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The Golden State Warriors won their first playoff series since 2019 when they vanquished the wounded Denver Nuggets in a swift five games. Their reward? A trip to Memphis to face the Western Conference’s #2 seeded GRIZZLIES!
That’s right folks, the very same team that squashed Golden State’s playoff hopes last year in the play-in tournament is once again Golden State’s way. In my conversations with Dub Nation, it’s been clear they believe Memphis is the biggest roadblock to the Warriors getting out of the West.
Feels like against the Warriors, the Grizzlies make every shot, get every stop, make every play that allows them to stay close.
— Marcus Thompson (@ThompsonScribe) December 24, 2021
No team in NBA history had blown TWO double-digit 4th quarter leads in a single series prior to this series
— Jace frederick (@JaceFrederick) April 30, 2022
Minnesota just blew three.
Folded again, and again, and again.
Memphis was physically and mentally tougher.
That's why the Grizzlies are advancing, 4-2
Memphis is physical as hell. During the regular season they averaged a league leading 57.6 points in the paint. Their star guard and most improved player Ja Morant led the league in paint scoring with 16.6 per game. They averaged 53.0 points in the paint in their 4-2 series victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round. But against the Warriors during the regular season that number dipped down to 50.5...hmmm.
The Grizz also were formidable at creating scoring opportunities off of turnovers; they averaged 18.6 points off turnovers per game, good enough for 4th best in the NBA. Against the Warriors they averaged 20.8(!) points off turnovers.
But we haven’t seen Memphis take on the Warriors with their Big 3 of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green intact.
Warriors were 1-3 vs Grizzlies in the regular season
— Monte Poole (@MontePooleNBCS) April 30, 2022
-First loss: No Klay, JP was dreadful
-Second loss: No Draymond, JP was dreadful
-Third loss: No Steph/Klay/Draymond
PS: Warriors were 1-3 vs Nuggets in the reg season
the Dubs' BEST PLAYS against the Grizzlies this season ️ pic.twitter.com/43s6blAspR
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 1, 2022
Will the Dubs steal Game 1 on the road with their future Hall-of-Famers ready to go? The Dubs are -135 on the money line per Draft Kings.
Golden State Warriors at Memphis Grizzlies
May 1st, 2022 | 12:30 PT
Watch: ABC| Listen: 95.7 The Game
Poll
Who ya got in Game 1, Warriors or Grizzlies?
This poll is closed
-
86%
Warriors all day!
(191 votes) -
13%
The Grizz are no joke and will protect home court
(29 votes)
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