Earlier than Recreation 2 of the Warriors and Grizzlies’ second-round collection, Warriors coach Steve Kerr stated that he anticipated the competition to be essentially the most bodily his crew would play all yr.
He was each proper and fallacious about that.
“That wasn’t bodily. It was soiled,” Kerr informed TNT after the primary quarter.
The Warriors exited the cage match battered, bruised, down a member of their roster and tied 1-1 within the collection.
Draymond Inexperienced performed three quarters together with his eye swollen shut after he took an elbow to the face. Each Steph Curry and Jordan Poole each spent extra time on the ground than on the free-throw line.
However the true topic of Kerr’s ire got here within the first quarter, when the Grizzlies’ Dillon Brooks, with no discernible intent to make a basketball play, got here up from behind a leaping Gary Payton II, who was making an attempt a layup, and bashed him within the head whereas pushing him within the again.
Payton was understandably knocked off stability mid-flight and fell onto his left arm, fracturing his elbow within the course of, in all chance ending his season.
“I don’t know if it was intentional, however it was soiled,” Kerr stated. “Playoff basketball is meant to be bodily… However there’s a code on this league. There’s a code that… you by no means put a man’s season [or] profession in jeopardy by taking any person out in mid-air and clubbing them throughout the top, finally fracturing Gary’s elbow.”
“The road is fairly clear,” Kerr continued. “You don’t hit a man when he’s in midair, membership him and break his elbow. That’s the place the road is.”
The Warriors might need misplaced the sport and their beginning two-guard Tuesday, however they now have a transparent goal.
The Grizzlies broke “the code” in Recreation 2. Not solely did they revel within the tainted victory, however the crew additionally put out a social media submit promoting Recreation 5 tickets. The participant they selected to adorn the submit?
Sure, the Warriors now have to make the Grizzlies pay.
Not by going an eye-for-an-eye. Bloodlust seems to be good on nobody, and Inexperienced, the Warriors’ enforcer, can’t afford to place the one that also opens in danger.
No, they should finish Memphis’ season in a fashion equally unceremonious and sudden to the best way Brooks ended Payton’s season on Tuesday.
The Warriors haven't lacked motivation on this postseason, however Tuesday’s contest must be a galvanizing pressure for this crew.
A little bit little bit of anger and spite has gone a good distance for the Dubs in previous playoff collection. Now, any notion of this collection being good-natured and respectful is over.
If, certainly, this collection is younger vs. outdated, then the Warriors want to make use of that old-man power and put the kiddos of their place.
Classes must be taught.
These younger, brash and downright reckless Grizzlies must be embarrassed on nationwide tv.
As a result of if they don't seem to be, don’t suppose for a second that Memphis received’t attempt their Recreation 2 playbook once more.
Memphis is aware of they can not beat the Warriors straight-up, in order that they should go down low. And since Memphis is so inexperienced, their efforts to muck up video games come throughout as brutish. Masters of the Darkish Arts, these Grizzlies will not be.
Have you learnt how I do know the Grizzlies can not beat the Warriors straight-up?
As a result of Golden State shot 18 p.c from the 3-point line in Recreation 2. They turned the ball over 18 instances. Klay Thompson went 5-for-19 from the ground and Ja Morant scored 47, together with 5 3-pointers.
All of that, and Memphis solely received by 5 factors.
Would that margin have been the identical had Payton been in a position to play greater than three minutes?
What about if Morant had not flopped when Inexperienced was making an attempt to drag down a vital rebound with 50 seconds to play? That “foul” on Inexperienced stole two factors for the Grizzlies when the Warriors ought to have had the ball in a one-point sport.
Don’t get me fallacious, the Warriors didn’t need to win on Tuesday. They need to blame themselves in the beginning for the Recreation 2 loss. However there's fact within the margins. Basketball’s grey space says the Warriors performed poorly and barely misplaced. Meaning one thing.
There's, nevertheless, no grey space on the subject of Brooks.
I want I might belief the league workplace to do one thing with the Memphis wing earlier than Recreation 3 — for them to kind it out and convey some closure to Tuesday’s occasion.
In spite of everything, the concept that Inexperienced’s foul on Brandon Clarke on Sunday and Brooks’ foul on Payton on Tuesday are thought of equal, Flagrant 2s, is ludicrous.
I do know that you simply’re not speculated to litigate the end result, however intent issues. And I don’t know the way anybody can say that what Brooks did Tuesday was an accident.
It was a unclean play. There’s no different interpretation. And something that occurs after that soiled play is on Brooks. Payton didn’t break his personal elbow.
It hardly appears acceptable that Payton be sitting on the sideline in a solid for the remainder of this collection (and past) whereas Brooks is ready to play.
If that does come to cross — and I count on that to be the case, as a result of the NBA has confirmed to be feckless on issues like this — then it’s on the Warriors to dish out a punishment on the hardwood.
They should beat the Grizzlies so dangerous that Morant and firm would want to commerce locations with Payton.
The Warriors want to interrupt the Grizzlies’ spirit like Brooks broke Payton’s elbow.
It received’t convey the Warriors’ guard again into the fold, however it’s the subsequent smartest thing.