Going into last night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Golden State Warriors had not lost three games in a row during the entirety of the season. They continued that streak with an emphatic win over the Grizzlies, looking more like the dominant regular-season Warriors instead of the completely different-looking team we’ve seen the last two games.
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Had the Warriors lost, they would have been looking at a 1-3 series deficit – a deficit that would be near impossible to overcome, especially against the highly-experienced Grizzlies unit. It was imperative that they won, and hopefully swing the momentum as they bring the series back to Oakland.
The team recognized the importance of the game and stepped up. They played with more passion, more drive and energy, and played to their identity. They sped the game up to a frantic pace, and refused to let the Grizzlies slow them down.
One of the biggest coaching adjustments Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr made was putting Andrew Bogut on Tony Allen. It was an odd sight, since Bogut was the Warriors’ defensive anchor, and putting him on the perimeter-based Allen would theoretically negate Bogut’s rim protection. However, it allowed the Warriors to double team Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol in the paint, and gave Bogut the chance to roam around the paint for help defense.
Allen has always been known as a poor shooter, and the Warriors were basically daring Allen to shoot from the perimeter. Bogut would practically ignore Allen if he was on the perimeter, preferring to sag back into the paint to provide help for his teammates. Allen missed his first two-three point jumpers and was quickly pulled from the game. He ended up playing 16 minutes in total – his least amount of minutes in the playoffs this season.
Keeping Allen out of the game also made it much easier for the Warriors on offense. It gave Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson more breathing room, and they were able to score 33 and 15 points respectively.
Another player that excelled was Harrison Barnes. His statline isn’t that impressive (12 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 6-of-14 shooting), but his aggression was exactly what the Warriors needed from him. His three-point shooting this series has been really poor (1-of-8), and he changed his approach by attacking the rim last night.
Overall, the Warriors played much better last night, mostly in part due to their adjustments and added energy. As the series goes back to Oakland, a big win there will surely cement the series in the Warriors’ favour.
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