Golden State Warriors News: Reigning MVP Having Tough Match-Up Against Mike Conley
In the night where the Golden State Warriors should have been celebrating for the success of their best player who received his MVP trophy, the Grizzlies had other things in mind. Led by the now masked Mike Conley, Memphis suffocated the Warriors' offense from the get go to the buzzer, en route a 97-90 win in Game 2 on Tuesday night.
But as basketball fans, most people would be thinking league MVP Steph Curry would be able to step into the plate and make some big shots. He scored 19 points and added six assists. But he also missed a bunch, hitting only 7 of 19 from the field, and 2-out-of 11 from deep.
Meanwhile, the performance of Curry's teammate Klay Thompson was worse. He made just a single three-point shot the entire game, finishing with 13 points, and committing five turnovers.
It was the Grizzlies' suffocating defense that spelled the difference in Game 2. Most often in plays, Memphis would reinforce their perimeter defense for the majority of the possession, and then collapse in the paint in the dying seconds if the ball got there.
But while Conley and company are well-known for their defense, it was actually their offense that pushed them above the top-seeded Warriors.
Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph combined for 35 points, 13 boards, seven assists, and three steals. While they were not that productive in the paint, they did not need to. Conley shot 8 out of 12 from the field, and 3 for 6 in rainbow territory, attracting more defense that freed up his teammates.
Game 3 will be in Memphis where the Grizzlies plan on building momentum.
