The Western Conference semifinals are here
The Golden State Warriors are once again on the road to the Finals, but this time, they don't have Kevin Durant, Curry is 34 years old, Klay has returned from a serious injury, Green's offensive ability is almost nothing, in this case, this team is still competitive, the first round of the playoffs directly swept the Denver Nuggets 4-1. However, in the Western Conference semifinals, they welcomed a strong opponent, that is, the Memphis Grizzlies in the second place in the West, a young and talented team with a deep lineup.
In response to the Grizzlies, Kerr let Payton Jr. start in place of Poole, strengthening the defensive strength of the starting lineup. On the Grizzlies side, Adams could not play because of his health and safety agreements, and in this case, the team still used the starting lineup against the Timberwolves, with Tillman as the starting center.
Dream Green was expelled
Kerr's change of lineup did not succeed, Morant came up and scored 8 points in a row, 14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal in a single quarter, which was simply unstoppable, while The substitute Melton also had 7 points, 2 rebounds and 1 steal, the Grizzlies bombed 32 points in a single quarter, and the Warriors only scored 24 points, including Curry 8 points and 3 assists. After returning from the second quarter, Curry and Clay were both plagued by fouls, and Dream Green was directly expelled for a malicious second-degree foul, in which case Poole and Wiggins carried the team.
Poole had 10 points, three rebounds and three assists in a single quarter, Wiggins also had seven points and two rebounds, and the Warriors managed to trail the Grizzlies by just six points at the end of halftime. In the second half, the two teams directly opened the confrontation mode, Jalan Jackson Jr. felt hot, 14 points, 3 rebounds and 1 block on 4 of 5 three-point shooting, Curry also had 13 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist in the single quarter, Poole 10 points and 2 assists, Wiggins also hit 1 three-pointer, the Warriors once again played a brave three-point performance, 36 points in a single quarter, successfully surpassed 1 point.
In the final quarter of the game, Poole continued to carry the team, scoring 7 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists on 3-of-5 shooting, but Curry made 1 of 5 three-point shooting, with only 3 points, 2 rebounds and 1 block. The Warriors once reversed the score, but in the final moments, Klay rarely missed two free throws, and Morant missed the last attack on the board and missed the kill. In the end, the Golden State Warriors narrowly defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 117-116 to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Poole's bench remained stunning
Although from the start to the bench, Poole is still the thigh of the Warriors, shooting 12 of 20 from the field, 5 of 10 from three-point range, and has 31 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists and 2 blocks, all four of which are the highest in the team. Curry had 24 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists, Klay 15 points, 1 rebound and 3 assists, Wiggins 17 points, 8 rebounds and 1 assist, and Dream Green was expelled, playing only 17 minutes, with 6 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. It has to be said that the Warriors won a key game, once again allowing people to see the essence of this team.
Missed the kill, but Morant did his best. With a quasi-triple-double of 34 points, 9 rebounds and 10 assists, Morant did everything, but unfortunately, lacked a little luck. Jalan Jackson Jr. hit six three-pointers and also had 33 points and 10 rebounds, Melton had 14 points and seven rebounds, and Clarke had 12 points, nine rebounds and two assists. However, Bain only had 9 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist on 3-of-10 shooting, and Brooks shot 3-of-13 from the field, with only 8 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists. If the Grizzlies want to win, the two have to step up and provide enough help to the team on both ends of the offensive and defensive ends.