If Game 1 was any indication of what the rest of the second round series between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Golden State Warriors will be like, then we’re in for a treat. In a back-and-forth battle that reached the final possession of the game, the Warriors eventually managed to win 117-116 and take a 1-0 lead.
The Warriors managed to win despite the fact that Draymond Green was sent off in the second quarter for a foul that the referees found rude enough to kick him out. Without Green in the second half, Golden State had to dig deep and did just that. Jordan Poole leads the Warriors with 31 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Steph Curry scored 24 points and 4 assists, and Andrew Wiggins added 17 points and 8 rebounds.
Grizzlies, on the other hand, had a big contribution from their two young stars. Ja Morant led all scorers with 34 points along with 10 assists and 9 rebounds, and Jaren Jackson Jr. made a double-double with 33 points and 10 rebounds. In the end, however, their combined production was not enough to drive Memphis to victory in Match 1.
Now the Grizzlies will have to regroup and return to Game 2 on Tuesday night. Before we move on to this game, however, here’s a look at four excerpts from Golden State’s victory in Match 1.
1. Pool party
Poole was Golden State’s best player on Sunday afternoon and his performance was a major factor in their victory. Steve Kerr chose not to start Poole, but that did not reduce his overall playing time, as he eventually played the team’s highest 38 minutes of the match. In those 38 minutes, Poole dropped 31 points in 12 of 20 shots from the floor and also grabbed eight rebounds. In addition to his result, Poole’s playmaker was also huge for the Warriors, as his nine assists were also an excellent team.
Poole’s presence makes the Warriors particularly dangerous this postseason and you saw exactly why in Game 1. None of Curry, Clay Thompson or Green had a particularly great game, and in the past the Warriors would probably have lost such a race. But now Poole was there to make up for the star trio’s struggles. Without him, the Warriors would have missed this one. In the end, it doesn’t matter if Poole starts or not, as long as he records big minutes and helps his team win.
2. Morant and Jackson make a Grizzly story
Memphis did not win, but his young star duo Morant and Jackson made a great history of the franchise, as they became the first pair of teammates in the history of the Grizzlies, who scored 30 points in a playoff game.
This is quite an impressive feat, given the talent that the Grizzlies had on their roster in the past. The bad news for Memphis is obviously that he failed to win even when Morant and Jackson go down in history. Continuing forward in the series, the Grizzlies will need a little more than the rest of the list.
3. Kerr strengthens his autobiography after the season
Kerr is no stranger to basketball after the season, and more importantly, he is no stranger when it comes to winning the postseason. With the victory of Golden State in Game 1, Kerr climbed to ninth place in the list of wins in the all-time NBA playoffs with 82, ahead of KC Jones in the process.
Kerr is now seven wins behind Miami Heat coach Eric Spoelstra, who is eighth ever. It may be difficult for Kerr to catch up with Spoelstra this post-season, given that Spoelstra’s Heat also continues to play, but Kerr certainly has a real chance to climb into the top five before it is said and done.
4. Young talent on display
The NBA’s young talent was fully demonstrated in Game 1. Three players in the game scored more than 30 points (Morant, Jackson and Poole) and three of these boys are 22 years old. This is the first time in NBA history since the season that three players aged 22 or under have 30 points in the same game.
With players like Morant, Jackson and Poole, the league is clearly in good hands, moving forward.
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