SAN FRANCISCO – The Chase Heart crowd chanted “Whoop that trick! Whoop that trick!” late within the fourth quarter after the Warriors pulled away with a double-digit lead.
The cheers mocked the Grizzlies’ unofficial anthem, which Stephen Curry had stated was the crew’s mentality heading into Sport 5, a remark that didn’t sit nicely with Memphis.
“It was phenominal,” a smiling Curry stated of the group’s cheers after the Warriors eradicated the Grizzlies from the postseason with a 110-96 win. “It’s a part of the enjoyable of the playoffs, the followers get to benefit from the celebration nonetheless they wish to.”
The Grizzlies made their assertion in Sport 5 of the Western Convention semifinals Wednesday evening, romping the Warriors by 39 factors. However it was Golden State who put the younger and athletic Grizzlies of their place Friday evening in Sport 6.
With the win, the Warriors punched their ticket to the Western Convention Finals for the sixth time in eight years and ended Memphis’ season.
“It’s particular,” Klay Thompson stated of Golden State making it again to the convention finals after a two-year hiatus. “All the things we’ve bene by means of the previous few years, it’s actually an unimaginable alternative… We have now an enormous match forward of us as a result of as we all know as every spherical advances, it will get a bit of tougher.”
“Sport 6 Klay” made an look Friday evening, scoring a team-high 30 factors. And Curry scored 11 of his 29 factors within the closing quarter.
After Thompson made his eighth 3-pointer to present the Warriors a 13-point lead with lower than three minutes remaining, the Warriors guard skipped down the court docket, placing six fingers within the air. He then galloped again to the crew huddle, high-fiving each teammate within the course of.
“Thirty sounds method higher than 27,” Thompson stated of his celebration. “On high of that, had a variety of pent-up power these final couple years and to be on this scenario and to seal the sport there, all of it got here out.”
The Warriors began Kevon Looney for the primary time this collection. He changed Jonathan Kuminga to present Golden State an aggressive rebounder and veteran defender to go up in opposition to Grizzlies heart Steven Adams. The insertion of Looney created a extra energetic begin to the sport for the Warriors after sluggish begins hindered them in earlier video games.
Golden State jumped to an 8-point lead within the opening quarter, although the Grizzlies have been capable of come again. Neither crew took a double-digit lead till the Warriors’ pulled forward late within the fourth quarter.
Rebounding has been a key issue on this collection, and the Warriors have been the higher crew at it on Friday as they've been for a lot of the collection. They out-rebounded the Grizzlies 70-44, dominating the offensive boards 25-10.
Looney was by far the most effective rebounder on the court docket. He grabbed a career-high 22 rebounds and pulled down as many as the whole Grizzlies crew within the first quarter. His 11 opening-quarter rebounds have been probably the most for any quarter for him in his profession and matched a Warriors playoff document set by Larry Smith in 1987.
Draymond Inexperienced and Andrew Wiggins each completed with double-doubles. Inexperienced grabbed 16 rebounds and scored 14 factors. And Wiggins, who was one of many Warriors’ most impactful gamers Friday, had 18 factors and 10 rebounds.
The Warriors gave the impression to be actually throwing the sport away with a number of ill-advised passes and sloppy ball dealing with. Golden State tallied 19 turnovers, which the Grizzlies capitalized on by scoring 18 factors, but it surely didn’t result in the Warriors’ demise because it did in Sport 5.
Desmond Bane had 25 factors, Dillon Brooks added 30 and Jaren Jackson Jr. recorded 12 factors and 4 blocks.
The Grizzlies have been with out main scorer Ja Morant for the third straight sport as he nurses a bone bruise to his proper knee.
In the meantime, the Warriors have been with out coach Steve Kerr for the second straight sport after he examined constructive for COVID-19. Mike Brown, who was employed to educate the Sacramento Kings earlier this week, was at helm for the third straight sport. He boasts an all-time postseason document of 13-1 whereas filling in for Kerr.
Brooks was assessed a Flagrant 1 foul within the second quarter after he pushed Curry. With three flagrant foul factors, Brooks was in jeopardy of being suspended for one sport, however the Warriors didn’t even enable him an opportunity, successfully ending his season with their win.
The Warriors can have 4 days off earlier than the start of the Western Convention Finals. They’ll play the winner of the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks collection, which will likely be determined in Sport 7 Sunday evening.