The first game of the second round between the Golden State Warriors and the Memphis Grizzlies came to an end, and the Golden State Warriors narrowly defeated the Memphis Grizzlies by one point.
It was an extremely exciting and high-level game.
If the game between the Timberwolves and the Grizzlies is mainly about the momentum and scale control of young people, then the game between the Warriors and the Grizzlies focuses on the display of technology, teaming, impact and grasp of details.
Personally, I think that this game was not spoiled by the referee, and the referee's "play" did not affect the high level of the game, nor did it affect the results in the minds of many people, so this is an acceptable phenomenon. There are indeed several decisions that are controversial, in my opinion, for two reasons: first, some of the penalties at the beginning do not look like playoff level; second, the final out-of-bounds decision to compete for the ball, more than many people expected.
In the first few minutes of the first quarter, and even before the last 3 minutes of the first quarter, both sides were in a state of mutual temptation, and no one could win the other. The state of both sides during this time is very normal and the team as a whole is very strong, with the Grizzlies showing the advantage of Jarren Jackson on the inside, while the Warriors showing their usual smooth passing run and Curry's blocking.
Morant scored 10 points in the process, and the Grizzlies were significantly better impactful than the Warriors, and a steal ensued. With Melton's two three-pointers complete, the Grizzlies gained the lead as they entered the two minutes.
Of course, there is some controversy over the award in the process, but spectators should not be obsessed with discussing these.
The wave of leadership the Grizzlies confirmed was not picked up until eight minutes into the third quarter of the game. At the beginning of the second quarter, the Warriors were chasing points, this time it was the role of the veteran, Curry and Thompson scored 3 and 2 points respectively. Jackson still showed an advantage over the interior, and Bane also showed an advantage over the assault, which is the Grizzlies' single point advantage, which we will definitely see often in future games.
In the second quarter of 8 and a half minutes, the Grizzlies played the biggest point difference, but the Warriors were obviously not afraid, Poole's two consecutive three-point shots made the point difference close, the Grizzlies' defense was lax, the Warriors used this gap to play continuously, and the point difference was quickly narrowed to 3 points, which showed the Warriors' offensive strength and explosive power. During the 2-point, 49-4 minute period, the two teams' small fouls increased, with the Grizzlies using low-post offense and assault to keep the point difference at around 6 points, while the Warriors scored in steals and assaults.
The highlight of this time for the Warriors was the substitution of Cuminga on the inside, but unfortunately he failed to control his fouls, or Morant took advantage of the blow scale, and he did not have the ball. However, Cumminga can form a hedge with the Warriors' Jackson on the inside, but it cannot be ignored. The Warriors' subsequent games may boldly exploit this in response to the problems of Green and Rooney.
The Grizzlies led by six points into the third quarter, thompson single-handedly chased the points, but Green was sent off.
Green's penalty may have caused a change in the warriors' lineup structure, but functionally the Warriors' strategy of using Looney as a central axis still works. That is to say, Green's game was replaced in terms of function, and Rooney played a good effect, at least not to introduce the game into passivity. That's because the Warriors' offense is mainly on the outside, and the basic tactical path is also smooth, and Rooney can do these things.
Green's end is not necessarily a bad thing, because the Warriors have since launched a more violent offense, which is also one of the ways to deal with the loss of Green. The Warriors let Curry play "3+1" through the classic fast rotation ball, at which point the Warriors took the lead. The Warriors' multi-point offense was revitalized and the Grizzlies went down the drain.
This is the Warriors' advantage, because once the multi-point offense is played, the opponent's defense will definitely have loopholes, and the Grizzlies are too fierce for Curry's pursuit, giving Curry a lot of opportunities to make fouls, and the Warriors usher in the best time for them to score points, and the Grizzlies have fewer ways. But the Grizzlies will also respond, again jackson.
Jackson scored 11 consecutive points in a row, and at this time scored 14 points in a single quarter, the same as the first quarter. This was the Warriors' biggest threat and it ran throughout the court. In contrast, Morant's play is dysfunctional. Morant only passed the ball during this time, and the shooting efficiency was not high, which was his shortcoming.
At the end of the third quarter, the Warriors still led by one point, and when they entered the fourth quarter for nine minutes, the Warriors' lead reached as many as 8 points. This is the result of the Warriors gradually adapting to the rhythm of the Grizzlies' offense, and it is also the result of the Grizzlies gradually entering a period of weakness. By the time it was 6.3 minutes, the Grizzlies were chasing the score to one point, Jackson and Morant both scored three points, and the Warriors' side Poole and Thompson scored points accordingly, and Poole had already scored 31 points.
At the crucial moment of the final 5 minutes, the two teams alternated points, and the Grizzlies appeared several times under the Warriors' big rotation ball basket and were caught by the Warriors. At this time, it seems that the Grizzlies are also very aggressive in offense, with Carrack, Dillon and Morant scoring points in succession, but the rhythm on the court is on the side of the Warriors, and the Warriors control the rhythm on the court.
The Grizzlies maintain an intense offensive rhythm, but the Warriors have more lethal preparation and mentality for a single hit. It looked like the Grizzlies hadn't realized the game was coming to an end when Thompson hit a three-pointer, reflecting the Grizzlies' panicked state at the time.
The Grizzlies designed the tactics well afterwards, but Morant didn't score, and some people said that Morant could pass the ball, but that's how the superstars played, and the Grizzlies won the Timberwolves precisely because they defined the positioning of the ball. Morant's final attack makes sense and is long-term.
Unfortunately, the Grizzlies lost in the final moments, which reflects that they are still slightly inferior to the Warriors in terms of overallity. At the beginning of the game, the Grizzlies took the lead, and when the Warriors got on Poole, they began to determine the advantage in the chaotic battle. Green's appearance triggered a wave of attacks from the Warriors, and they still gained the advantage through the onslaught of the outside, which opened a door.
From the Grizzlies' point of view, they will use Jackson's strong attack more in the next game, which is their biggest advantage point, and Morant is not actually an advantage point due to his lack of superb projection, but he can use the assault to solve the problem. The Grizzlies also need to build a more stable whole, and Dillon and Bane need to play more. Defensively they are unlikely to limit Curry and Poole, and they can only play against the Warriors from offense.
The Warriors' more calm and relaxed appearance will form a psychological advantage, and Green's expulsion will also form a psychological advantage, and their psychological advantage is too big. In addition, the Warriors' maturity has improved a lot compared to previous seasons, and their sense of stability in handling the ball is increasing.
This game the Warriors did their best in terms of star play, rotation, and detail control, and played a perfect game, but if the Grizzlies take advantage of the assault and Jackson, and are more careful, the Warriors also have a lot of risk.