NBA Playoffs 2022 on Thursday, 12.05.2022
In tennis, they’d say match point Warriors! Because the Golden State Warriors can put the Memphis Grizzlies behind them with another Game 5 win!
For the home side, Ja Morant will most likely continue to be out and unless the Californians have another historically poor opening quarter, I’m also predicting a clear win for the yellow and blue in my Grizzlies Warriors tip!
It was clear from the start that Game 4 would be the most one-sided game of the series. With the loss of Ja Morant, the Grizzlies were missing their most important man by far. Nevertheless, the Warriors won by a narrow margin of 101-98.
Memphis actually had a 20-5 record in games without Ja Morant in the regular season! But the close result had less to do with a rebounding of the dark blue, but rather with the many mistakes on the part of the Californians.
Golden State got off to a miserable start and even missed all of their first 15 attempts from distance, something that hasn’t happened since 2011 (Thunder 0/16 vs. Mavs).
It was clear from the start that Game 4 would be the most one-sided game of this series. With Ja Morant out, the Grizzlies were missing by far their most important man. Nevertheless, the Warriors won by a narrow margin of 101-98.
Memphis actually had a 20-5 record in games without Ja Morant in the regular season! But the close result had less to do with a rebounding of the dark blue, but rather with the many mistakes on the part of the Californians.
Golden State got off to a miserable start and even missed all of their first 15 attempts from distance, something that hasn’t happened since 2011 (Thunder 0/16 vs. Mavs).
This last stat alone shows that if the Californians achieve “normal form” tonight, they should end up with a ten to fifteen point lead – assuming, of course, that Ja Morant continues to be out on the other end!
And indeed, it looks like the Grizzlies’ superstar will miss Game 5 as well! This would have devastating consequences for the morale of the young team, which does not seem mentally mature enough to win such a deciding game on its own.
For the Warriors, on the other hand, a lot will depend on Stephen Curry, who turned up the heat at the end of the last game and scored 32 points, mainly thanks to his many free throws. A Curry in top form could therefore be enough to advance to the next round.
I don’t expect the Grizzlies to be dismantled, though, because some key players are not quite in the right frame of mind at the moment – for example Draymond Green, who had an unusually weak performance yesterday with only one two-pointer.
However, Adreian Payne, his former teammate at Michigan State, was shot in Orlando on Monday morning! A circumstance that the capable centre in Golden State’s employ says has taken a toll on him.
Memphis was competitive on the boards in Game 4 even without Ja Morant, and even scored 24 more points from the paint!
The Dark Blues kept up quite well, by the way, and Tyus Jones had a passable game as Morant’s replacement, scoring 19 points. However, the biggest disadvantage compared to the Warriors cannot be determined on the basis of mere numbers.
This is due to the inability of the home side to step it up in the 4th quarter. The Warriors won Game 4 in the final period! Without Ja Morant, the Grizzlies simply lack a player who can keep the tempo up in this late phase.
Conclusion: The Grizzlies lost by just a three-point difference without Morant. But that close result was mostly due to the Warriors’ inability to reach normal form in the first quarter.
Golden State missed every single one of its first 15 three-point attempts – something that hasn’t happened in a decade! Had the Californians converted even five of them, the lead would have been much bigger in the end.
Moreover, the home side, who now have to fend off a match point without their superstar, lack the ability to step it up in the final quarter. Consequently, the Warriors will take the game in the final period at the latest.
My Grizzlies Warriors tip: Golden State converts match point!
