The playoffs kicked off with timberwolves beating the Grizzlies 130-117 on the road to temporarily take a 1-0 lead.
In today's game, Morant and Edwards, two potential rising stars who are under 21 years old, have played very well. Edwards played 40 minutes and shot 12-of-23, including 4-of-11 from three-point range and 8-of-8 from the free throw line, for 36 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks. Morant played 35 minutes, shooting 8-of-18, including 0-of-2 from three-point range and 16-of-20 from the free throw line, and scored 32 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists.
It is worth mentioning that no two under-23 players in history have been able to score 30+ in the same playoffs, and Morant (22 years and 250 days) and Edwards (20 years and 255 days) are the first pairs to do so. Moreover, Edwards has never played a playoff game, which is his playoff debut, and Morant only played five playoff games last season.
Edwards today scored at least 35 points and five assists in his playoff debut, becoming the fifth player in NBA history to do so, with the top four players being Doncic, Rose, Paul and Gary Brocau.
In addition to Edwards, the Timberwolves' other champion Towns was also very good today, he played 42 minutes, 11 of 18 shooting, including 2 of 5 three-pointers, 29 points, 13 rebounds and 3 assists, showing his dominance.
Beasley, who came off the bench, was also outstanding today, playing 30 minutes, shooting 8-of-14, 4-of-10 from three-point range and 3-of-4 from the free throw line, with 23 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists, providing a steady firepower.
For the Grizzlies, Morant cut 30+ today, and they still didn't win, which is of course a pity. The Grizzlies are second in the West this season, and if they lose to the Timberwolves in the first round and get black seven, it must be face-to-face.
In the regular season, the Grizzlies had a good record in Morant's absence, with a 20-4 record, an offensive efficiency of 113.8, a defensive efficiency of 99.2, and a net efficiency of +14.6. When Morant played, the Grizzlies had a record of 36 wins and 21 losses, an offensive efficiency of 110.7, a defensive efficiency of 108.6, and a net efficiency of only +2.1.
Obviously, without Morant, the Grizzlies are better, of course, this is not to say that Morant is not important, even dragging his feet, Morant's importance to the Grizzlies is beyond doubt, but he suffered an injury at the end of the regular season and has just returned, and the Grizzlies have performed well without him, so he and the team still need to adapt.
In the playoffs, Morant as a superstar player is very important for the Grizzlies, and if the Grizzlies want to pass the Timberwolves, Morant must make a difference.