Memphis Grizzlies Can Make Biggest Statement Yet with Game 3 Win vs. Warriors
The skid marks are still visible outside Oracle Arena.
That's how violently the Memphis Grizzlies—who literally limped into the postseason just a few weeks back—stopped the Golden State Warriors' wild run.
Consider this: Prior to Tuesday's 97-90 loss in Game 2, the Dubs hadn't dropped a contest inside their home base since Jan. 27. The Memphis game was only Golden State's third loss at Oracle of the entire season.
The Grizzlies sent several statements in that win. That their seemingly outdated offense could put up more points than their opponent's revolutionary attack. That they could win with a point guard (Mike Conley) only eight days removed from facial surgery and a shooting guard (Tony Allen) who doesn't actually shoot.
Most importantly, that the charmed existence the NBA favorites from the Bay Area led during the regular season is officially over.
"This is the first time we faced some adversity, really all year," Warriors forward Draymond Green said, according to ESPN.com's Ethan Sherwood Strauss.
But the Grizzlies have the chance to do something far more significant when this series shifts to the FedExForum for Saturday's Game 3. Their first victory of the week was stunning; scoring a second would be substantial.
Memphis is past the point of playing spoiler. It effectively cleared that bar by holding Stephen Curry to 19 points on 19 shots (2-of-11 from three) on the same night he received his MVP hardware.
It isn't looking for more surprises, either. The Grizzlies got those out of the way when Conley, looking like the Phantom of the Grindhouse, transformed from being questionable for Game 2 into the contest's best player by putting up a game-high 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting in 27 minutes.
"He gives us poise, he gives us toughness. He gave us things that nobody else could do," Grizzlies center Marc Gasol said, per ESPN.com's Michael Wallace. "He did a good job of just letting the game come."
Letting it come and then taking it over.
Conley and Allen helped the Grizzlies play the game on their grit-and-grind terms. Namely, that involved keeping the Splash Brothers (Curry and Klay Thompson) bone dry.
The typically dynamic duo managed just 32 points on 34 shots and eight assists against eight turnovers. The Grizzlies hounded the Warriors guards. And the effect was both obvious and meaningful.
Curry was never able to engage his human-torch mode. Thompson had trouble getting anything going.
As ESPN.com's J.A. Adande observed, Memphis' defense controlled Golden State's fiery offense like a wet blanket:
"The Grizzlies got stops by crowding and contesting the shooters. They got them by forming a late wall of defense by the rim. They covered the cutters and denied passing lanes. ... [The Warriors] rushed shots when they did get open looks, as if they feared they wouldn't get that opportunity too often and tried too hard to make them count. 'We were too quick with our intention to score,' was how coach Steve Kerr put it, which sounded odd for a team that normally seems intent on scoring as quickly as possible.
"
The Grizzlies may have stumbled on their formula to escape a series no one thought they could win. ESPN's Forecast panel gave Memphis just an 18.5 percent chance to advance. The next-biggest underdogs were the Washington Wizards at 39.7 percent.
Saturday's game should shed light on what really happened during Tuesday's tilt. The Grizzlies might have found the fuel that powered them to the Western Conference's second seed for most of the season. Or the Warriors, who led all teams with a 47.8 field-goal percentage, may have simply had a rough shooting night.
The latter is the likelier of the two, but if the former proves correct, this series could take on a dramatically different look.
"If this is the new way of Memphis' world, this style that looked so reminiscent of their 41-14 start to the regular season, then the Warriors are surely at risk at falling even farther from here," wrote USA Today's Sam Amick.
The Grizzlies have the personnel to challenge the Warriors.
Conley, Allen and Courtney Lee can seamlessly switch through perimeter defensive assignments, meaning Memphis can keep constant pressure on Curry and Thompson. Gasol and Zach Randolph have the size and strength to get Draymond Green in foul trouble, and the Warriors aren't close to being the same team without him.
He's an excellent screen-setter, a solid secondary playmaker, a glass-eater, an incredibly versatile defender and a (pretty) reliable three-point shooter. There isn't another player like him on Golden State's roster, and it shows. The Warriors have outscored opponents by 20.0 points per 100 possessions when Green is on the floor and been outscored by 46.5 points per 100 possessions when he isn't during the postseason.
That being said, if everything goes according to plan for Memphis, it's still going to be a grind.
The Grizzlies don't have the incendiary shooters to make up mammoth deficits. They play at a methodical pace (fifth slowest during the regular season), and they're matched up with an offense that can put up points in a flurry. Memphis' defense is strong, but there isn't much teams can do when Curry and/or Thompson start heating up.
This will be a battle to dictate the style of play. The advantage still falls on the Warriors' side, but the battle-tested Grizzlies are hungry after drawing blood their last time out.
For Memphis, this could be the team's reintroduction to the basketball world.
So many had left the Grizzlies for dead. They went an uninspiring 16-13 after the All-Star break, and their downturn started before injuries began piling up. When their offense grinds to a halt, this group sometimes seems to have passed its expiration date. In today's game, it isn't easy to win how the Grizzlies like to play.
But these players have no qualms about doing things the hard way. Life in the mud isn't meant to be pleasant.
Just effective.
It was on Tuesday night when the Grizzlies turned the Roaracle into Grindhouse West. Now that they're headed back to the real thing, they have a chance to not only seize control of this series but also remind everyone of their status as heavyweight contenders.
Unless otherwise noted, statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.
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