Jannelle Moore on the Warriors: Curry called the win
From Steph Curry to Draymond Green: Warriors' Game 1 victory over the
Memphis Grizzlies was guaranteed
>MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE – MAY 1: Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30)
leaves the court following their 117-116 win over the Memphis Grizzlies
for Game 1 of the team’s NBA basketball second-round playoff series at
the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn., on Sunday, May 1, 2022. (Nhat V.
Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
>MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE – MAY 1: Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30)
leaves the court following their 117-116 win over the Memphis Grizzlies
for Game 1 of the team’s NBA basketball second-round playoff series at
the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn., on Sunday, May 1, 2022. (Nhat V.
Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
By JANNELLE MOORE |
PUBLISHED: May 2, 2022 at 8:33 a.m. | UPDATED: May 2, 2022 at 1:07 p.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/05/02/jannelle-moore-on-the-warriors-curry-called-the-win/

“You f—ing told me!”

A hyped-up Draymond Green shouted while embracing Stephen Curry in the
Fed Ex Forum tunnel moments after the Golden State Warriors stole game
one in their Western Conference Semifinals series against the Memphis
Grizzlies 117-116.

With 1:18 left in the first half, Green was ejected from the game for a
flagrant foul on Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke. The Warriors trailed
the Grizzlies by six at halftime and all the momentum was at the backs
of the home team. Absent Green’s defensive presence and with mounting
foul trouble for Curry and Klay Thompson, the odds were not with Golden
State.

This game had “L” written all over it. but Curry was bold enough to
guarantee Green a win anyway, and the Warriors were just as bold to
fight for it to the very last second.

The Grizzlies were witnesses to the strength of the Warriors’
championship mettle as well as their numbers. The Warriors’ mental
fortitude withstood not only the Green ejection but Memphis’ runs. Here
are more observations from Game One.

- Flipping The Script

Memphis thrives on offensive rebounds, second-chance opportunities and
second-chance points. In the first quarter, Memphis grabbed 23 rebounds.
Seven came on the offensive end, resulting in 10 second-chance points.
In pockets of the second half, the rebounding of De’Anthony Melton and
Clarke kept key possessions alive for the Grizzlies.

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117-116 in NBA playoffs
Still, it was Golden State that won the battle of the boards. The
undersized Warriors grabbed 51 rebounds; Memphis had 47. The Warriors
had 26 second-chance points; Memphis had 24. Otto Porter and Andrew
Wiggins were keys for the Warriors on the boards, snagging eight
rebounds each. But it was the hustle of Wiggins that stood out.

With 2:07 remaining in regulation, Wiggins swooped through the paint
after a Curry miss to tip the ball to Gary Payton II. Payton passed it
to Jordan Poole, and Wiggins was rewarded for his hustle with an easy
dunk. Warriors coach Steve Kerr praised Wiggins’ willingness to fight
for boards and possession.

“We’ve talked to him about it and he’s been great, “ Kerr said. “One of
the key numbers, when you look at the stat sheet is we outrebounded
Memphis 51-47. They hammered us on the boards this year. So it’s a key
focus for us.”

- The Foul

The following segment is brought to you by Charmin, the soft tissue. The
decision, by official Kane Fitzgerald, to rule Green’s second-quarter
foul on Clarke was not only egregious but weak. More, it was egregiously
weak. Why? Because officiating is usually more lenient in the playoffs.
Players play through and endure the physicality on the way to the title.

--
TSN
@TSN_Sports
Draymond Green was ejected from the game after being assessed a Flagrant
2 foul on this play.

#NBAPlayoffs
[video]

2:02 PM · May 1, 2022
77 Reply Share
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On the play in question, it was obvious that Green was going for the
ball when he struck Clarke. The “pull-down” was an attempt to break
Clarke’s fall. A reputation that, for better or worse, precedes Green
made the foul more than what it was.

Even in the clip, it was said that it was the initial hit and not the
jersey-pull that led Fitzgerald to call it a Flagrant 2. Green, in an
unscheduled episode of his podcast on Sunday night, said he expects the
call will be downgraded to a Flagrant 1.

Judging from the footage, it isn’t hard to believe Green will be proven
right.

- The X-Factors

To help slow down and defend Ja Morant, Kerr put Payton II in the
starting lineup. During the four regular-season games against the
Grizzlies, Payton defended Morant really well. In 16:04 matchup minutes,
Payton held Morant to seven points, forced him into five turnovers and
16.7 percent shooting from the field.

While Morant got his 34 points Sunday, Payton hustled and made him work.
Payton’s athleticism and hustle defensively helped the Warriors stay
within striking distance until they took the lead and the game.

Payton impacted the game defensively and Poole came off the bench with
31 points. While Poole settled down and eventually found his outside
shot, one thing that shouldn’t go unnoticed is how he was able to get to
the paint. Poole’s ability to get into the seams is something that could
impact the series and something that will require great attention to
detail in terms of studying the ways of the Grizzlies defense and find
ways to attack it.

“They are a really good defensive team,” Poole said of the Grizzlies.
“They are long and athletic so (I’ve) got to find ways to get into the
seams and be aggressive but also make the right plays because they feed
off of energy and turnovers.”

[video: full game highlights]

Notice how on this third-quarter drive, Poole has Morant on his hip.
Jaren Jackson knows he has to help but is a beat too late. See how Poole
adjusts after Jackson’s recovery. His footwork keeps Jackson off balance
for the score. When Poole wasn’t shredding Memphis’ defense with
penetration, he was shredding them with his playmaking, setting up
Thompson and Curry for most of his nine assists.

- Keys To Game 2

While the Warriors mustered up enough grit and hustle to match Memphis
on the glass, and willed themselves to steal the game, they need to not
only continue to hustle but also take away the Grizzlies’ transition
opportunities. Memphis feeds off of running out and scoring in transient
off of turnovers. Look for the Warriors to continue to concede outside
shots to Morant and also look for them to run traps to defend Jackson

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Jannelle Moore | Guest Analyst