Nba playoffs, Memphis comeback in Minnesota: Grizzlies at 2-1

To hell and back. Memphis is like a punched boxer who staggers in the ring throughout the game and keeps taking hits, waiting for the one to knock him out. Except that Minnesota the blow of the knockout never manages to bring it. And then the Grizzlies are transformed, and instead of taking their punches they start throwing them. And those punches hurt, very bad indeed. After having been on the brink twice, down 26 points in the first half and 25 to 3 ‘from the end of the third quarter, the Grizzlies overturn Minnesota with a phenomenal fourth period and take 104-95 in game-3 which is worth 2-1 in the series. The Wolves went from apotheosis to disaster in the space of 12 ‘, with the attack becoming stagnant in the fourth period and everything special they had done up to that moment canceled by a 37-12 run. A collapse to try to cancel on Saturday in race-4.

Overturn

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Ja Morant finished in triple doubles (16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists), but Memphis won as a team, a special round as in the regular season. Desmond Bane, 26 points with 7/15 from the arc, has long been the only offensive weapon but the X-Factor was Brandon Clarke, 12 of his 20 points in the first quarter and that presence under the basket that coach Jenkins he had decided to quit when he took Steven Adams off the rotation. Morant rose in tone in the fourth period taking the entire team with him, also filling the naive game of Jaren Jackson Jr, held back by fouls but still a defensive presence in the 21 ‘on the court. “I kept screaming to play one possession at a time, without thinking about the result, and we stayed in the game,” says coach Jenkins. I honestly don’t know how we managed to come back twice, but we can’t think that happens in every game. However, I am happy with the group, with how many of our players have risen in level when needed “. After an entire game in an identity crisis, Memphis in the fourth period is back that enchanting team that ended 2021-22 with the second best record: the challenge for coach Jenkins going towards game-4 will be to understand how to be able to be so for the whole the match.

Collapse

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Minnesota had the game in hand: he let it slip by that collapse in the last quarter, the pain of growing a team for the first time on the big stage. That 37-12 of the final 12 ‘, collected by failing 16 of the 19 attempts, hurts even more because the Wolves had been almost perfect, also good at overcoming the crisis of the second quarter when they had let an advantage of 26 points reduced to 7 evaporate. to rest. With Karl-Anthony Towns fighting with fouls, referees and opponents (only 8 points in 33 ‘), the best had been D’Angelo Russell (22 points and 8 assists at the end), a splendid driver capable of taking the team with him. He too made a silent scene in the fourth period, when Minnesota needed a beacon to follow in a game that suddenly became late at night. DLo does not have the personality to be, Anthony Edwards (19 points and 7 rebounds) is still immature to be, the many supporting actors who have made this version of the Wolves a battle are not at that level. And then, after caressing the bang, Minnesota finds itself 2-1 down. “It is a defeat we must learn from – says Pat Beverley -. It would be easy to go into the locker room and point the finger, but we defended well and in attack we got what we wanted. It is not as bad as it seems ”.

The match

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Wolves practically perfect until 47-21 that Beasley signs from 3 to 10’25 “from the interval. Memphis recovers and with a 15-0 run shortens the gap to 51-44 at rest, but Minnesota shines again and, dragged by Russell, runs away again until 79-54 which DLo slips 3’10 “from the third siren. Memphis gives signs of awakening before the partial ends (83-67) then in the fourth period it transforms, forcing Minnesota to reverse metamorphosis. Saturday, also in Minneapolis, the 2-1 Grizzlies starts again.

Minnesota:Russell 22 (5/13 from two, 4/8 from three), Edwards 19, Beverley 14. Rebounds: Vanderbilt 13. Assists: Russell 8.

Memphis:Bane 26 (1/4, 7/15, 3/4 tl), Clarke 20, Morant 16. Rebounds: Morant 10. Assists: Morant 10.