For the second time in less than a week, the Golden State Warriors and the Memphis Grizzlies will be playing a must-win game. In their matchup last Sunday, Stephen Curry torched Memphis for 46 points on a career-high 36 shot attempts en route to a 12 point victory for Golden State.
Following the 46 point outburst, last Sunday, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr had nothing but praise for Curry.
“He’s never been better, I can say that,” coach Kerr said.
Along those lines, Curry was announced as one of the league’s three finalists for Most Valuable Player. Setting records left and right, Curry deserves league-wide recognition.
Although the Grizzlies struggled in their last matchup with the Warriors, they did have success in their regular-season series. Curry was out of the matchup on March 20th, but Jordan Poole took the lead with 26 points. During that game, Dillon Brooks and Jonas Valanciunas each had 19 in their own 12 point victory.
In the end-of-season battle for the eighth seed, Brooks led the defensive effort against Curry. Before he landed in foul trouble, Brooks stuck on Curry on and off the ball while limiting his shot attempts. When Brooks fouled out in the 4th quarter, Curry exploded and closed out the game. No matter what happens inside the paint, Brooks may be the ultimate key to success for Memphis.
After the game, Brooks admitted his fouling mistakes.
“I should’ve not fouled, I feel like the outcome would’ve been different,” Brooks said. “Every game, I play as hard as I can and leave the chips where they fall.”
Inside the paint, Valanciunas has dominated recently and could unlock an additional element of the Grizzlies’ offense. With 29 points and 16 rebounds in their last matchup, Valanciunas looked comfortable inside. Whether Draymond Green or Kevon Looney matched up against Valanciunas, the Memphis center scored seemingly at will.
Even with his struggles at times guarding Valanciunas, Green was announced as one of the three finalists for NBA Defensive Player of the Year. With three blocks and three steals against Anthony Davis and the Lakers, Green is poised for a rematch with the Grizzlies big man.
Look no further than Kerr who called Green “the best defender in the world” when asked about his veteran forward recently.
Golden State comes into this must-win game fresh off of a heartbreaking loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Memphis, on the other hand, edged out a win against the San Antonio Spurs to keep their season alive. With the second thrilling game at the Chase Center in the last week, the “We Believe” Warriors faithful will be ready and waiting.
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