seed, but they trail the fifth place Hawks by just three games.
Memphis, despite its stellar play of late, has no margin for error in the loaded Western Conference. The Grizzlies, at 36-29, have control of the eighth and final playoff spot at the moment, but Phoenix, Utah, and Houston are all within realistic reach of the coveted position.
The Grizzlies should have little to fear if they continue playing they way they have over the past month. Memphis has posted a 9-3 record since February 8th, and it has done it against some of the best teams in the league. During their recent run the Grizzlies have knocked off Oklahoma City (twice), San Antonio, and Dallas.
The Thunder served as the team's latest victim as Memphis scored a 107-101 win against Kevin Durant and company at the FedEX Forum on Monday night. All five Grizzlies starters scored in double figures, led by Mike Conley's 20 points. Conley also sccounted for nine of the team's 22 assists.
Memphis, which is 22-9 at home this season, has won two in a row and four of its last six games against the Knicks. The two teams last played in March of 2010 when the Grizzlies dumped New York 119-112 in Memphis.
Knicks vs Grizzlies NBA Point Spreads March 9th, 2011:
New York Knicks +4.5 (-110), Over 212.5 (-110), +165 (Moneyline)
Memphis Grizzlies -4.5 (-110), Under 212.5 (-110), -170 (Moneyline)
