The return of Mike Conley with a mask and one good eye was enough to transform the Memphis Grizzlies into a dangerous team once again. Good enough to beat the Golden State Warriors on the night Stephen Curry was awarded and presented with his MVP awards. The stuff memes are made of.
The moment Conley plays, the Grizzlies transform into a very difficult to get through defensive unit that made it hard for the Warriors to do what they do best, shoot and hit 3-pointers. Tony Allen doesn’t feel responsible for everyone anymore, and managed to do some nice things in slowing down and disturbing both Curry and Klay Thompson.
So do we have a series on our hand? Hang on. The Grizzlies are a tough group and didn’t let a 15-point loss on the first game hurt their confidence. The Warriors don’t get too excited about losses either, even if they have been rare this season.
But maybe it wasn’t the defense or the return of Conley. Maybe it was all about the Warriors missing open shots. If that’s the case, game 3 isn’t going to be similar to what we saw in game 2, regardless of how well Memphis play at home.
