The Golden State Warriors closed out their Western Conference Semifinals sequence in opposition to the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night time, successful 110-96 on their house ground and advancing to the Western Conference Finals for first-time since 2019 and the sixth-time within the remaining 8 years.
While Game 6 used to be very back-and-forth heading into the fourth quarter, the Warriors closed out this sport on a 23-7 run due to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson flattening photographs from the fringe that made Chase Center explode with pleasure!
Curry and Thompson mixed for 59 issues on Friday night time, however most likely an important efficiency of the night time got here from Kevon Looney.
Inserted into Golden State’s beginning lineup for the first-time on this sequence, Looney performed 35 mins and completed +10 for the sport because of his 4 issues, 5 assists and 22 large rebounds, 11 of which got here at the offensive-end of the ground.
This could have been Kevon Looney’s absolute best sport as a member of the Golden State Warriors and this championship confirmed crew wanted each unmarried one in every of his rebounds to near out this sequence.
As for Memphis, no person anticipated them to be within the Western Conference Semifinals this season and no person anticipated them to win 56 video games both!
The 2021-22 season used to be a large luck for the Grizzlies and now, it’s time for them to take the next move as a franchise within the offseason and turn out to be the championship contenders they gave the impression of all sequence lengthy in opposition to Golden State.
This semifinals sequence ended up being an excessively eventful and bodily sequence that may have long gone both method, however the Warriors prevailed and are heading again to the Western Conference Finals. Here are the important thing main points we discovered from this sequence between the Grizzlies and Warriors.
Turnovers Could Cost Golden State A Chance At Another Title
Golden State’s skill to head on scoring flurries and shoot from the fringe masked the truth that they became the ball over method too time and again on this sequence.
Turnovers were their downfall earlier than and time-and-time once more in opposition to Memphis, Golden State would have those careless turnovers that in point of fact weren’t as a result of the Grizzlies’ depth on protection.
Not to remove from Memphis at the defensive-end of the ground on this sequence, as they performed in point of fact neatly, however most of the turnovers the Warriors had had been as a result of a loss of verbal exchange, a foul cross or just looking to velocity issues up as an alternative of taking part in at their pace.
Heading into the Western Conference Finals, whether or not they play Phoenix or Dallas, the Warriors are going to need to in point of fact scale back on their turnovers for the reason that Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks are two of the Top-5 defensive groups on this league.
Scoring in opposition to them is tricky as it’s and Golden State will simplest make lifestyles harder for themselves in the event that they proceed to offer the ball away.
Against the Grizzlies on this sequence, the Warriors became the ball over a complete of 107 instances, a mean of 17.8 instances in line with sport.
This is an insane quantity of turnovers and for a championship-caliber crew just like the Warriors, that is for sure relating to. Valuing every ownership and taking part in to their point of talent is what Golden State must do, in opposition to any opponent, to be able to win any other identify.
If they proceed, those careless errors and turnovers might be their downfall.
Andrew Wiggins Is Golden State’s “X-Factor”
Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole and Draymond Green get all of the consideration, however what many of us generally tend to fail to remember is that the Warriors have an All-Star out at the wing.
Andrew Wiggins may also be very quiet and dormant from time to time at the basketball court docket, but if he will get going, he’s the variation for the Golden State Warriors on this league.
The fourth All-Star on their roster, Wiggins had a career-year scoring and taking pictures the basketball and his contribution in Game 6 on Friday for sure have no longer long gone overlooked.
Scoring 18 issues, 15 of which got here within the second-half, and grabbing 11 rebounds, Wiggins’ aggressiveness on each ends of the court docket in point of fact gave the Warriors a jolt of power when issues had been starting to get out of hand.
Perhaps the largest have an effect on Wiggins had although used to be defensively, because the All-Star ahead had 1 thieve and three blocks in opposition to the Grizzlies in Game 6.
Again, he isn’t the most productive participant at the ground and won’t at all times publish All-Star-like numbers, however Andrew Wiggins performs to his strengths and at all times brings an All-Star presence with him to each sport.
His self belief and athleticism permits him to play in opposition to and guard any place on this league, which is why he’s the important thing to the Warriors successful any other identify.
Memphis Has The Brightest Future In The NBA
If there’s one giant takeaway from this sequence in opposition to the Warriors for the Grizzlies, it’s that they’re going to be a power on this league for a long-time to return.
Ja Morant is a celebrity level guard at simply 22-years-old, Desmond Bane is a high-level scoring choice at 23-years-old and Dillon Brooks has confirmed that he could be a two-way issue at 26-years-old.
Throw in Jaren Jackson Jr. being 22 and the crew having a ton of alternative younger skills and rapidly, the Grizzlies appear to be a crew that might succeed in the NBA Finals within the subsequent 5 seasons, assuming all of them keep wholesome!
The key to this crew heading into the offseason although might be working out their cap numbers to be able to maintain long-term luck.
2021-22 NBA Executive of the Year Zach Kleiman has carried out an out of this world process reassembling this roster over the past couple of seasons and he’s going to have some giant choices to make referring to Kyle Anderson and Tyus Jones, either one of which might be loose brokers within the offseason.
While they hung in there with the Warriors on this sequence, it nonetheless turns out like Memphis is one piece clear of being the most productive crew within the league, which is why this offseason might be crucial for them so as to add stated piece.
As lengthy as they have got Ja Morant and their younger, rising skills although, the Grizzlies are going to be an issue within the NBA for a long-time to return.
Related tales on NBA basketball
- Lights Went Out? Here’s What Steph Curry Said After Game 6: Steph Curry met with the media after the Golden State Warriors beat the Memphis Grizzlies within the second-round of the playoffs on Friday night time. CLICK HERE.
- Here’s What Klay Thompson Said After Game 6: Klay Thomson met with the media after the Golden State Warriors beat the Memphis Grizzlies within the second-round of the playoffs. CLICK HERE.