Golden State Warriors did not lose a single game in the first round of the NBA first round clash against New Orleans Pelicans and they continued their winning streak against Memphis Grizzlies as well in the first game of Western Conference semi-finals.
The Grizzlies were outplayed by the Warriors in the first game with the score reading 86-101. So when these two teams clash for game 2 at Oracle Arena, Grizzlies will be eager to draw level, while the Warriors will want to stretch their lead to 2-0.
With the form Warriors have shown of late after an impressive regular season, it is going to take something special from the Grizzlies to show this confident bunch of players the exit door.
Stephen Curry showed everyone why he is NBA's most valuable player with an inspiring performance in the first game scoring 22 points. He has been the most consistent NBA player this season and stopping him is a daunting task for any team.
Grizzlies coach David Joerger feels it is not easy to guard Curry. "It's pretty tough," AP quoted coach David Joerger as saying. "He makes tough shots. You have to just keep your head up and keep pushing forward."
The Warriors looked in great shape during their first-round game as well. Not only did they put up a good offensive game, they looked comfortable in defence as well. No wonder, they are one of the favourites to lift the NBA title.
"We were well rested, obviously, and I think our conditioning and physicality going into the game was nice. ... We picked up right where we left off, and I think now we got the cobwebs out of our offensive game and should be able to build some momentum," said Curry.
Grizzlies guard Mike Conley did not feature in the first game and the same may happen in the second game as well after his facial surgery.
"(Conley is) a real pick-and-roll threat, he's a threat in transition to go end-to-end," Joerger said. "He also shoots a high percentage from 3, especially as a catch-and-shoot guy. (The Warriors) have a lot of guys in the lane, they're very athletic and they're very long across at the wings, so it was really jammed up for Marc."
Conley's presence could have given the team the fighting edge over Warriors, which possess players such as Klay Thompson and Curry. The duo of Curry and Thompson is one of the most feared pairs in NBA at present.
Where to Watch Live
The NBA Playoffs semi-finals game 2 between Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies is scheduled for 10:30pm ET (8am IST, 3:30am BST) start.
Viewers in the US can watch the game live on TNT.
Indian viewers can watch it live on Sony Six.
NBA fans can also watch the Playoffs live on NBA.com
