The memphis grizzlies tied this Tuesday 1-1 the series of the first round of the ‘playoffs’ of the NBA against the minnesota timberwolves by bending them 124-96 to the rhythm of Ja Morant, who contributed 23 points, 9 rebounds and 10 assists. Shaken after losing 117-130 in the series opener, the Grizzlies reacted with a strong team performance to restore the balance before traveling to Minneapolis for Games 3 and 4. Morant came close to the triple-double and ended up applauded by his fans, after giving a big scare in the third quarter, when he had to return to the locker room for several minutes due to a strong blow to his left leg. The number 12 of the Grizzlies inadvertently collided with the Dominican Karl Anthony Towns and felt a strong pain in his left thigh. However, after a ten minute break, he managed to come back and finish the game as the protagonist. He was supported by the 16 points of Jared Jackson and Desmond Bane, in a game in which the Spanish Santi Aldama was not present. Karl Anthony Towns, in the Wolves, contributed 15 points with 11 rebounds.
The game started with a lot of turbulence. With both teams biting on every play, in just three minutes Beverley had drawn a technical foul and Adams had a flagrant one. Towns did a lot of damage in the paint in the first quarter, but the Grizzlies closed out the opening quarter ahead (33-32) thanks to the flashes of his explosive attack by Morant (9 points) and Bane (8 points). Even so, the defenses carried out that very intense start, so much so that between Grizzlies and Wolves they added 20 fouls in the first 12 minutes.
Those from Memphis were looking for the key to the Wolves lock and found it at the beginning of the second quarter with an 11-2 run crowned by a triple by Melton (44-34 with 9:02 to go before the break). The problems for the Wolves increased with the third foul for Towns before the halfway point of the second set. Despite this, the Minnesotans did not disconnect from the game (60-49 at the break) with Edwards stepping on the gas in attack and Reid closing the cracks in the interior defense.
Memphis got away for good in the third period, but that enthusiasm was marred at times by the scare caused by Ja Morant, who was inadvertently hit in the left leg in a collision with Towns. His team was leading 87-60 with four minutes left in the third quarter. The Grizzlies star scrambled to his feet and returned to the locker room to check the extent of the problem. After a few minutes of deep concern in Memphis, the number 12 returned to the bench with a showy bandage on his leg.
Everything was left in a scare. Morant returned to the track with eight minutes to play in the fourth period and helped to sentence the match with the definitive 124-96.