If Game 1 is a sign of what the rest of the second round series between Memphis Grizzlys and the Golden State Warriors will be like, we’re at a party. In the battle that went back and forth until the final possession of the game, the Warriors eventually won 117-116 and took a 1-0 lead.
Despite that the Warriors were able to win Draymond Green was eliminated in the second quarter For a blatant mistake, the referees found him to be bad enough to be sent off. Without the green in the second half, Golden State had to dig deeper and was able to do it. Jordan Poole led the Warriors with 31 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Steff Curry had 24 points and four assists, and Andrew Wiggins added 17 points and eight rebounds.
Chris Lees, on the other hand, received huge contributions from their two young stars. Ja Morant led the way with 34 points with 10 assists and nine rebounds, and Jaren Jackson Jr. scored a double-double with 33 points and 10 rebounds. In the end, however, their combined production was not enough to elevate Memphis to Game1 success.
The Grizzlies will now be reunited and will be back in action in Tuesday night’s 2nd game. However, before moving on to that game, check out four takeaways from Golden State’s Game 1 win.
1. Pool Party
Poole was Golden State’s best player on Sunday afternoon, and his preparation was a key factor in their success. Steve Kerr decided not to start the pool, but it did not reduce his overall playing time as he played 38 minutes more team in the game. In those 38 minutes, he dropped 31 points in 12-for-20 shooting from the pool, and he also captured eight rebounds. Aside from his score, Poole’s playmaking was also huge for the Warriors because his nine assists were more than a team.
Pool’s presence makes Warriors particularly dangerous after this season, and you’ll see exactly why in Game 1. Neither Curry, Clay Thompson nor Green have played better and the Warriors are likely to have lost such a match in the past. Now, however, the pool star was in a position to make up for the struggles of the trio. Without him, the Warriors would have dropped this one. In the end, it does not matter whether the pool starts until he records the crucial minutes and helps his team win.
2. Morant and Jackson Grizzlies make history
Memphis did not win, but its young star pair Morant and Jackson made some major ownership history as they became the first pair team in Crislees history to score 30 points in a playoff game.
This is a very impressive achievement in terms of the talent that the Grizzlies have on their list in the past. The bad news for Memphis is that Morant and Jackson have made history but have not been able to win. Moving forward in the series, Grizzlies will need a little more from the rest of the list.
3. Kerr Improves Post Season Resume
Kerr Post is not new to basketball this season and, more importantly, he is no stranger to winning the postseason. With Golden State’s victory in Game 1, Kerr rose to ninth on the NBA’s list of all – time playoff wins with 82, surpassing KC Jones in the process.
Kerr now sits seven wins behind Miami Heat coach Eric Spolstra, who is eighth all-time. As Spoolstra’s heat is still playing, it may be hard for Kerr to catch up with Spoolstra this post season, but Kerr has a real chance to go into the top five before he’s finished saying it all.
4. Young talent in the whole scene
The young talents of the NBA are fully showcased in Game 1. Three players in the game have scored more than 30 points (Morant, Jackson and Poole) and all three are 22 years old. This is the first time in NBA post-season history that three players aged 22 or under have scored 30 points in the same game.
With players like Morant, Jackson and Poole, the league is progressing well.
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