The highly anticipated playoff matchup between the Warriors and Grizzlies has thus far lived up to the hype. Between the emergence of rising stars, player ejections, and gritty, passionate play, it has been anything but dull to watch these two teams go at it.
The Warriors-Grizzlies Game 4 matchup might turn out to be the most pivotal moment in the series. Here are 5 keys that will determine the outcome.
With the Warriors currently leading the series two games to one, the outcome of Game 4 will greatly affect the direction of the series: Either the Dubs take a commanding 3-1 lead and hold home-court advantage, or the Grizzlies knot it up at two apiece and head back to Memphis with the momentum.
Here are 5 key factors to look at for tonight’s battle in the Bay:
5. Shot selection
The Warriors’ Game 2 loss was defined by very poor shot selection. Give credit to Memphis’ defense doing their best to make the Warriors’ shooters uncomfortable, but still, the Warriors were hoisting up very low percentage shots at bad moments.
Aside from an efficient performance from Jordan Poole, the shooting numbers were ugly: Klay went 5-19 from the field, Wiggins went 6-16, and Stephen Curry went 3-11 from three.
In Game 3, the Warriors clearly made the necessary adjustments and shot an astounding 63% from the field. They focused their attack more in the paint and mid-range, taking 11 fewer shots from 3 than Memphis.
So, for Game 4, it will be crucial to see how both teams react. Do the Griz have a counter to force the Dubs into careless shots again, or can the Warriors continue to get easy buckets?