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Grizzlies Take Game 2 Against the Warriors, Even the Series 1–1

Tuesday night, a 47-point game from Ja Morant propelled the Grizzlies to a win against the Warriors, 106 to 101.

Tuesday night the Memphis Grizzlies continued their playoff series against the Golden State Warriors. A 47-point game from Ja Morant propelled them to a win, 106 to 101.

Let’s get into it.  

These playoffs are built different. Different energy, different intensity, and different officiating. This is fitting because the Warriors are a vastly different team than the Timberwolves. Golden State is inarguably better than Minnesota, but the latter was a much tougher matchup for this Grizzlies team.  

Game two got off to a chaotic start when Dillon Brooks was ejected from the game less than three minutes into the first quarter, after an attempt to stop Gary Payton II from going to the rim went very wrong. Brooks was assessed a flagrant foul 2 and Payton was led back to the locker rooms and then taken off to get X-rays on his elbow. After the game it was reported that Payton had suffered a fractured elbow, likely ending his season.  

Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr called out play in the first half as dirty, and in his postgame interview insinuated that Brooks had broken a code of sorts. Injuries suck and this one is no different, but the irony in Kerr calling Brooks dirty when he coaches Draymond Green is not lost on me. Especially when Green’s flagrant foul on Brandon Clarke in Game 1 had just as much potential for injury.  

Make no mistake about it, Brooks’ play was reckless, but calling it dirty implies intentionality that was not present.  

Shortly after Brooks was ejected, Draymond Green took an inadvertent elbow to the face from Xavier Tillman Sr., which led to him going back to the locker room for treatment. Green displayed two middle fingers to the crowd in FedExForum on his way to the back. He returned to the game shortly after receiving a couple of stitches and did not seem much the worse for wear.  

Memphis led the game from the opening tip until sometime in the third quarter, when Golden State was able to temporarily edge past them. But there was no stopping Ja Morant in the fourth quarter, not even the Warriors’ so-called death lineup of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Jordan Poole, and Andrew Wiggins. And when the final buzzer sounded, the Grizzlies had come away with a 106-101 victory.  

By the Numbers:  

Ja Morant led all scorers with 47 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists, proving once more that when the Grizzlies need help, they can count on 12.  

Please enjoy this video of Morant bringing the work to Jordan Poole on his way to the basket.

And this one of Morant taking flight and throwing down a dunk.

Rookie Ziaire Williams came up big off the bench, finishing the night with 14 points and 5 rebounds while shooting 4-8 from beyond the three-point line.  

Jaren Jackson Jr. struggled in game two scoring just 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks and then fouling out in the fourth quarter.  

Brandon Clarke closed out with 10 points on 4 of 4 shooting. Clarke was a key contributor to the success the Grizzlies had in the first round, and he continues to prove his worth.  

Who Got Next?  

Blessedly, game three is not until Saturday night when the Grizzlies will bring the battle to the Bay. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. CDT on ABC.