Despite being erased with a double-digit lead, under Morant's leadership, the tenacious Grizzlies equalized 106-101 to the Warriors in the semifinals G2!
Rationally speaking, compared to G1, G2 Grizzlies head coach Jenkins made a pretty good move on the offensive end and let Morant dominate the offense.
At the same time, on the defensive end, although Jaron Jackson Jr. graduated 6 times, the Grizzlies, who put on a small lineup, seem to be more able to match the Warriors' offense, which can be said to have gained unexpected surprises!
Of course, as the team's home star, G2 against the Warriors, Morant's play also played a crucial leading role.
Morant exploded in full force, scoring five three-pointers on 15-of-31 shooting in the 39th minute of the game, plus an all-around performance of eight rebounds, eight assists, and three steals.
And his key performance of cutting 18 points in the last quarter, 8 minutes, not only completely dominated the offensive and defensive ends, but also almost single-handedly ended the Warriors' idea of trying to fight back!
At the same time, it is worth mentioning that this game cut 47 points, Morant not only equaled his career playoff single-game scoring record, but also scored 45 points in a single game in the playoffs many times before the age of 23, becoming the third player in the league after Kobe Bryant and James to achieve this achievement, and it can be said that a game has ushered in a number of milestone moments.
As for G2's own performance in a game, Morant himself also had great confidence, and after the game, he called out the Warriors' star Curry, declaring war: "Our showdown will continue, that will be very interesting!" ”
In addition, the G2 Grizzlies were able to beat the Warriors and tie the semi-final score, and the performance of the two big surprisers on the bench, Melton + Zair Williams, was also indispensable.
Although Melton did not feel good at the offensive end of this game, only 1 of 5 shots in the whole game, but fortunately, the defensive end was active, and the whole game handed over 3 points + 8 rebounds + 1 assist + 2 steals + 3 blocks of offensive and defensive performance, which repeatedly interfered with the Warriors' offensive rhythm and deployment!
And G2 against the Warriors, the play of Zaire Williams, a young player who was previously absent due to injury, is also remarkable.
Zaire Williams was very efficient, coming off the bench for 26 minutes, shooting 5 from the middle and 4 three-pointers on 9 fronts, scoring 14 points + 5 rebounds + 1 assist in the game.
I have to say that despite the long absence of the battle, as a young ready-to-play player, plug-and-play Zair Williams, G2 also successfully affected the trend of the game, played the role of a surprise soldier, became the winner of the game, it can be said that for the Grizzlies to win G2, made the first contribution!
In contrast, on the Warriors side, the G2 team failed to withstand the pressure, and the performance of the game in the final away game is obviously still to be examined.
But rationally speaking, for the Warriors, the G2 team is not completely without highlights and gains!
After all, in the case of Thompson + Wiggins playing poorly, the performance of Curry + Jordan Poole, as well as the performance of Otto Porter on the bench, is indeed remarkable.
Curry continued the fiery feel of G1, scoring a team-high 27 points on 11-of-25 shooting in the first 38 minutes, plus a quasi-triple-double performance of 9 rebounds, 8 assists and 1 steal.
And G2 against the Grizzlies, Jordan Poole also played well, handing over 20 points , 3 rebounds + 5 assists of the outstanding performance, is the key to the Warriors can always bite the score!
At the same time, as the main force in the team's rotation lineup, although Otto Porter G2 only achieved 4 points+ 9 rebounds , 2 assists + 1 steal in the first game, his plus-minus was as high as +17, the highest for the Warriors!
Only for the Warriors, the unexpected injury of the new 3D Gary Payton II of the G2 team undoubtedly caused the Warriors to suffer a major blow at the time of employment.
As the initiator of Payton Jr.'s injury, Dillon Brooks also caused public anger after the game, and Warriors coach Kerr said bluntly: "Dillon Brooks is dirty and stupid, he violates the basic rules, this is my opinion!" ”
As for the Warriors, who lack defensive player Peyton Jr. in the G3 game back at home, what adjustments and changes will be made, the Warriors will obviously usher in a new round of challenges!