The Grizzlies lost in a cold way
Probably no one would have thought that the Memphis Grizzlies would be able to finish second in the West at the end of the regular season, and no one would have thought that the strength of the Grizzlies seemed to be on a higher level during Morant's absence. Still, most people believe that if the Grizzlies want to go further in the playoffs, they must have Morant, because the playoffs are the stage to compete against the stars. However, in the first game of the first round of the playoffs, reality gave the Grizzlies fans a slap in the face, and the Grizzlies lost to the Timberwolves.
Not being reversed, not being left behind by a big score, the Timberwolves overpowered the Grizzlies from start to finish, and no matter how hard you struggled, they didn't give you hope of winning. This kind of game is a huge blow to the confidence of the players, because throughout the game, you are trying to catch up, but in the end, the victory is easily taken away by the opponent.
Morant recognized reality
Trailing 0-1 in the series, for the Grizzlies, it is not the edge of the cliff, they still have the opportunity to make adjustments, but Morant must recognize a reality, that is, he is not so big for the team, in fact, it is not so big. In the entire first game, Morant only played one good goal, that is, the first quarter, 5 of 5 shots, all shots were in the box, 15 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist in a single quarter, unstoppable. However, in the last three quarters, Morant only shot 2 of 12 in total.
In the whole game, Morant had 32 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists, which was still a very beautiful stat, but the shooting rate was only 8 of 18 shots, and he also won 20 free throws, but in the end, the plus-minus was only -16, the team's first to last. Morant does have a great style of play, but it's also difficult to get 20 free throws in every game. On the playoff stage, the drawbacks of his mid-range shooting instability began to show again. In contrast, Edwards of the Timberwolves is more relaxed.
Edwards had 36 points, 2 rebounds and six assists in this game, and from the statistical point of view, there was no better than Morant, but Edwards shot 12-of-23 and 4-of-11 from three-point range, nearly half of the shots, just outside the three-point line. You know, this is just Edwards' playoff debut, and next, he will be more calm.
How to avoid Black Seven
Of course, the Grizzlies' main problem is not the star Morant, but the starting center Adams. In this game, Adams played 24 minutes, did not have a single shot, only 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 fouls, and it can be said that there is no influence on the court. Towns can pull out and shoot three points, people are three-point contest champions, they can also attack with the ball in the face frame, people are still skill tournament champions, these two points, Adams can not prevent. So, Adams was embarrassed to face Downs on the court.
0 shots in 24 minutes, the Grizzlies upset and lost! The biggest problem, perhaps, is not Morant. In this game, Downs easily got 29 points, 13 rebounds and 3 assists, Adams really can't defend him, and you can't expect Adams' offense, so the Grizzlies' biggest problem is how to deal with Adams. Whether it's abandoned or taken advantage of Downs' break, it will take constant trial and error in the next game. However, the Grizzlies, who lost the first game of the series, there is really not much room for trial and error.