The Western Conference semifinals begin
The Golden State Warriors came to the stage of the Western Conference semifinals without suspense, and Dream Green praised Jokic while not forgetting to mock the general Kevin Durant. Winner is king, that's the NBA league's credo. However, the Warriors will face a huge challenge next, and that is the second-place Grizzlies in the West. The Nuggets have only Jokic, while the Grizzlies have more than just Morant. The energy that Bane showed in the first round of the playoffs was enough to make the Warriors jealous, and with Brooks and Jarlen Jackson, the Warriors were indeed in trouble.
The Nuggets' defense, especially the outside defense, can only be described as vulnerable, but the Grizzlies are a defensive team, and the defensive efficiency in the regular season is sixth in the league. And this team's interior scores, the league first. The Warriors' interior defense, to be honest, may be the bottom of the eight teams in the division semifinals.
Grimm's criminals were expelled
Adams was quarantined, the Grizzlies continued to use a small lineup to start, and the Warriors took the initiative to change sides, payton Jr. replaced Poole's starting position, and it was clear that the team needed better defense. At the beginning of the first quarter, Morant scored eight consecutive points, including two three-pointers, and in this quarter, Morante had 14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal on 5-of-9 shooting, an unparalleled personal performance, Andromedon on the bench also had 7 points and 2 rebounds, the Grizzlies bombed 32 points in a single quarter, and the Warriors only scored 24 points.
Steven Curry had eight points and three assists, but Klay only shot 1 of 6, and Poole, who came off the bench, had four points and two rebounds, unable to stop the gap from widening. After returning from the second quarter, Curry rested off the court, and the Grizzlies briefly extended their lead to 12 points, but Poole scored eight consecutive points, including two three-pointers, to help the Warriors narrow the gap to five points. Curry then returned to the court, and the Grizzlies pulled the gap to 8 points again, but Green scored 2+1, Cumminga dunked with both hands, and Poole also made a layup, and the point difference came directly to 1 point, and the Grizzlies requested a timeout.
After the suspension returned, Jalen Jr. made two fouls, and Cuminga also made two free throws and two shots, which also caused Jalen Jr. to make a third offense. Dream Green shot straight to the ground, and the referee watched the video and gave a second-degree malicious foul to directly expel him. Clark made two free throws and one shot, Morant received a dunk in the air, Cumminga successfully made up for himself, and Morant hit the whistle. At the end of the half, the Grizzlies led the Warriors 61-55.
Wiggins is no longer healthy
Although the Warriors are only 6 points behind, they have been mired in a quagmire, and Dream Green has been expelled from the game, which means that the Warriors' five small lineups are not available. It is worth mentioning that Dream played well in this game, with 6 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 1 block on 2-of-3 shooting, Curry was 8 points and 3 assists, and Clay only had 3 points and 1 block on 1 of 6 shooting. Fortunately, Poole had 14 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, and although he came to the bench, his performance was still eye-catching. As for Wiggins, when the team was in danger, he no longer played health basketball.
Wiggins played 19 minutes and 52 seconds in the first half, the team's most playing time, as Curry and Klay, as well as Payton Jr. all had three fouls on their backs. Wiggins didn't disappoint the team either, having 10 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist at halftime, absolutely qualified. The Warriors had 15 fouls at halftime, but the Grizzlies also had 11 fouls, with Brooks and Jalen Jr. all three fouls. Morant exploded in the first half with 18 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists, Jalen Jr. 14 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist, and Melton 11 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist.