Wednesday night’s NBA play-in tournament contest between the Spurs and Grizzlies will be a battle of two teams with old-school sensibilities.
Memphis is known for its interior attack, as it led the NBA in both points in the paint per game (55.8) and second-chance points per game (15.0). Grizzlies guard Ja Morant is relentless in his attacks on the rim, and center Jonas Valanciunas has been pushing around opposing big men all season long.
MORE: NBA play-in tournament, explained
San Antonio also does much of its damage from 2-point range. The Spurs finished dead last in both 3-point field goals made (9.9) and attempted (28.4) per game. That’s no surprise considering leading scorer DeMar DeRozan is a midrange maestro.
Here is everything you need to know to watch Spurs vs. Grizzlies, including the tipoff time and TV channel for Wednesday’s game.
MORE: Watch Spurs vs. Grizzlies live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)
What channel is Spurs vs. Grizzlies on?
Spurs vs. Grizzlies will be broadcast live on ESPN. You can live-stream the game via Watch ESPN or the Watch ESPN app.
Play-in games on ESPN can also be streamed on fuboTV, which offers a 7-day free trial.
Spurs vs. Grizzlies start time
- Date: Wednesday, May 19
- Start time: 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT
The 7:30 p.m. ET tipoff marks the first game of Wednesday’s doubleheader. Warriors vs. Lakers will be broadcast live on ESPN at 10 p.m. ET.
NBA play-in tournament format
- The play-in tournament will be held after the conclusion of the 2020-21 regular season and before the start of the first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs. The teams that finish Nos. 1-6 in the standings of each conference will be guaranteed playoff spots. Teams Nos. 7-10 will enter the play-in tournament.
- Each conference’s Nos. 7 and 8 teams will face off, with the winner earning the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. The loser will still have one more opportunity to reach the playoffs.
- Each conference’s Nos. 9 and 10 teams will face off, with the winner advancing to play the loser of the No. 7-vs.-No. 8 game. The loser of the No. 9-vs.-No. 10 game will be eliminated from playoff contention.
- The loser of the No. 7-vs.-No. 8 game and the winner of the No. 9-vs.-No. 10 game will then play against each other. The winner of that game will be the No. 8 seed in the playoffs. The loser will be eliminated from playoff contention.
- Beyond the play-in tournament, the 2021 NBA playoffs will follow the typical format, with full best-of-seven series all the way through the NBA Finals.
NBA play-in tournament schedule
May 18
| Game (play-in) | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Hornets vs. Pacers | 6:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Wizards vs. Celtics | 9 p.m. | TNT |
May 19
| Game (play-in) | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Spurs vs. Grizzlies | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Warriors vs. Lakers | 10 p.m. | ESPN |
May 20
| Game (play-in) | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Loser | 8 p.m. | TNT |
May 21
| Game (play-in) | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser | TBD | ESPN |