Morant and Memphis hold off Warriors for final spot in Playoffs
The Memphis Grizzlies are moving on to the Western Conference Playoffs after beating the Golden State Wizards in overtime. Ja Morant led the way in route to a 117-112 win.
Morant led the way from the start
Memphis jumped out to a big lead early in the game as their 21 year old star dropped double digits in the opening quarter. The Warriors started the game with eight early turnovers, which is what plagued them in the game against the Lakers.
Curry and the Warriors trailed from the start, and only pulled even with the Grizzlies in the final few minutes of the fourth quarter.
Warriors late run forced OT
An 11-0 late Warriors run sparked hope around the Chase Center, as a very subdued crowed finally started to make some noise. The run evened up the game at 97 with just over a minute to go.
The Grizzlies started to double team Curry as soon as he stepped over half court. With the game tied at 99 Memphis went after Steph again, so Curry found a wide open Draymon Green who couldn’t covert what would have been the game winner.
Morant on fire from three point range
Ja Morant took the Grizzlies on his back and into the playoffs. In the last game between these two team just six days ago Golden State dropped off Morant inviting him to shoot from the perimeter. Today he took advantage of that strategy by going 5-10 from the perimeter.
The former Murray State man ended the night with 35 points and Dillon Brooks followed up with 14. Brooks also did a good job on damage control defending Curry especially late on.
Morant with the biggest play in the OT period
The overtime period was close throughout, with both teams exchanging threes. It was who other than Ja Morant who had the ball in his hands in the pivotal moment. A strong drive and a composed finish put the game out of reach for the Warriors.
Scoring champ's season comes to an end
Curry ended the game with 39 points, while Andrew Wiggins finished with 22, but the Golden State Warriors seemed out of sorts on the offensive end for most of the night, and they were never able to take the lead away from until briefly the overtime period.
The Grizzlies will now travel to Utah to take on the first seeded Jazz who bolster the best record in the league, while Golden States season ends tonight.
The Utah Jazz await the Grizzlies in the first round of the Western Conference Finals
The Memphis Grizzlies are going to the playoffs!
Bane on the excalmation point! Big slam!!
Timeout against for the Grizzlies as Brooks couldn't find anyone on the inboud.
Timeout Grizzlies
Poole with the corner three with 2.2 remaining
Morant on the spin and the finish to put this game out of reach for the Warriors. He's got 35 tongiht
Morant on the floater in the paint, he's got 33 on the night.
Tillman with a triple try as the shot clock expired
Poole wide open for three off the offensive rebound
Timeout in the Chase Center
2:10 to go in OT
Green answers with a triple of his own
Allen with back to back triples
Allen drains the three from the far corner
Curry of the dribble, he's got 39
Wiggins banks home a deuce
Tilllman on the third effort to start the overtime period.
Green had a chance to win it on a floater in the paint, but misses and we are giong to overtime
Wiggins off the feed from Poole down low
Anderson to the line hits two of two. Under a minute to go
9-0 run for the Warriors
Curry fouled on the drive, fouled with 1:12 left. Hits both FTs and we have a tie game. Valanciunas picks up his sixth.
Poole fouled on his three point attempt. Hits all three free throws
Green on the pick and roll down the lane
Green inside off the glass
Morant with the up and under lay up, he's got 31
3:18 to go in the fourth. Timeout on the floot
Poole attacking the iron gets the bucket and the foul. FT is good
Valaciunas on the jump hook!
Timeout at the Chase Center with under 4 minutes to go
Under five to go in the fouth quarter
Valanciunas to the stripe, hits both
Curry has 35 tonight
Curry from downtown
Morant gets into the paint and sinks the floater.
Looney hits one of two fromt the line
Looney to the line, but first a timeout on the floor.
Morant on the floater, and Memphis leads by 8
Morant to the line after a hard foul on the drive. Makes two of two
Morant responds with a three ball from the near side
Curry with a deep ball
Valanciunas with the put back!
Curry with the bucket and one!!! FT is good. What a play by Curry, spinning after the contact and put the shot up
Brooks money from the far side for two
Wiggins on the lay in off the glass
Warriors ended that quarter on a 8-1 run
Curry in transition with the up and under
The foul was upheld and Tillman hits one of two.
Kerr is challenging the last foul called on Green against Tillman
Under 2:30 to go in the third quarter.
Bazemore running the floor beat everyone to the iron
Toscano-Anderson drops two FTs
Wiggins on the spin move on the block.
Morant with another three ball, he's 4-6 from behind the arc
Curry out of the timeout with a three ball
Brooks off the inbound, gets underneath the basket
Wiggins in the corner for the trey
Morant open for three again,
Curry on the fast break finish
Morant gets the layup in transition.
Curry stretching to the basket, gets the finger roll to drop. Timeout from the Chase Center
Green on the jump hook from inside the paint
Bazmore reverse layup off the steal
Wiggins from close range.
Brooks with the put back after the Jackson Jr miss
We ae back in play from the Chase Center.
The first half is overfrom San Fran, It has been all Grizzlies so far.
Jump ball in the middle of the floor., 25.7 to go.
Allen in the corner, and the Griz are 9/16 from downtown.
Poole on the baseline jumper
Curry with his third three pointer of the game.
two minutes to go in the first half
Wiggins on the midrange jumper
Brooks on a strong drive, and Memphis leads by 17
Tillman with a corner three ball, and the Grizzlies lead by 15. Timeout at the Chase Center
Morant with a shifty move off the dribble.
Green get the roll from close range
Allen drains a three from the far side
Anderson to the charity stripe knocks down both.
Five to go in the first half from San Fran
Timeout from the Chase Center
Tillman with a deuce off the bench.
Mulder on the finish after the dish from Curry
Jones to the line knocks down both.
Wiggins goes right at the defense, hits the lay up and draws the foul on Valaciunas who has 3 fouls already. FT is good
Bane connects on a three ball
Bane fouled on the drive, goes to the line, hits one and a timeout taken before the second.
Poole with an up and under
Valanciunas with a three ball
Alley Oop for Mulder
Valanciunas down low,
Curry at the line, hits both FTs. We are done with the first quarter in California.
Melton floats an effort after the streak down the lane
Jackson Jr. to the line, hits two of two
Poole spots up from downtown and the Warriors lead!
Curry with another triple. He's got the last 10 Warriors points.
Curry sinks a deep three, and gets fouled. Curry completes the four point play.
Jackson Jr. back to back FTs
Two minutes to go in the first quarter.
Curry, crafty in the paint, got fouled and hoisted up a fader in the lane. Gets the bucket and the FT
Brooks with a hard drive and soft touch around the rim on the drive.
Bazemore in the corner for three!
Timeout on the floor. It's been all Grizzlies in the early going.
Tip slam for Toscano-Anderson!!!
Anderson follows up the Brooks miss with a put back
Morant up and under gets the finger roll. Morant in already in double digits.
Curry off the dribble attacking the rack. He has his first points of the night
Bazemore to the line, but more importantly Valanciunas picks up foul number two. Bazemore hits one of two
Brooks with a floater for his first bucket of the night.
Morant with a quick 8 points, as the Warriors are giving him space on the perimiter.
Morant from the top of the key. The Grizzlies are perfect from the field so far tonight.
Brooks was cherry picking off the steal, gets an easy bucket
Anderson good off the bank from a tight angle, and gets the foul. FT is good
Scoop and score for Morant on the right side
Looney on a jumper from the FT line
Morant nails a three from the top of the key
Jackson Jr. from downtown
Bazemore connects on the first shot of the night
We are underway from Chase Center! Winner will take the final seed in the West
The starters are being announced for both teams at the Chase Center
According to bet365.com the Warriors are 4.5 point favorites tonight, and the Over/Under is set at 220.5
Crazy stat in the pregame preview of this game on ESPN. Draymond Green is the first player in NBA history to have more assists and rebounds and points over the course of the season.
We are about ten minutes away from tip off from San Francisco
There will be limited seating at the Chase Center, but there wil be fans in the stands.
Klay Thompson is the main inactive player for the Warriors tonight with a torn achillies tendon
Jonas Valanciunas is coming off of a 23 point 23 rebound game against the Spurs, and had 29 and 16 against Golden State six days ago
Even though Curry did score 46 in his last outing against the Grizzlies there were times where Dillon Brooks seemed to really frustrate the scoring champ on the defensive end
This is the fourth matchup between these two teams this year. Each team won an early season back to back, while the Warriors clinched the a spot in the 7/8 Play-In game with a 113-103 win over the Griz six days ago
Here's a look at the Golden State 2020/21 roster courtesy of Basketball-reference.com
Here's a look at the Memphis Grizzlies 2020/21 roster courtesy of Basketball-reference.com
LeBron James make it very clear who he thought should be the MVP this season
Curry averaged 32 points a game in the regular season, just edging Washington's Bradley Beal for the scoring crown.
This years scoring champion, and MVP candidate Steph Curry will take center stage, as the three time NBA Champ looks to keep his teams season alive
We are less than an hour away from tip off at the Chase Center where only one team will be moving on to the playoffs at the conclusion of tonight's game
Hello everyone and welcome to The Chase Center for the final Play-In game in the Western Conference. AS English will have live coverage, updates, stats and highlights of all the action as the Golden State Warriors host the Memphis Grizzlies.
Grizzlies kept it close late against the Spurs
The Grizzlies enter tonight in the wake of their narrow 100-96 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night at the FedEx Forum. Memphis stared the game in incredible fashion, jumping out to a 19 point lead at the end of the first quarter. Jonas Valanciunas dominated down low posting 23 points and 23 rebounds, while Dillon Brooks toped all scorers with 24, but his defense was the story of the game.
Brooks tamed DeMar DeRozan for the majority of the game, despite an early comeback bid in the late stages of the game.
Warriors lost to Lakers in a Play-In game to remember
The Warriors dropped an instant classic to the Lakers in the late game on Wednesday. Steph Curry showed why he is an MVP candidate with a 37 point performance, while Andrew Wiggins had a big first half and finished with 21.
LeBron James ended the Warriors aspirations of a seven seed with a deep dagger late in the game, and the Warriors were forced to travel home for the one off game tonight.
Fourth meeting between Warriors and Grizzlies
The Warriors lead the season series 2-1, and won the last matchup five days ago. Curry had 46 in that game and essentially wrapped up the scoring title with his monster performance.
The winner of tonights game will travel to Utah to take on the top seeded Jazz on Sunday.