3 Things We Learned From Grizzlies-Warriors Game 3 On Saturday
The first two games between the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies in this Western Conference Semifinals series have been nothing short of spectacular given that both games came down to the final few possessions.
Game 3 was fantastic if you were a fan of the Warriors and for Grizzlies fans, there really was nothing to celebrate.
The Warriors defeated the Grizzlies 142-112 in a game that they dominated from the second quarter on. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole were clicking all night long on the offensive-end of the floor and Golden State seemed to be playing with a lot of fire after their Game 2 loss that resulted in Gary Payton II suffering a fractured left elbow.
Memphis struggled after the opening quarter in this game and everyone outside of Ja Morant struggled to score against the Warriors’ zone defense.
Morant finished with 34 points, but Desmond Bane only had 16 points, Jaren Jackson Jr. only had 15 points and Memphis could not go on any kind of scoring run.
Golden State just did not seem to miss all night long, as they finished the game shooting 63.1% from the floor and 53.1% from three-point range.
It is pretty hard to win a game after giving up 142 points and the Grizzlies will have a lot to fix heading into Game 4 on Monday night.
The Warriors now hold a 2-1 series lead and here are the biggest takeaways from their Game 3 victory.
Warriors Are Unstoppable When “Super Splash Bros” Are Locked-In
For years, the Golden State Warriors have been led by the “Splash Brothers” in Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry. Two of the greatest shooters of all-time, the Warriors' offense has been controlled by the three-point shot and these two All-Stars have been the center of attention offensively.
This season, the Warriors have looked like their old selves with both Curry and Thompson healthy, but they have received a massive addition due to Jordan Poole’s breakout year.
The third-year guard has been a revelation for his team this season and has proven to be an elite-level scorer with the ball in his hands.
Poole finished with 27 points off-the-bench in Game 3 on Saturday night and combined with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, these three scored 78 points for Golden State.
The “Super Splash Brothers” have proven to be the best shooting trio in the entire league and in the playoffs this season, they are now averaging an average of 70.6 combined points per game.
When these three are knocking down shots and breaking down defenses, the Warriors are almost unstoppable and this is exactly how they looked in this game, beating the Grizzlies by 30 points.
Golden State Cannot Stop Ja Morant, But Injuries Can
Perhaps the biggest storyline in this semifinals series has been Ja Morant's stellar play.
The former Rookie of the Year and this season’s Most Improved Player scored 81 combined points through the first two games in this series and he scored another 34 points in Saturday’s loss.
Morant is shooting 43.3% from three-point range in this series and all-around, he has been the catalyst for every single play the Grizzlies run on offense.
With Gary Payton II out, the Warriors have no answers on how to stop Ja Morant in this series, but the Grizzlies’ All-Star did leave Game 3 early with some kind of a right knee injury.
Memphis cannot afford to lose Morant in this series and there is definitely a cause for concern for the Grizzlies right now, especially after Ja Morant was seen leaving the arena with a limp in his step.
He did not talk to the media after the game due to his injured knee and while he is not expected to miss time in this series, Morant could look slower and could potentially be limited in terms of his movement on the floor.
This injury is definitely something to watch moving forward in this series.
While Small, The Warriors Are Deadly On The Interior
With Draymond Green playing the center position in their “death lineup,” the Golden State Warriors have one of the smallest starting-fives in the league.
Even with Kevon Looney at center, the Warriors are still a relatively small team compared to the Memphis Grizzlies.
However, Golden State dominated the paint through the first two games of the series and once again controlled everything in the paint in Game 3 on Saturday.
They outrebounded Memphis 38-29 and the Warriors outscored the Grizzlies 62-44 in the paint in Game 3. Jordan Poole, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson dissected the Grizzlies' defense all night long and their zone defense really caused problems for Memphis' offense.
Keeping Ja Morant out of the paint and limiting their ability to attack the paint has been the key points of emphasis for the Warriors defensively and switching to a 1-2-2 zone in Game 3 really helped them out.
Memphis had no answers for attacking this zone and as a result, they were forced to take a lot of tough, contested jump-shots.
They may be small, but the Warriors play on both ends of the floor with a ton of intensity and a lot of heart, hence why they have had so much success in the paint in this series.
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