All five came on the field at the same time to hit the adrenaline rush, and Morant pulled the Grizzlies out of their comfort zone

Ja-Morant played a huge role in game 5 of the series, but it was the team's small squad that was key to the team's success.

The Memphis Grizzlies don't play small lineups. They like to play fast, and although the superstar on the team is a 6'3" point guard, they don't play small lineups. Throughout the season, the team has had an advantage in stature. They will beat their opponents on rebounds, make the most of second offense opportunities, and protect the basket. The team's starting big forward Jarren Jackson Jr. is at the top of the league with average blocks per game.

But because of the numerous unique alignment issues created by Timberwolf center Carl Anthony Towns in the series, the Grizzlies had to be more flexible in the playoffs, which meant that the playing time normally occupied by the tall Steven Adams would be divided between Zavier Tillman, a second-year player who had few chances to play, and Kyle Anderson, who was 6'9 inches tall. Even if the team pressed Adams to the bench, the team would keep one of Jaren Jackson Jr. or Brandon Clark Jr. on the court most of the time to guarantee the team's characteristics throughout the season: size and confrontation.

But that all changed in the fifth game, which was a model of melee and the most important victory the team has ever won since Ja-Morant was drafted. Jaren Jackson Jr. played just 18 minutes and was sent off in the fourth quarter, while Adams still couldn't play, the Grizzlies' offense was mired in a quagmire, and in this situation, the Grizzlies sent a smaller lineup than ever before, with Morant, Desmond Bain and Tyes Jones playing at the same time, Dillon Brooks topped the fourth position, and Clark, who was 6'8,000,000,000,000 feet tall, the only big man on the court. On nights like this, there are a million reasons why the two teams lost and who won, but the Grizzlies decided to step out of their comfort zone and make dramatic changes that changed the way they played that game.

"Of course, I like that lineup," Bane said after the Grizzlies' 111-109 win over the Timberwolves, in which Morant hit a winning left-handed layup with a second left left in the game. We're not sure if the Grizzlies, who are now leading 3-2 on aggregate, will still send such a (or similar) lineup. The combination of the five never played at the same time in the regular season. But in the crucial seven minutes, when they faced a desperate situation of falling behind double figures in the third and fourth quarters, such a lineup gave the team an adrenaline rush: the lineup played with a net of 14 points, and when Jones, Morant and Bain played at the same time, the team's offensive efficiency was 133.3.

"We've talked about using a lineup like this, and it's probably not the first tweak we've made since we got into the game," Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said, "but as we read the game, read the lineup, and look at what kind of vibrancy our lineup needs, a particular lineup may be effective for us to turn things around... Obviously, when we changed the squad and tactics we've been playing all season, it's hard for our opponents to cope with our changes. But I'm just adjusting with my instincts. ”

The Grizzlies sent out small lineups because they had to. When Jaren Jackson Jr. left the field with seven minutes left, Jenkins sent Jones to replace him, putting two of the team's best pitchers and a jumper on the pitch to help Morant. The extra space was invaluable to Morant, and since then he has scored 16 points and scored 10 free throws. Asked about the Grizzlies' success in winning the game with a small lineup, Morant said, "There's a lot of extra space on the court, you know, once we get the rebound, the three-point shooters on our team can run up and shoot the ball in." ”

Such tactics might not have worked without the pure rebounding monster Clark, who grabbed seven offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter (the Timberwolves only grabbed 6 in the entire game). He turned a few missed shots from the Grizzlies into a second offense under the basket or a shot to the outside to regain possession, which created opportunities for everyone else on the team — especially the important three-pointer that Morant made a minute before the end of the game.

"I'm happy because when I went to fight for that rebound, I really put a lot of effort into shooting the ball, and I thought the ball was going to fly off the court," Clark said, "but I think I hit the basketball in the most perfect way, and it flew straight into Morant's hand." ”

Part of the reason Clarke did so well was that Timberwolves coach Chris Finch put Jordan McLaughlin on the small lineup, which led to the pairing between Towns and Brooks. Brooks circled forward to defend Downs, cutting off the link between him and his teammates and interfering with his shots. The Timberwolves' number one star scored three points in just three shots during the most critical time of the game, and he was occasionally pulled to the edge of the box by cover or changing defenses (which is why Clark gave in the box). "You can occasionally have a defender change against Downs," Clark said, "and we have defenders who can defend against big men." ”

On the one hand, it was very unusual for the Grizzlies to use such a lineup, and on the other hand, they relied on this all-out lineup to achieve important results. The Grizzlies need more space and want to give Morant the offensive passage he deserves by changing his defensive strategy of blocking and dismantling the squat pit, that is, arranging a third defender on the inside all night. The intensity of position warfare will decrease, but what is more important is that they have adopted the method of running fast and attacking after the opponent has lost the shot, which was completely avoided before.

"Even when they score, we just take the ball out of the net and keep pushing forward," Jenkins said, "I think you can see the change in our energy and speed, and when we push like that, we run better tactics." ”

In the long run, it's interesting to see if the Grizzlies will give three small guards the chance to play at the same time, even when they're not in a desperate situation. (Jones, Morant and Jones have barely had a record of playing at the same time this year, but when all three of them are on the court at the same time, they play very well.) If they can eventually eliminate the Timberwolves and take on the Warriors, they may have no choice at that point.