The Grizzlies have won backgammon
The hottest team in the league today is not the Golden State Warriors who returned from Clay, nor the Brooklyn Nets in Irving, but the Memphis Grizzlies led by Morant. Under Morant's leadership, the Grizzlies won ten straight, and both the Sun Warriors and the Lakers Clippers were beheaded by them. After a mighty ten-game winning streak, the Grizzlies also rushed to third place in the West, a game in which they were challenged by the talented Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Timberwolves' four-game winning streak ended with the Pelicans, Ingram's 0.3-second three-point shootout, though there's no denying that the Timberwolves' three young players, Towns and Edwards and Russell, are playing unparalleled individual performances that belong to their time and aren't too far away. This game against the Grizzlies is undoubtedly the best proof of the battle.
Timberwolves are full of talent
At the beginning of the first quarter, the Timberwolves gave the Grizzlies a downside, Edwards bombed 11 points and 2 assists in a single quarter, Russell also had 10 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist on 4-of-5 shooting, under the leadership of the two cores, the team exploded 31 points in a single quarter, and limited the Grizzlies to only 25 points, Morant had 3 points, 1 rebound and 5 assists on 1-of-4 shooting, but also had 2 turnovers. After returning from the second quarter, the Grizzlies continued to chase, and although Morant did not score, Bane and Jalen Jr. led the team to a rebound.
Edwards stepped up again, shooting 4-of-5, 2-of-2 from three-point range, and taking another 12 points and 1 steal in a single quarter to lead the Timberwolves to a 60-53 lead over the Grizzlies at the end of the half. Edwards had already scored 25 points in the first half, and Morant scored just three points on 1-of-6 shooting. In the second half, Downs finally stepped up, with 9 points and 1 rebound on 4-of-6 shooting, and Russell also had 8 points and 2 assists, but the Grizzlies completely dominated the game. Morant exploded with 11 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists in a single quarter, leading the team to a net win of 13 points in a single quarter, and in the blink of an eye, it changed from a 7-point trail to a 6-point lead.
The Grizzlies once again showed their strength, after returning from the last quarter, Towns and Russell continued to exert their strength, Towns took 9 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist, Russell was 10 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist, Morant although 4 shots, but the Grizzlies continued to have people stand up and score. In the end, the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-108 at home to win 11 consecutive games.
Win the talent, but lose the game
The contest between talents, the Minnesota Timberwolves did indeed win. Towns had 25 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, Russell 29 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists, Edwards had 30 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists, and the whole team hit 15 three-pointers, completely crushing the Grizzlies' 8 three-pointers, but in the end the Timberwolves lost the game and could not stop the Grizzlies' 11-game winning streak. The reason is simple, although the Grizzlies feel bad, Morant shot 5-of-16, only 16 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists, personal performance is not as good as wolves in any of the three under-three, but this team shows the characteristics of a strong team.
The Grizzlies blasted down 66 points on the inside, and for comparison, the Timberwolves, who own Downs, only scored 38 points on the inside, which is the gap. Another statistic is the free throws, the Timberwolves only scored 14 free throws in the game, while the Grizzlies had as many as 35 free throws. It is indeed pleasing to the eye that a team plays by talent, but the team that really wins the championship is rolling in the mire, every ball must be fought, and every round is impacted under the basket, attracting defensive passes, or causing opponents to foul and get the best shot.
35-14, 28 points from the inside! The gap between the grizzly bear and the timber wolf is really clear at a glance. Inside scoring and free throw shooting, these two statistics are the difference between the Grizzlies and the Timberwolves, and talent is important in the NBA, but not all. Only those who truly love the game are eligible to compete for the championship trophy.