The Golden State Warriors dropped Game 2 to the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night; now they must win on the road to take back the initiative in their Western Conference semi-finals clash.
It was an emotional night at the Oracle Arena, with Stephen Curry receiving his MVP award from NBA commissioner Adam Silver in front a sold-out crowd prior to tip-off.
The drain of being crowned MVP was arguably a factor in the point guard’s indifferent performance, while it was more difficult to explain the shooting woes of his teammates who ultimately failed to show up.
However, the Warriors get to put things right in Game 3 and take back home-court advantage, as they will now have had a few days to rest, regroup and understand where they might have gone wrong.
Essentially, it starts with controlling their emotions better and rediscovering their rhythm both offensively and defensively. Their shooting struggles were a huge factor in the defeat, and they will need to take better care of the ball too.
Mike Conley‘s introduction to the series was of course a significant factor too, and his contribution on both ends of the court were key in the Grizzlies inflicting just a third home loss on Golden State all season.
That is perhaps the biggest match-up adjustment that needs to take place, whether it is a change in personnel guarding the “Masked Assassin” or just adjusting to his presence on the floor which gives Memphis a better sense of direction.
May 5, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley (11) dribbles the basketball against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the third quarter in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Grizzlies defeated the Warriors 97-90. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Another key aspect to the Game 3 encounter will be matching the Grizzlies in their defensive intensity, as Tony Allen enjoyed himself last time out while reminding everyone about his “First Team All-Defense” pedigree with key steals and stops.
That will likely increase at the “Grindhouse,” and so Steve Kerr needs to get better ball movement, more team basketball and less turnovers to ensure that the hosts don’t work up an intimidating atmosphere.
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Leandro Barbosa was undoubtedly a spark off the bench last time out, but it will take more from the second unit as a whole to ensure that the Warriors don’t fall behind. As a result, the likes of Shaun Livingston, Andre Iguodala and David Lee need to produce more off the bench.
In addition, Memphis’ biggest strength is unsurprisingly their bigs, who worked away in the paint and got a solid contribution for their team through Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph.
Andrew Bogut and Draymond Green in turn need to be better and avoid early foul trouble, as this match-up threatens to become more and more complicated than many thought it would be.
The key ahead of Game 3 is that the Warriors know where they must be better, and it would come as no surprise if Kerr’s men produce a performance on the road that snatches back the momentum.
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