Memphis Grizzlies took out some pretty strong tailors from Minnesota Timberwolves in Round 3. In the first quarter, the Timberwolves completely overpowered Memphis, leading 39-21. But the Grizzlies were beaten in the second half and trailed to seven after halftime. Unfortunately, the Timberwolves delivered another powerful hit in the third round and the Grizzlies weren’t quite able to pull through with that as Minnesota had a 16-point lead before entering the final bracket.
Yes, basketball is a running game, but matches like the Grizzlies and Timberwolves on Thursdays don’t happen that often. The Timberwolves took an 11-0 lead and a 47-21 lead early in the second half. The game looked like it was over, but the Grizzlies ended the first half with a 23-4 lead to 51-44 after halftime.
Just like in the first half, the Timberwolves started the second half at a 28-10 pace. But again, the Grizzlies responded by going 21-0 to end the game with a score of 83. Memphis finished the game with a score of 50-16.
Minnesota took the lead early by mainly playing defensively. Led by Towns (who finished with five blocks), the Timberwolves were out of the ring. Minnesota put particular emphasis on containing Ja Morant , the star of the Grizzlies made famous in Game 2 .
But Memphis found enough stalls.
The Grizzlies use a formation of two central defenders. With another creator on the floor, Memphis made sure the Timberwolves couldn’t easily load Morant. The Grizzlies overcame Minnesota by 17 points in seven minutes Morant and Tyus Jones split the field.
Memphis tung Brandon Clarke came on in the second half. Clarke (20 points and 8 rebounds, 4 strikes) really made the difference with his agility and energy..
Of course, the Grizzlies weren’t as bad as they looked when they fell behind early on. Desmond Bane (26 points) played well the whole match. Morant (16 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds) did a lot of good, even without effectively scoring (5 for 18).
And the Timberwolves kept shooting themselves in the foot. Towns made many stupid mistakes. He became less involved in attack (ending with eight points on four shots with four spins). Minnesota didn’t call a timeout as Memphis opened the fourth inning with 16 straight points to get through that 21-0 streak.
After two relatively quiet games against Bane in Memphis, Desmond burst into a frenzy in Game 3. 7 making three out of 15 test shots was huge for the Grizzlies as they arrived at key points in the regular competition. more often than not. The team needed Bane to push and he did – especially in the second half. He was huge during the 4th quarter/collapse of Minnesota. This builds confidence for a Grizzlies team that isn’t already so underfunded.
If Bane can help them win when Ja Morant is in trouble, this team has a lot of future ahead.
